No. 7 Bishop Gorman vs. No. 12 Bishop O'Dowd highlights Tip-Off Classic

NEWARK, Calif. — Talk about hitting the ground running. The Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) boys basketball team ended last season with a loss in the state Open Division finals to the nation's No. 1 team (Mater Dei-Santa Ana) and No. 1 player (Stanley Johnson).

The Dragons are starting right where they left off, opening the 2014-15 season against seventh-ranked Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), which features two of the country's top 10 seniors in 7-footer Stephen Zimmerman and 6-9 Chase Jeter, a recent Duke-signee.

The matchup of national heavyweights headlines the Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic, formerly known as the NorCal Tip-Off Classic, at Newark Memorial on Saturday. The last of seven games is scheduled to tip-off at 8:30 p.m.

"There's no time like the present," O'Dowd coach Lou Richie said. "We've been playing all spring and summer for this moment. We're ready."

Certainly, the Dragons, ranked 12th nationally by MaxPreps don't feel overmatched.

They feature one of the nation's top players in 6-10 senior post Ivan Rabb, Boise State-bound point guard Paris Austin and an influx of other top new talent, including 7-footer Mike Hauser, 6-9 transfer Isaiah Thomas and two of the most highly touted freshman in the state in 6-foot guards Naseem Gaskins and Elijah Hardy.

With other key returns Franklin Longrus (6-4), Austin Walker (5-10 guard) and Arinze Chidom (6-8), Richie has plenty of options small and large.

Last year, Rabb was his only rotational player with length. Now there is plenty of that, however Saturday he might be facing the nation's longest team.

Coming off the Gorman bench is 6-9 Zach Collins, who has nine high major offers.

"Dare to say, he has to be the best non-starter in the nation," said event organizer Gerry Freitas, a former college assistant and current West Coast scout.

Freitas said the Gorman front line is one high level colleges would clamor for.

"This is a dream matchup indeed, but Rabb must have an A-plus performance," Freitas said.

As of two weeks ago, Rabb's left ankle, injured the week of the state championships and then re-sprained during the summer, was still only 80 percent.

The field of the one-day event is 100 percent, Freitas said.

Six Bay Area Metro ranked teams will play throughout the day. The schedule:

11 a.m. — No. 10 Berkeley versus No. 11 St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda)

12:30 p.m. — No. 16 San Ramon Valley (Danville) versus Cordova (Rancho Cordova)

2:15 p.m. — No. 2 Moreau Catholic (Hayward) vs. No. 8 Drake (San Anselmo),

3:45 p.m. — College Park (Pleasant Hill) versus St. Mary's (Stockton)

5:30 p.m. — Modesto Christian (Modesto) versus Bullard (Fresno),

7 p.m. — Newark Memorial (Newark) versus Folsom

St. Joseph, Folsom, Moreau Catholic and Drake were all 2014 state finals. Only St. Joseph prevailed.

Players who have signed to colleges from the event are Drake's Jesse Hunt (Eastern Washington), Modesto Christian's Anthony Townes (Pacific) and Jeff Wu (Sacramento State), and Folsom's Colin Russell (Portland), and Moreau Catholic junior Oscar Frayer has committed to Cal.

Freitas has identified 77 future college players among the 14 teams, including three Elite D1 blue chippers (Zimmerman, Jeter and Rabb) and five high D1s.

They are Frayer and teammate Damari Milstead, a sophomore guard, St. Joseph sophomore guard Jade Smith, along with Gorman's Collins and teammate Charles O'Bannon, son of former NBA player by the same name. Folsom's Jordan Ford is considered one of the top juniors in the state and a Division I prospect.