Cameron Reddish (Photo: USA Basketball)

Four rising high school seniors made the final 12-man roster for the USA Basketball Men’s Under-19 World Cup team, coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari.

The group began with 27 players, was trimmed to 16 finalists and then the roster.

The United States will look for a third consecutive gold medal in the event, which is July 1-9 in Cairo.

Here are the four high school players:

• Louis King, Hudson Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)
• Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.)
• Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll School (Bel Air, Md.)
• Cameron Reddish, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.)

Two high school players — Bol Bol from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Jordan Brown from Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) — were among the finalists.

Also among the final roster are two players who finished their high school careers in 2017 and will be incoming freshmen: UNLV’s Brandon McCoy (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) and Kentucky’s P.J. Washington (Findlay Prep, Las Vegas).

“Every player on this team can play different positions and has different abilities,” Calipari said in a news release. “Whether they’re a point guard and a scorer or whether they’re wing and a point guard, or a wing and a power player. We only took two true bigs, which is kind of dangerous. But, we decided that if we had to, we could go small and go zone. We could do it offensively and if they didn’t have a real big guy, we’d just go, ‘P.J., you just guard the guy. We’re going to go pick-and-rolls, inside pick-and-rolls and slips and you’re going to go play like a three anyway.’

“This is a really hard process. But it wasn’t just me selecting these guys, USA Basketball is involved. This was done by committee, and it went back and forth. Everybody was giving opinions. We went to midnight and we still couldn’t make the final decision, we had to sleep on it.”

Here is the full roster:

Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky/Queens, NY);

Carsen Edwards (Purdue/Atascocita, Texas);

Kevin Huerter( Maryland/Clifton Park, N.Y.);

Louis King (Hudson Catholic HS/Columbus, N.J.);

Romeo Langford (New Albany HS/New Albany, Ind.);

Brandon McCoy (Cathedral Catholic HS/San Diego);

Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech/Snellville, Ga.);

Payton Pritchard (Oregon/West Linn, Ore.);

Immanuel Quickly (John Carroll School/Bel Air, Md.);

Cameron Reddish (Westtown School/Norristown, Pa.);

P.J. Washington (Findlay Prep/Las Vegas, Nev.);

Austin Wiley (Auburn/Hoover, Ala.).

Ryse Williams (Photo: Jon Lopez, Nike)

Ryse Williams, a Loyola Marymount basketball signee has died a day before he was to graduate from Redondo Union (Calif.). Coach Vic Martin confirmed Williams’ passing to USA TODAY High School Sports.

Williams, 18, died after a brief battle with cancer.

A spokesman for Loyola Marymount also confirmed Williams had died.

The school’s athletic booster club, Sea Hawks 12th Man, posted a remembrance to Williams, a 6-4 shooting guard.

Williams committed to Loyola Marymount last July and signed his letter of intent in November.

“I send my heartfelt sympathy on behalf of our program and my staff to the family of Ryse,” Loyola Marymount coach Mike Dunlap said in a statement. “As good of a basketball player as he was, it was his personality and character that stood above all.”

“You never want to hear of a young person who is unable to fully make his mark on the world,” Athletic Director Dr. William Husak said in the statement. “On behalf of the Athletics Department and Loyola Marymount University, we send our condolences and support to the Williams family and the men’s basketball community.”

Final exams were scheduled at the school Thursday. It is unclear whether graduation will go on as scheduled or the plans to honor Williams at the ceremony in some fashion.

Williams’ childhood friend, Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate, also tweeted after Williams’ death.

Williams helped Redondo Union to Bay League titles in each of his four season.

As a junior, he averaged 14.8 points. 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in leading Redondo Union to the CIF Division I championship semifinals.

As a senior, Williams averaged 20 points and five rebounds and was named MVP. Redondo qualified for the Southern Section Open Division playoffs before losing in the second round.

Williams most recently had 10 points in the annual Collision Series all-star event between top stars from the Southern Section and City Section.

He also played last year for the Cal Supreme AAU program on the Nike EYBL circuit. Shareef O’Neal, an Arizona commit and son of Shaquille O’Neal, noted on Twitter that he wears the No. 11 for Cal Supreme that Williams had worn.

Tributes on social media followed news of his death.

Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate played AAU basketball as a kid with Ryse Williams, a Loyola Marymount signee who died Thursday after a brief battle with cancer.

Williams, 18, died a day before he was scheduled to graduate from Redondo Union High (Calif.).

Tate was a member of the Class of 2016 at Junipero Serra (Gardena, Calif.). He was ranked as the No. 11 athlete in the class by the 247Sports Composite as a senior.

Tate shared his memories and his relationship with Williams with USA TODAY Sports:

“Ryse Williams was my brother, just like all of my AAU brothers. We played elite basketball together since the age of 9. We traveled the country together, played in national AAU championship games and tournaments. We were really young learning about life together; how to work as a team and be leaders, and we had a lot of fun meeting other ballers who loved to play the game of basketball, too.

“Our experience together taught us about true brotherhood through blood, sweat and tears, wins and defeats. And the bond between myself, Ethan Thompson, Terrance McBride, Spenser Freedman, Michael Feinberg, Evan Baity, Chris Simmons, David Singleton and others teammates will never be broken. We were well coached so when we hit the court we had no fear and we played like a well-oiled machine. We had the best experiences that helped us to become grounded young men.

“Although I have been away in college, I would sometimes get an opportunity to watch Ryse play in high school during my visits home, and I was happy and excited for him about to go to LMU and ball out.

“I’m praying for Ryse, Dr. & Mrs. Williams and the entire Williams family.”

The first round of the NBA Draft was in the books Thursday night and here are the high schools for the players selected. Information is NBA team, player name, position, college and high school.

1. Philadelphia 76ers, Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
2. Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA, Chino Hills (Calif.)
3. Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke, Chaminade Prep (St. Louis)
4. Phoenix Suns, Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)
5. Sacramento Kings, De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky, Cypress Lakes (Texas)
6. Orlando Magic, Jonathan Isaac, PF, Florida State, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
7. Chicago Bulls (via Minnesota Timberwolves), Lauri Markkanen, Arizona, Finland
8. New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina, PG, France
9. Dallas Mavericks, Dennis Smith Jr., PG, North Carolina State, Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.)
10. Portland Trail Blazers (via Sacramento Kings), Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
11. Charlotte Hornets, Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky, Bentonville (Ark.)
12. Detroit Pistons, Luke Kennard, SG, Duke, Franklin (Ohio)
13. Utah Jazz (via Denver Nuggets), Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)
14. Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo, PF, Kentucky, High Point Christian (Pinetown, N.C.)
15. Sacramento Kings (via Trail Blazers), Justin Jackson, SG, North Carolina, Homeschool Christian Youth Association (Tomball, Texas)
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Chicago Bulls), Justin Patton, C, Creighton, Omaha North (Neb.)
17. Milwaukee Bucks, D.J. Wilson, PF, Michigan, Capital Christian, Sacramento
18. Indiana Pacers, T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.)
19. Atlanta Hawks, John Collins, PF, Wake Forest, Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
20. Sacramento Kings (via Portland Trail Blazers), Harry Giles, F, Duke, Forest Trail (Winston Salem, N.C.)
21. Oklahoma City Thunder, Terrance Ferguson, SG, Australia, Advanced Prep (Dallas)
22. Brooklyn Nets, Jarett Allen, C, Texas, St. Stephen’s Episcopal (Austin, Texas)
23. Toronto Raptors, OG Anunoby, C, Indiana, Jefferson City (Mo.)
24. Utah Jazz, Tyler Lydon, SF, Syracuse, New Hampton (N.H.)
25. Philadelphia 76ers (via Orlando Magic), Anzejs Pasecniks, C, Latvia
26. Portland Trail Blazers, Caleb Swanigan, F/C, Purdue, Homestead (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
27. Los Angeles Lakers, Kyle Kuzma, PF, Utah, Bentley (Burton, Mich.)
28. Utah Jazz (via Los Angeles Lakers), Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina, Bartow (Fla.)
29. San Antonio Spurs, Derrick White, G, Colorado, Legend (Parker, Colo.)
30. Los Angeles Lakers (via Utah Jazz), Josh Hart, G, Villanova, Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)

The nation’s leading high school girls basketball scorer in the 2016-17 season, one of the top post players in the Class of 2017 and two of the top five recruits in the Class of 2018 are heading to China next week to represent USA Basketball in the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup for Women.

Texas signee Destiny Littleton, a McDonald’s All American, averaged 48.1 points per game for The Bishop’s School (LaJolla, Calif.). Janelle Bailey, a North Carolina signee from Providence Day (Matthews, N.C.), was a McDonald’s All-American and ranked No. 4 among post players by ESPNw.

Christyn Williams, a 5-11 guard from Central Arkansas Christian School (North Little Rock, Ark.), is ranked as the No. 1 rising senior by ESPNw.  Aquira DeCosta, a 6-2 wing from St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.), is ranked as the No. 5 rising senior.

Team USA has a strong history in the event with a 41-5 overall mark with gold medals at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and the 2012 and 2013 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships. The Americans won silver at the 2015 and 2016 3×3 U18s, and bronze medals at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and 2011 3×3 U18 Worlds.

USA TODAY High School Sports spoke with Williams and DeCosta about 3X3, heading into the event that features 20 countries and runs June 28 to July 2.

Q: How did you get involved in 3×3 and being part of Team USA?

DeCosta: My coaches and I were discussing 3X3 Basketball at a point in time so I was very interested in trying it out and seeing how it goes. When I found out that USA Basketball had a 3X3 team for U18, I was immediately wanting to be a part of it. And when they picked me I was very excited to see how it goes.

Williams: USA Basketball selected a four-member team to compete in a tournament that was held in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. We played against other applicant 3×3 teams and whoever won the tournament were named to U18 3×3 World Cup team. We won the tournament and here we are.
Q: How does it change the way you play?

DeCosta: 3X3 basketball in general is very fast-paced and more dependent on defense over regular five-on-five basketball. I’m more focused on defending my defender one-on-one and trying to score and beat people off the dribble and look for the open shot.

Williams: It changes the way I play because defensively it really focuses on a lot of one-on-one situations. You have to be quicker and faster on defense every possession because there are only three of you so there’s no help side. You are forced to play straight up. Offensively, your basketball IQ has no choice but to grow because you have to know when to go one-on-one, pass it to the post, call for a screen because there’s also a 12 second shot clock. So it just makes you more mindful and not just out there playing basketball.

Q: Does playing 3X3 help you when you return to the more traditional five-on-five game?

DeCosta: It most definitely helps me when I return to regular five-on-five basketball because I’ll be quicker both offensively and defensively. Also, my communication is improving because of 3X3 basketball so I should be able to become more of a leader on the court.

Williams: It really does help you grow in five-on-five because you have two more people out there on the court to help you, so that gives you more freedom offensively and defensively. Also, it helps with conditioning. I know it’s halfcourt and all but you are sprinting non-stop for 10 minutes straight or until you get to 21 so you are going to get into good shape.

Q: What do you think about 3×3 being added to the 2020 Olympics?

DeCosta: I think it is great that 3X3 basketball is being added to the 2020 Olympics because the game is truly amazing. I love every bit of it, and I’m glad that others can experience how great it is.

Williams: I think it’s cool for them to add this as an Olympic sport because it’s very different from 5 on 5 so it just opens up more opportunities for a lot of different people. Hopefully, I can pursue that one day.

There are so many talented players taking part in the Pylon 7v7 Nationals this weekend in Dallas that it would be impossible to narrow a list to 10 or even 25.

Games in the high school division will be held at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys practice facility, as well as AT&T Stadium during the weekend. The high school division has 24 teams divided into four pools.

But here is a list of 20 big names to watch during the event:

Josh Proctor, Safety, Owasso (Okla.), Fast Houston: The Ohio State commit is ranked as the No. 2 safety in the Class of 2018 by Top247 and the No. 24 player overall.

Jalen Green, Cornerback, Heights (Houston), Fast Houston: Ranked as a top 10 cornerback and one of the top 10 players in Texas, Green has 37 reported offers and is a U.S. Army All-American.

Justin Rogers, Quarterback, Parkway (Bossier, La.), Louisiana Bootleggers: A TCU commit, Rogers is ranked as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback. He accounted for 35 touchdowns last season – 26 passing and nine rushing.

Terrace Marshall, Wide receiver, Parkway (Bossier, La.), Louisiana Bootleggers: Rogers’ most highly regarded target at Parkway fills the same role for the Louisiana Bootleggers. Marshall is ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 10 player overall by the 247Sports Composite. He has announced a final four of Miami, Texas, Texas A&M and in-state LSU.

RJ Mickens, Cornerback, Southlake Carroll (Texas), Team Texas Swoosh: A Class of 2020 defensive back, Mickens is the son of former NFL player Ray Mickens. RJ already has 17 reported offers despite his young age.

Houston Griffith, Cornerback, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Midwest BOOM: A week after reaching the finals at the NFA 7v7 Nationals at IMG, Griffith has more of an away event this time in Texas. Midwest BOOM is already the defending champion. Griffth, who also made a visit to Florida State before last week’s event, has a final seven of Florida State, Penn State, Texas, Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State and Notre Dame. His dad is former Illinois star Howard Griffith.

Greg Newsome, Cornerback, Glenbard North (Carol Stream, Ill.), Midwest BOOM: Another key player in BOOM’s highly regarded secondary, Newsome is a Northwestern commit and ranked among the top 10 prospects in Illinois.

Caden Sterns, Safety, Steele (Cibolo, Texas), Fast Houston: He was the first commit for Ed Orgeron after Oregon was hired as coach at LSU but has since flipped to in-state Texas. Sterns is ranked as the No. 4 safety and No. 37 player overall. He accepted an invitation to the Army Bowl this week.

Jaylen Waddle, Wide receiver, Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas), Fast Houston: The Army All-American stands 5-9.5 but has all the skills to be a go-to receiver at the next level. He has nearly 30 reported offers and camped at Alabama earlier this month.

Malcolm Epps, Tight end, Dekaney (Houston), Fast Houston: One of the top tight ends in the class, the 6-6 Epps is a Texas commit and also has had interest from some programs that want him to play football and basketball.

James Cook, Running back, Miami Central, Strongarm: A Florida State commit, Cook is ranked as the No. 3 running back and No. 34 overall. An Army All-American, he ran for 12 touchdowns last season. He is the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings second-round draft choice Dalvin Cook, the career leading rusher at Florida State.

Cam’Ron Davis, Running back, Miami Carol City, Strongarm: A Miami commit, Davis is ranked as the No. 7 running back prospect for 2018 and continues to emerge.

Bobby Wolfe, Cornerback, Madison (Houston), Air Assault: The 2019 prospect committed to Ole Miss a month ago, picking the Rebels about a week after he was offered.

Tony St. Julien, Running back, Vinton (La.), EPS Blaze: St. Julien is ranked No. 14 among running backs in the Clas of 2018 and is coming off consecutive seasons of more than 1,000 yards. Among his offers are Tennessee, Mississippi State, Wisconsin and in-state LSU.

Terez Traynor, Linebacker/wide receiver, Doss Magnet (Louisville), P2P: A three-star athlete, Traynor has offers from hometown Louisville, Purdue, Kentucky and Cincinnati among others. He is ranked among the top 10 recruits in the state.

Jeremiah Payton, Wide receiver, Fletcher (Neptune Beach, Fla.), Burch Sports: Ranked as the No. 4 receiver in the Class of 2019 by 247Sports, Payton has 17 offers, including Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Miami, Louisville and Cincinnati.

Zach Sheffer, Tight end, Nease (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.), Burch Sports: The 6-3 prospect has 28 reported offers, including LSU, Ohio State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech and Michigan.

Theo Wease, Wide receiver,  Allen (Texas), Fast Houston: The Class of 2019 prospect from Allen was an Oklahoma commit but decommitted in April. He has more than 20 reported offers with LSU, Oregon, Washington and Miami offers coming after he had committed to Oklahoma. He is ranked as the No. 7 wide receiver in his class by 247Sports.

Kelvin Joseph, Cornerback, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge), Louisiana Bootleggers: Ranked as the No. 7 cornerback in the Class of 2018, Joseph committed to LSU in February 2016, long before the program changed coaches. He has 16 reported offers with others still coming in.

Garrison Vaughn, Safety, Belton (Texas), Goon Squad: A three-star prospect, he committed to the University of Houston earlier this month from among 15 offers.

Casey Mittelstadt is heading to the Buffalo Sabres.

Mittelstadt, a two-time American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Hockey Player of the Year at Eden Prairie (Minn.), was drafted by the Sabres at No. 8 overall Friday night in Chicago.

“To be picked, me and my family are super excited,” Mittelstadt told news reporters, according to The Buffalo News. “It’s a huge honor. Obviously, going to a great place like Buffalo makes it even better. I was thrilled to go here. It’s a great place.”

Mittelstadt’s selection is the highest by a U.S.-born high school or prep school player since center Cristoval Nieves was selected by the New York Rangers at No. 29 in 2012. Nieves, from Baldwinsville, N.Y., played the 2011-12 season at the Kent School in Connecticut.

Mittelstadt began the 2016-17 season with Green Bay from the USHL, then played with Eden Prairie in hopes of winning a state title with  his teammates from youth hockey and then returned to finish the season with Green Bay.

Mittelstadt entered the draft ranked as the No. 3 North American skater in the draft per NHL Central Scouting.

Casey Mittelstadt puts on a Sabres jersey after being selected at No. 8 (Photo: David Banks, USA TODAY Sports)

The 6-foot, 200-pound center led Eden Prairie to the Minnesota Class AA state semifinals before it fell to eventual state champion Grand Rapids (Minn.), 3-2. Even after falling short of the season’s ultimate goal, the next day, Mittelstadt scored the 82nd and final goal of his three-year varsity career in a 3-2 win against Lakeville South (Minn.) in the third-place game.

In 30 games, Mittelstadt scored 23 goals and dished out 49 assists for an average of 2.4 points a contest. He scored a point in all but two games and he had multiple assists 14 times. For his efforts, he won the state’s Mr. Hockey award and was the Star Tribune’s All-Metro Player of the Year.

He already has been at the University of Minnesota to begin workouts, although he has been among the prospects whom the league had chosen to do promotional material leading up to the draft. He now will focus on college.

“I’ll be going to Minnesota to try and develop, get bigger and stronger in the weight room,” said Mittelstadt, according to The Buffalo News. “These last few months have been a lot of fun, but at the same time I’m looking to get back, move into school, get in the weight room and start focusing on hockey a little more.”

Five players selected to the 2016-17 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Hockey Teams were among the seven high school players selected.

They follow two-time ALL-USA Player of the Year Casey Mittelstadt from Eden Prairie (Minn.), who was selected No. 8 overall by the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

RELATED: 2016-17 ALL-USA Boys Hockey Teams

ROUND 2

Dylan Samberg, D, Hermantown High (Minn.), No. 43, Winnipeg Jets.

The ALL-USA First Teamer was the Reed Lawson winner as Minnesota’s best defenseman. He led Hermantown to a second sconsecutive Class A state title. He tallied 11 goals and 23 assists as the Hawks (29-1-1) finished with 29 straight wins after starting 0-1-1. He scored the double-OT game-winner for Hermantown in state final.

ROUND 4

Jack Rathbone, D, Dexter School (Mass.), No. 95, Vancouver Canucks

The junior was an ALL-USA First Teamer. Despite missing seven games because of a concussion, the Harvard commit was a dominant defenseman once again for Dexter Southfield, recording 16 goals and 19 assists in 22 games as Dexter reached the New England Open Division semifinals.

Jack Rathbone (Photo: Jennifer Bowman)

ROUND 5

Noah Cates, LW, Stillwater High, No. 137, Philadelphia Flyers

An ALL-USA Third Teamer, he had 20 goals in 25 games for Stillwater and also had seven points in 11 games with Omaha in the USHL. He will play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the fall.

ROUND 6

Nick Perbix, D, Elk River (Minn.), No. 169, Tampa Bay Lightning

An ALL-USA Second Team selection, he was a finalist for Mr. Hockey and the Reed Larson award. Perbix led Elk River to a 22-5 record and the Minnesota Section 7AA semifinals where the Elks lost to eventual state champion Grand Rapids. Perbix tallied 12 goals and 35 assist. He is signed to St. Cloud State.

Brandon Maass, D, Elk River (Minn.), No. 182, Washington Capitals

He had six goals and 23 points in 25 points for Elk River. Maas also played 26 goals for Fairbanks in the NAHL with seven goals and 16 points.

ROUND 7

Robbie Stucker, D, St. Thomas Academy, No. 210, Columbus Blue Jackets

He had 11 goals and 51 points in 31 high school games for St. Thomas in Colorado as a senior. He will next season for Chicago in the United States Hockey League and has signed to play for Colorado College beginning in 2018-19.

Nicky Leivermann, D, Eden Prairie (Minn.), No. 187, Colorado Avalanche

An ALL-USA Third Team choice, he is heading to Notre Dame for 2018-19 but is expected to play for the Penticon Vees in the BCHL next season. He had 10 goals and 34 points in 21 games for Eden Prairie and was a teammate of Mittelstadt’s. He scored a goal in eight games with Bloomington of the USHL.

Nicky Leivermann (Photo: Rick Olson)

Coach John Lucas is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities for basketball training and development on every level in the world with top college and NBA players flocking to Houston to train in the offseason.

He writes the “Lessons by Lucas” blog for USA TODAY High School Sports, but we were struck by his message in some tweets Saturday morning.

LESSONS BY LUCAS: The importance of player development

MORE FROM LUCAS: Sprit of competition is dying

Here are the top plays from the early session of the Nike Elite 100 Camp in St. Louis, courtesy of ItsOvertime.com.

Chandler Lawson downcourt feed to Trendon Watford

Jalen Lecque slices up the defense 

Tre Mann lobs it to P.J. Fuller 

Cole Anthony creates for Isaiah Stewart

Carl Lewis big man slam

A.J. Hoggard underhand lob to E.J. Liddell

Tyreek Smith angry at the rim

Tre Mann beautiful shot

Mahamadou Diawara freezes the defender 

Sydney McLaughlin, from Union Catholic (N.J.), broke 54 seconds in the 400 meter hurdles for the first time in her career Sunday to improve on her won world junior record.

At the USA Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, McLaughlin ran 53.82 seconds from the far outside lane. She had run 54.03 seconds during the  recent state group championships.

McLaughlin, a 2016 Olympian, finished sixth in the field. Winner Dalilah Muhammad’s time of 52.64 was the sixth fastest all time. Shamier Little finished second in a time of 52.75, which is ninth.

Last weekend, McLaughlin ripped off a 49.85 400-meter split on the anchor of the Swedish Relay at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. That is believed to be the fastest one-lap split by a schoolgirl in track and field history — and the smashing of a barrier that was once thought to be out of reach.

The week before that at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, she won the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter dash, matching a state record with 11 individual career gold medals at the Meet of Champions.

Scottie Pippen Jr., the son of the former NBA star, was among the players attracting attention at the Nike Elite 100 camp in St. Louis this weekend.

The younger Pippen spells his first name Scotty to avoid confusion and doesn’t use the Jr. designation.

Pippen, who plays his high school ball in Florida, is heading into his junior year, making him a member of the Class of 2019. He averaged nearly 12 points a game as a sophomore. And he still has a bit of growing to do at 6-foot and a lanky 160.

Here are highlights via BallIsLife.com:

Tucson Turf had a more than legitimate claim to being the top 7v7 program in the nation this year. But it was unable to compete at the NFA 7v7 Nationals last weekend in Florida because of a scheduling conflict.

With about 80 percent of the Turf players coming from Marana High, a high school commitment prevented the team from making the trip.

A week later, the Turf went out and won the Pylon Elite 7v7 Nationals on Sunday in Arlington, Texas, beating Midwest BOOM 35-21 in the championship game. BOOM also reached the final at the NFA event.

Having that many players from the same school is a rarity in elite all-star 7v7, but one the Turf players and coaches embrace.

“We’re trying to do it differently and we want people to understand we’re keeping it a game,” coach Toby Bourguet said Sunday night. “We’re doing this with kids who play the game because they enjoy it, understand the opportunity in front of them and are doing it to make memories. They’re not chasing scholarships. They’re out here having fun.

“We’re from a small town and we don’t come from money. Most of these guys know each other since they were little, little kids playing at the park.

“This shows you can compete at the highest level in today’s environment and still do it with character and integrity. It’s a neat thing.”

The program also embraces its underdog status. The rosters from virtually every other team are dotted with players with multiple offers and star ratings. Not the Turf.

“We take great pride in providing a foundation for the high school level through our youth and flag programs,” Bourget said. “We have a non-profit called Life Athletix, where we try to show that football can be used a tool that if you control your attitude and effort, you can have great success in life.

“We don’t one offer on any of our kids that participated in the national championship. None of our kids are rated as a one star or two or three. Several kids have been very successful playing in their conference. … We are very, very unlikely champions, but we have solidified our spot among the best in the country.”

The Turf was led by quarterback Trenton Bourget, the coach’s son. He threw touchdowns throughout the event and also had an interception on defense to help in the title game.

Trenton is 6 foot and 160 pounds, so even though he has only lost four games in four years of 7v7 play, he is not being heavily recruited because of his size. He has two more years at Marana, though, to potentially attract recruiters.

Trenton points out that the program’s run of success for this group of Class of 2019 and 2020 players began when they played as seventh graders in an eighth-grade event. He says since then, the Turf has won five national titles.

“We’re used to being doubted and laughed at,” he said. “No offers, or rankings. But you know what? We stick together and not get down on each other. We are there for each other even if bad things happen. And we let the score do the talking.”

The surprise of the tournament might have been Teon Simmons, a two-way player who had three touchdowns in the title game. “He outperformed five-star athletes all day long,” Troy Bourget said.

Another star on the weekend was Mario Padilla. The two have won 12 national titles together in six years. Padilla is among the few players on the roster not from Marana. He plays at Salpointe in Tucson.

“It’s just really cool,” Padilla said. “This year, has basically been the new era of 2019 and 2020 kids and it means a lot  to us, coming from Tucson, traveling to Dallas and now taking home the crystal ball.”

Among the highlight plays for Tucson Turf on its way to winning the Pylon 7v7 National Championship this weekend in Dallas was this beauty.

Mario Padilla, a Class of 2019 running back from Salpointe Catholic,  essentially steals the ball from two defenders and then turns for the end zone for the winning score against Midwest BOOM’s Thrones team.

RELATED: Tucson Turf has not stars in recruiting, plenty on the field

“I just ran down the field,” Padilla said. “(Quarterback Trent Bourguet) said run a corner. I saw the corner was wide open. I know the linebacker was right behind me and trailing. I didn’t think getting ball, but he threw it back there.

“I watched the film afterward. All I saw were the hands in front of me. One of the kids cupped it and I picked it out of his hands. I get chills thinking about it. You just gotta make plays.

“The safety from over the top tried to make the play ball. Once I had it, I just saw the end zone and everybody watching the game went wild. All the other teams gave me a good round of applause. It was cool.”

The roster of 166 players has been set for The Opening Finals, which begin at the end of the month at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

So which state has the most players? According to the home addresses of the athletes, California and Florida are tied with 26 and Georgia is next with 24. Texas has 14.

A year ago, those same four states were the top four, but in a different order: Texas was the leader with 23, followed by Florida with 19 and California and Georgia at 18

Here is a look at this year’s breakdown, according to Brian Stumpf, who runs football events for Student Sports.

Mychale Salahuddin, the No. 4 all-purpose back in the Class of 2018, committed to USC on Monday, announcing his decision on Twitter.

Salahuddin, from Woodrow Wilson (Washington, D.C.), was on the USC campus over the weekend. He will be in Oregon for The Opening Finals this week.

He chose the Trojans from among 36 reported offers.

Zion Harmon is coming off a gold medal with USA Basketball’s U16 National Team at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men in Argentina.

The eighth-grader was the youngest player ever invited to the U16 training camp, let alone to make the roster.

Last weekend, Harmon — from Bowling Green, Ky. — was back stateside at the NEO Elite Camp.

Courtesy of BallIsLife.com, here are highlights with Harmon showing the reason that many consider him the top player in the Class of 2021.

Joe Lombard has a career record of 1,292-120 in 39 seasons of coaching girls basketball and was named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame last summer.

He has won 19 state titles, including six in his first seven years at Nazareth and 13 in 32 years at Canyon (Amarillo, Texas), including the 5A state title this past season, his fourth consecutive state title.

Lombard formally received his trophy as the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for the 2016-17 season Tuesday during the annual Canyon Future Champions basketball camp.

Erin Conroy, a project manager for USA TODAY Sports, presents the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Basketball Coach of the Year trophy to Joe Lombard from Canyon (Amarillo, Texas).

Lombard also was named the ALL-USA Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2003.

“In the big picture of things, I just enjoy teaching and part of what we’re supposed to do as coaches is help your kids develop a work ethic, team play, responsibility, accountability, and get along with others,” he said. “We hope to instill some character traits that will help them in the outside world.”

ESPN has announced a seven-game schedule for the 2017 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff that features six defending state champions and five of the top six teams in the final Super 25 rankings.

The games are scheduled for Aug. 25-27 and will appear on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.

Among players in the ESPN300, 29 will be featured, including the top two: Cartersville (Ga.) quarterback Trevor Lawrence and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) defensive end Xavier Thomas.

The Kickoff event also includes a doubleheader at the same site. Saraland (Ala.) faces Heard County (Ga.) followed by Bartram Trail (Fla.) against Cartersville. The games should be a QB showcase with Jack West for Saraland, Ohio State commit Emory Jones for Heard County, Auburn commit Joey Gatewood for Bartram Trail and Lawrence for Cartersville.

Three-time defending Super 25 champion Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) host DeMatha (Hyattsville), which was No. 4 a year ago, in the second game Friday night. That follows No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) against No. 6 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).

IMG Academy, which finished No. 2, faces Chandler (Ariz.) in the Saturday nightcap.

ESPN will announce its regular season schedule in the High School Football Showcase at a later date.

Here is the full schedule for the opening weekend (all times Eastern):

Friday, Aug. 25

St. John Bosco (Calif.) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), 7 p.m., ESPNU

DeMatha (Md.) vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.), 9 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 26

Tulsa Union (Okla.) vs. Broken Arrow (Okla.), Noon, ESPN

Saraland (Ala.) vs. Heard County (Ga.), 3:30 p.m., ESPNU

Bartram Trail (Fla.) vs. Cartersville (Ga.), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. Chandler (Ariz.), 10:30 p.m., ESPNU

Sunday, Aug. 27

Wayne (Ohio) vs. Pine-Richland (Pa.), 1:30 p.m., ESPN

Meet Kamryn Waites.

He’s 6-foot-9, weighs 270 pounds and wears a size 20 shoe that has to be custom made. And, oh, he just finished eighth grade and is 14.

Waites — a member of the Class of 2021 who is known to some as “Baby Shaq” — was on the court for the Prime Time Sports tournament in Dallas last weekend and plays for RM5 of the Nike EYBL circuit.

According to Future150, he is the No. 3 player overall in the Class of 2021 and No. 1 center.

In a scouting report from Youth1.com, Waites is described this way:

One of his biggest strengths is his defensive rebounding ability – the kid is just dominant on the glass. Between his shot blocking ability and timing, and his upper body strength, he does not get outmuscled, and as his body continues to develop, he will become better and better on both ends of the court.

BallIsLife reported that Waites — who attends Universal Academy in Coppell, Texas, got help from the Dallas Mavericks organization to get his sneakers.