'Iolani Prep Classic field features No. 1 Oak Hill


Kainoa Scheer and the 'Iolani Raiders host the 27th annual Classic tipping off this Thursday. Scoring Live file photo
The nation's No. 1-ranked boys basketball team according to ESPN Rise, Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Academy, highlights another stacked field at the 28th Annual 'Iolani Prep Classic.

The 16-team, five-day tournament tips off today with four games: 'Iolani vs. Radford at 3:30 p.m., Academy of the Pacific vs. Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) at 5 p.m., Mililani vs. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) at 6:30 p.m. and Moanalua vs. Oak Hill at 8 p.m.

Tomorrow's first-round action starts with Kaimuki vs. Mason County (Maysville, Ky.) at 3:30 p.m., Tsinghua (Beijing) vs. Lexington (Ky.) Catholic at 5 p.m., Saint Louis vs. Montverde (Fla.) at 6:30 p.m. and Kamehameha vs. Mount Vernon (N.Y.) at 8 p.m.

Oak Hill, which brought future NBA stars like Jerry Stackhouse, Rajon Rondo and Josh Smith to previous 'Iolani Prep Classics, features four starters headed to elite NCAA Division I college programs. Guards Quinn Cook and Ben McLemore have committed to Duke and Kansas, respectively, while forwards Sidiki Johnson and Daniel Gomis have signed with Arizona and Oregon State, respectively.

Mount Vernon, ranked No. 14 in USA Today's Super 25, is led by guard Jabarie Hinds, who has signed with West Virginia.

Montverde, ranked No. 25 by USA Today, features guard Kasey Hill, who is regarded by some as one of the top sophomores in the country.

Dr. Phillips, Florida's defending Class 6A state runner-up, is ranked No. 45 by ESPN Rise and features guard Shane Larkin, who has signed with DePaul.

Lexington Catholic was a state runner-up last season and Mason County made it to the state semifinals.

Wheeler, which went 24-6 and finished as the No. 5 team in Georgia last season, features two NCAA Division I-bound players in guard K.K. Simmons (North Carolina-Wilmington) and forward Nigel Snipes (Western Kentucky).

Tsinghua was China's high school champion.

Among the local teams, Kamehameha returns Honolulu Advertiser State Co-Player of the Year Micah Christenson, a 6-5 forward who will play volleyball at Southern California.

Defending state champ 'Iolani features four-year letterman Trevyn Tulonghari, and Mililani has O'ahu's second-leading scorer, 6-4 guard Hassan Richardson (18.3 points per game).

The tournaments runs through Saturday -- with the popular annual dunk contest after that night's final game -- and takes Sunday off before resuming Monday and concluding on Tuesday.


TEAM ROSTERS

Academy of the Pacific  |  Dr. Phillips  |  'Iolani  |  Kaimuki  |  Kamehameha
Lexington Catholic  |  Mason County  |  Mililani  |  Moanalua  |  Montverde  |  Mt. Vernon
Oak Hill  |  Radford  |  Saint Louis  |  Tsinghua