July is key on the college basketball recruiting calendar as major shoe companies open the month with events in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
A big month for college basketball recruiting is underway as adidas, Nike and Reebok are all hosting high-profile events this week.
Indianapolis is the site of the adidas Invitational, where nearly 350 teams begin pool play Wednesday, including 132 in the under-17 division. LeBryan Nash and the Dallas Mustangs captured the U17 title in the inaugural event last summer.
Talented twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison are in Indianapolis for the adidas Invitational.
The primary attractions at this year's adidas Invitational include host Indiana Elite (
Kevin Ferrell,
Hanner Perea), Wisconsin Playground Warriors (
Jean-Pierre Tokoto,
Sam Dekker), Houston Defenders (
Aaron Harrison,
Andrew Harrison,
Derrick Griffin,
Shaquille Cleare) and Dream Vision (
Shabazz Muhammad,
Xavier Johnson,
Winston Shepard).
Other prominent club programs included in the field include the New England Playaz, D.C. Assault, Atlanta Celtics and Compton Magic.
Nike's LeBron James Skills Academy began Tuesday in Akron, Ohio, with 80 top prospects vying for one of 20 invitations to the Nike Global Challenge in August. Headliners in that event include
Brandon Ashley,
DaJuan Coleman,
Aaron Gordon,
Amile Jefferson,
Ricardo Ledo,
Mitch McGary,
Nerlens Noel and
Tony Parker.
Twenty collegians are also taking part in the LeBron James Skills Academy with Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) and Thomas Robinson (Kansas) among the notable participants.
Finally, the Breakout Challenge at Philadelphia University signals Reebok's return to the scene. With adidas and Nike grabbing most of the starpower, the Breakout Challenge is focused on uncovering hidden gems. Top performers win the opportunity to join Reebok pitchman John Wall on a private training retreat.
MaxPreps will provide live coverage of Nike's EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam next week and the adidas Super 64 and Fab 48 in Las Vegas, Nev., July 22-26.
More: Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com breaks down the July event scheduleFormer UT assistant takes high school jobAccording to the Knoxville News Sentinel, former University of Tennessee assistant coach Tony Jones has been named head coach at
Alcoa (Tenn.).
While the move may seem like a major step down for Jones, who served as interim coach for the Vols while Bruce Pearl served a suspension last season, he is returning to his roots.
"I think it's an absolute blessing for Tony and his family and the people of Alcoa,'' former UT coach Pearl told the News Sentinel. "I don't know the people who made that decision, but my hat is off to them.
"They may be excited about what they're getting, but they have no idea what they are getting in full.''
Jones helped turn
Southwestern (Detroit, Mich.) into a powerhouse in the mid-1980s as several future pros – including Jalen Rose – cycled through the program.
Alcoa features one of Tennessee's premier football programs, but the basketball team hasn't experienced significant success since winning 24 games in 2005-06.
