Reinhardt 2.0 unveiled at Las Vegas Fab 48

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Katin Reinhardt went from role player to national recruit during the span of four games at the City of Palms Classic last December, drilling one big 3-pointer after another, mixing in an occasional strong drive to the basket and even upstaging eventual National Player of the Year Austin Rivers in an ESPNU-televised contest.

Friday in Las Vegas, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound rising senior at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) showed he is more than just a lethal shooter. Reinhardt spent the majority of his time handling the ball and facilitating the offense for a Belmont Shore team that features seven surefire Division I recruits, leading to a blowout victory over the New York-based Juice All-Stars during pool play of the Fab 48 tournament at Bishop Gorman High School.

"Right now everybody knows I can score the ball so I'm looking to pass and get people involved," Reinhardt said. "My (ball)handling has gotten better but that is something I'm going to have to improve at the next level."

Reinhardt committed to Southern California shortly after the City of Palms Classic, but opened things up earlier this summer. The added dimensions to his game have schools from all over the country knocking on the door.

"It motivates me," Reinhardt said of the attention. "When people see me and recognize me for something that I do, I'm blessed by that. I always want to keep working harder and get to the top."

According to Reinhardt, Baylor, Nevada-Las Vegas, North Carolina State, Syracuse and Texas are among the schools pursuing him the hardest. Baylor and Texas, in particular, have come on strong in recent weeks.

He expects to make a decision in October or November, allowing him to focus on what could be a huge senior season at Mater Dei, a contender for high school basketball's preseason No. 1 ranking.

Lobo sons

New Mexico head coach Steve Alford and assistant Craig Neal both have sons that star for the Danny Granger Hurricanes and both were on hand to see Friday's game against Grassroots Canada.

While the Hurricanes were overmatched by Ro Russell's Canadian outfit, Bryce Alford and Cullen Neal had some bright moments.

Bryce, a 6-3 rising junior at La Cueva (Albuquerque), was the team's primary ballhandler and did his father proud with a couple of deep threes.

Cullen, a 6-4 rising junior at Eldorado (Albuquerque), is the team's best prospect. He can knock it down from the outside and didn't back down from Grassroots Canada star and Michigan commitment Nik Stauskas.

Don't be surprised if he winds up donning the Lobo cherry and silver down the road.

"I don't know if it's a dream situation, but it's definitely possible," Cullen said. "We'll have to see what happens."

More Friday Fab 48 standouts

Jabari Parker, Mac Irvin Fire: Duke was out in full force with head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistants Jeff Capel and Steve Wojchiechowski all in the building to see the 6-8 rising junior put his special ability on display. The Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) standout – rated No. 1 in MaxPreps.com's Class of 2013 Top 100 – is always under control and never hurried. While he excels at taking the ball on the low block and using his vast arsenal to go to work, he was feeling it from the outside Friday and connected on three 3-pointers. Parker isn't an especially athletic rebounder but has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Zak Showalter, Wisconsin Swing: Following an All-State junior season at Germantown (Wis.), things have been a bit quiet this summer for Showalter, a 6-1 combo guard. But he was anything but quiet against the Las Vegas Lakers in opening-day action, knocking down five 3-pointers and operating efficiently in Wisconsin Swing's screen-heavy offense. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Missouri State, Miami (Ohio) and Wofford are among the schools showing interest.

Nik Stauskas, Grassroots Canada: The Michigan commitment had one of the more impressive scoring efforts of the day against the Danny Granger Hurricanes, filling up the shot chart with makes from all over the floor. The 6-6, 195-pound senior has a deceptive burst with the ball in his hands and is a tough matchup on the perimeter with his size and strength.

Notes

Nobody packs the house in Las Vegas like the Oakland Soldiers – except maybe Celine Dion. In front of an overflow throng of spectators and a supporting cast on the bench that included program sponsor Drew Gooden, John Wall and Kentucky signee and former Soldier Kyle Wiltjer, the Nike EYBL semifinalists dispatched late-arriving Team Breakdown (Fla.) in crowd-pleasing fashion. Four of the team's first five baskets were dunks, including three by star forward Brandon Ashley...A couple of highly-touted Class of 2015 prospects got their first doses of major exposure Friday in the Fab 48's top division. 6-8 Horace Spencer of the New Jersey Gym Rats and 6-4 Tyler Dorsey of Belmont Shore both played major minutes. While neither was particularly impressive, it's safe to say they have bright futures ahead.