This one is called the Tournament of Champions in Chapel Hill. A darn good reason to be there is that one remaining scholarship in 2008. The one they are holding for Eloy Vargas. And Vargas looked good once more.

It seems that every time Eloy Vargas steps onto the floor, he gets better. On Friday night, the 6-foot-10 forward from Team Breakdown was knocking down three-pointer after three-pointer, showing off good ball-handling skills and a skilled inside post game.

Vargas, the No. 46 ranked player in the country, matched Terrence Jennings, a top 10 prospect step for step and did a fine job against the bouncy 6-foot-9 forward. Vargas tallied 25 points to Jennings’s 16.

The list remains the same (and long) for Vargas. Pittsburgh, Maryland, Clemson, Louisville, Miami, Florida State, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana and Minnesota were all mentioned by the four-star prospect.

Pitt has a lot more competition for his services, now that his stock has continued to rise. Like DeJuan Blair, he is only looking better and better the more he plays top competition. I’d be thrilled if he verballed now, but it would still be nearly 6 months until the early signing period.
There was also a Connecticut Shooting Guard who Pitt and other teams are starting to notice.

Gibbs had help on his side as fellow guard Chris Prescott did some damage. Slick with the ball, the 6-foot-2 guard from Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, Conn., scored over 20 points in the victory.

He said he has offers from UMass, Rhode Island, St. Joe’s and Fordham while Seton Hall, Wake Forest, Pitt and others are looking at him.

Looking to 2009, Pitt may have lost David Cox and his DC connections when he took the Georgetown assistant coaching job, but that isn’t stopping them from pursuing DC area players.

Those in the D.C. area that watched Jeff Green grow into a projected lottery pick say they are seeing similar traits at the same stage in 2009 forward Wally Judge.

While not the perimeter threat that Green showed he can be at Georgetown, Judge is a terrific rebounder like Green. The 6-foot-8 big man from Bladensburgh (Md.) High School scored 20 points in the heated game between Team Final, a team DC Assault played tightly in Pittsburgh.

Much like their spring pairing, this one went back and forth and Judge showed flashes of why he recently found himself in the five-star range for the 2009 class. Judge is good around the basket and showed off nice versatility with both hands. He finished everything inside and ran the floor like a guard.

Clearly a high-major prospect, Judge will certainly be a must-see guy for the ACC and Big East come July. He said Georgetown, West Virginia, Maryland and Pittsburgh are the highest on his list.

Gluing all of the talent together beautifully for the Assault was mighty mite point guard Daryl Traynham. The throw back floor general did a little bit of everything in the victory. Offensively, he was knocking down midrange jumpers and a pair of three-pointers. He directed the offense with poise and commanded the attention of his teammates with vocal leadership and patience in a heated game. Defensively, the 5-foot-7 guard got into his man and forced early turnovers and bad shots.

He may be small but his basketball IQ is off the charts and guys like playing with him. Judging point guards, what else do you want in a guy that has the ball in his hands at all times?

Traynham said he has an offer from St. Joe’s while Maryland, Pittsburgh and Xavier are recruiting him early.

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When it comes to shooting, Rodney McGruder was the go-to guy for the Assault. The 6-foot-4 guard from Archbishop Carroll scored 19 points in the victory. He was solid at the foul line and knocked down his shots on the wing. McGruder said he is hearing from Seton Hall, Clemson, Georgetown, Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

Judge, for the record, is already listed at #23 in early lists of top 2009 players.

Out of the NYC area, Pitt is apparently showing some interest in 6’5″ forward Kevin Parrom. So far only Dayton has offered him, but schools like Pitt, UConn, Memphis and NC State are in the “evaluation” phase.