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County Teams Get Larger Spotlight

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By NICK WILLIAMS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 21, 2007

It's fair to say that football and baseball are the two most popular and nationally recognized high school sports in Hillsborough County. It's also fair to say basketball is a distant third.

That may be changing.

Some of the county's top boys basketball teams are playing in nationally recognized tournaments next week, which should help put a spotlight on talent in the area.

Headlining the week of holiday tournaments will be the inaugural McDonald's Tampa Holiday Classic that will be played at the Sun Dome (Dec. 26-28) and Jefferson High (Dec. 29). The tournament will feature Plant, Ridgewood, Wharton and Pinellas Park and other Florida teams such as Plantation American Heritage and Plantation as well as teams from New York, Las Vegas, Houston and Atlanta. Some of the top players in the nation will be on display, like American Heritage senior Eloy Vargas, who has committed to Florida, and Luke Babbitt from Reno Galena, who is rated one of the top seniors in the country.

There also will be a Slam Dunk contest at the Sun Dome.

Supporters of the tournament hope the event will bring more attention to Tampa players.

"We get all the credit in the world for having football talent come out of here, but basketball players get looked over," said former Robinson and Florida Southern player Cedric Powell, who will volunteer at the Hoops Classic. "National tournaments gives them a level of exposure they never would have had. Hillsborough County has its diamonds in the rough."

Brandon, ranked No. 6 in the latest Class 5A state poll, will travel to Kissimmee next week to play in the highly regarded Great Florida Shootout. Other Florida schools include Gainesville P.K. Yonge, Orlando Dr. Phillips and Melbourne Eau Gallie, while teams from Illinois, Puerto Rico, Georgia and North Carolina also will participate. Players who have participated in the tournament include NBA All-Stars Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace and Elton Brand.

Berkeley Prep, ranked No. 2 in the latest 3A state poll, will travel to Ocala on Dec. 26-29 for the adidas Kingdom of the Sun Classic, which will include Lakeland Kathleen, Clearwater and Lakewood as well as teams from Georgia, Washington D.C. and Louisiana.

For more information on the Tampa Holiday Classic, visit www.tampahoopsclassic.org; for information on the Great Florida Shootout, visit www.gflso.com; and for the Kingdom of the Sun, www.kingdomofthesun.net.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR PATRIOTS: After a 2-22 record in 2006, the Freedom Patriots are 7-4 after starting the season 4-0. The school also beat Wharton for the first time in program history.

"As a coach, I'm happy," Freedom coach Randy Grenon said. "We see everything coming to fruition."

Freedom won the Class 5A-District 8 tournament in 2005, but lost several seniors from that team.

"We knew last year that we were putting in work for this year," senior forward Jared Givens said. "Right now, we're under the radar, and that's where we want to be."

"Last year other teams were putting a win on their schedule for us," said senior guard Ian Blake, who has received interest from the Coast Guard Academy. "Now they take us more seriously."

APLIN TO BE HONORED: Chamberlain coach Doug Aplin will be recognized by Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White during a meeting Jan. 3 for saving the life of Chamberlain junior Kenny Brooks on Halloween. Brooks collapsed on the court during practice, and Aplin used CPR and a defibrillator to revive him.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 865-4848 or nwilliams@tampatrib.com.

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