DON McDERMOTT MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

In my 50-plus years of attending high school basketball games -- from Ohio to North Carolina to Indiana to Pennsylvania to Delaware to Nevada -- I have been fortunate to watch many great players and teams compete.

So, I believe I have a data base of knowledge which enables me to compare individuals and teams, as well as game sites, fans, coaches, officials and other aspects of the game.

You would ask, how does Nevada compare in all of those areas?

Let's break it down.

INDIVIDUALS

I haven't seen every team in Nevada play, so these opinions are based on how I saw play in the state tournament last weekend in Las Vegas.

The ratings are based on not only on their skills or how their teams fared, but on two intangibles: their aggressiveness and poise under pressure.

The top 10 girls:

1. Aaryn Ellenberg, Bishop Gorman guard;

2. Johnna Brown, Centennial center;

3. Deanna Daniels, Centennial forward;

4. Dannielle Diamant, Bishop Gorman center;

5. Laci Rider, Spring Creek guard;

6. Stephanie Rovetti, Reno guard;

7. Keisha Stewart, Lund;

8. Mary Suing, Spring Creek center;

9. Caiti Forrester, Boulder City guard;

10. Alexis Byrd, Centennial guard.

The top 10 boys:

1. Stevie Kidd, Needles guard;

2. DeShawn Battle, Agassi Prep forward;

3. Landon Littlefield, Lake Mead Christian Academy guard;

4. Moses Morgan, Palo Verde guard;

5. Kalel Coleman, Bishop Gorman guard;

6. Shane Levin, Boulder City;

7. Dara Russell, Needles forward;

8. Lloa Nobriga, Palo Verde forward;

9. Jon Loyd, Bishop Gorman guard;

10. Taylor Poulsen, Pahranagat Valley forward.

The teams

The following views are based not on the size of the school, but on two aspects: entertainment value and as with the individuals, poise under pressure.

BOYS

1. Needles, Calif.,

2. Agassi Prep

3. Lake Mead Christian Academy

4. Boulder City

GIRLS

1. Lund

2. Spring Creek

3. Centennial

4. Alamo

COACHES

Who did the best coaching job in the state tournament?

For the boys, Jeff Newton of the Lake Mead Christian Academy's boys and for the girls, Centennial's Karen Weitz.

GAMES

1. Needles boys 81, Agassi Prep 78

2. Centennial girls 59, Bishop Gorman 58

3. Gorman boys 56, Palo Verde 55

4. Boulder City boys 62, Moapa Valley 46

Why? Strictly based on entertainment value, not necessarily the quality of play.

OFFICIALS

I saw 14 games (four Thursday, four Friday and six Saturday). Most were officiated with intelligence and consideration of the importance of the contest; i.e. the officials did not make themselves the center of attention.

But some officials allowed the rough play and sometimes out-of-control emotions to get out of control. The two Class 4-A title games were complicated because there was little effort to quell the unsportsmanlike conduct of spectators as well as the over aggressiveness of players.

The fans' actions, tolerated by not only game officials but by Orleans Arena personnel as well, spoiled the atmosphere surrounding two tremendous contests. Centennial's girls edged Bishop Gorman 59-58 and Gorman's boys stopped Palo Verde 56-55, with both games decided by last-second free throws -- but spoiled by hundreds of fans who rushed the floor.

THE SITE

Orleans Arena is the best high school championship site in Nevada. Great sight-lines for the fans, plenty of parking, reasonable priced concessions, and plenty of amenities for everybody involved, including us media types who too often are never satisfied. Lawlor Events Center in Reno is cool, too, but there isn't enough on-site parking.

THE OVERVIEW

Spending three days at the state tournament is a terrific way to spend some time off. In my humble opinion, being at The Orleans was as exciting as watching the Ohio high school championships on site at Ohio State University, which still ranks as presenting the best overall post-season experience for basketball and wrestling. Wright State University in Dayton is still the best site for state-level volleyball tournaments.

All Nevada has to do now is find more comfortable locations for its wrestling and volleyball tournaments.