We'll be doing daily updates from the 12th Annual Tarkanian Classic, which concludes Dec. 21 with the championship game in nine divisions, including the Platinum Division at 7:30 pm (ET) at Bishop Gorman. The event began with an assortment of prep division showcase games between Dec. 15-17.

RELATED: Roosevelt Takes Crown 

Notre Dame, Bowman Continue To Impress

The Golden Knights have an abundance of talent, but for the talented team harnessing the talent into a cohesive juggernaut for 32 minutes is what they are building towards. In their semifinal contest with upset-minded Layton Christian (Utah), they clearly were the more talented club and built a 47-27 lead. They temporarily took their foot off the gas and Layton Christian got within eight (67-59) with 2:08 remaining in the game, but Notre Dame re-focused and went on to post a 73-60 semifinal victory.

The spark plug for Notre Dame coach Matt Sargeant continues to be sophomore (2027) guard NaVorro Bowman Jr., who handled ball pressure well and hit timely shots for the 12-0 club. He finished with 20 points, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Notre Dame continues to work Tyran Stokes into its game plan and the nation's top junior by many scouting services continues to make a huge impact. He netted a game-high 29 points, including 11-of-13 free throws. He puts pressure on the defense with his physical ability and he's vocal in firing his teammates up.

UNLV-bound Tyrin Jones had 19 points and seven rebounds for Layton Christian in a losing effort and is a cinch for the all-tournament team.

Notre Dame is going to need a complete team effort to win the Tarkanian Classic title in the top division on Saturday afternoon. The No. 32 team in the most recent FAB 50 National Rankings will take on No. 9 Roosevelt (Corona, Calif.) in a battle between the top two seeds and two teams that will be part of the CIF Southern Section open playoffs in February.

Notre Dame is building one game at a time, and Roosevelt will present a huge challenge as a veteran club whose core has been together for a longer period of time. The championship game will have plenty of star power and storylines.

Roosevelt Downs Redondo Union

California's top-ranked team played like it for three quarters, taking a 17-point lead on 9-0 Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), before the Sea Hawks fought back to make it an interesting ending before Roosevelt put them away, 78-74, to advance to Saturday's Platinum Division title game (4:30 pm PT/Bishop Gorman High School). Redondo Union is a pressure defense and pressing team, but faced a team that can pressure the ball well and it caused the Sea Hawks some offensive trouble for three quarters.

Redondo Union trialed at the half, 45-32, and had 16 turnovers to Roosevelt's four. At the end of the half, Roosevelt's Dom Copenhagen stripped a ball-handler and raced for a lay-up, but Redondo Union was called for an intentional foul on Brayden Burries. He nailed both free throws and point guard Myles Walker made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Roosevelt all the momentum.

Roosevelt led 66-49 after third quarters, but Redondo Union's press started to create some havoc and it also got on the glass. Redondo Union cut the deficit to 75-72 with under a minute to go and nearly caused a turnover with 33 seconds remaining, but the Sea Hawks couldn't foul the player it wanted. Jackson Haggins, not a primary ball-handler, had the ball on the dribble but was able to get the rock to star guard Burries. He knocked down both with approximately 25 seconds to go to give Roosevelt a 77-72 lead and after Redondo Union scored a concession basket with six or seven second remaining, Roosevelt didn't take the ball out again as the buzzer sounded on the game.

Redondo Union only had one turnover in the second half to finish with 17 to Roosevelt's seven. Roosevelt has 21 assists to Redondo's 15.

Burries, one of the nation's top three undecided prospects and a cinch McDonald's All-American choice, scored six of Roosevelt's final eight points. He finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. Walker, one of California's top unsigned seniors, also scored 18 points for the Mustangs and dished out seven assists against two turnovers. New Mexico-bound Issac Williamson nailed 5-of-9 3-pointers and scored 17 points for the No. 9 team in the most recent FAB 50 rankings.

Redondo Union was led by Central Michigan-bound Hudson Mayes with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Greatly helping Redondo's comeback bid was sophomore power wing Chris Sanders. He scored around the basket and in the mid-range and finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Sanders is one of the West's best players in the 2027 class.

Redondo Union will face Layton Christian (Utah) for third place.

Notre Dame Moves To Semifinals

In its second game of the day, Timpview was looking to pull off the upset against the No. 32 team in the most recent FAB 50 National Rankings, and was hoping to have a rematch with the Layton Christian (Layton, Utah) team it previously lost to earlier in the season. Timpview did well for a half of basketball, but the roof caved in on Timpview in the third quarter and Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) rolled to a 77-64 victory.

Notre Dame outscored Timpiew, 26-11, in the third period and just had too many horses in the stable to keep the game close after intermission. Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-6 power wing who many feel is the best 2026 prospect in the country, finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds.

The difference in the game, however, was 6-foot-1 sophomore (2027) NaVorro Bowman Jr., a guard who is a fearless competitor and gamer who made a big impact with his scoring, feel and play-making. Bowman finished with 17 points and three assists, and was the recruiting find of Thursday's games in the tournament.

Rutgers-bound point guard Lino Mark added 16 points, four assists and six steals in a game Notre Dame was up by as much as 21 points in the fourth period. Notre Dame will face Layton Christian in tomorrow's 8:30 pm PT semifinal at Orleans Arena.

Dean Rueckert, who had 17 points in the first half and only missed a single shot from the field, finished with 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting for Timpview. He undoubtedly has helped his stock in the national 2026 class at this event.

Layton Christian Beats Host Gorman

Layton Christian led 27-25 at halftime against host Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), but was relentless on the boards and worked for point blank baskets to outscore the Gaels 34-25 in the second half to post a 61-50 victory to advance to the 8:30 pm PT semifinal on Friday evening at the Orleans Arena just off the Las Vegas strip.

The Eagles' two big guns pounded Bishop Gorman around the basket, making a combined 19-of-25 field goal attempts. Eastern Washington-bound Alan Gballou, the most unique player in the Platinum Division with his blend of brute strength, wide body, touch and moves around the basket, finished with 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field. UNLV-bound Tyrin Jones, one of the most vertically explosive leapers in the tournament who also has a varsity of skill on both sides of the ball, finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Layton Christian had already beaten Timpview, and gets the tougher matchup in its semifinal game with FAB 50 No. 32 Notre Dame. Layton Christian will have to find a perimeter threat and make sure the Golden Knights don't run out in transition for easy buckets.

Brayden Miner: Redondo's Unsung Hero

The first club to advance to the Platinum Division semifinal was Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), as the Sea Hawks outlasted a game Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) club, 87-82 on Thursday afternoon. Coronado only led for less than a minute in the entire game, but Coronado had all the momentum with less than two minutes remaining when it took a 81-79 lead, its first one since the first quarter.

Early in the shot clock in the next possession, 6-foot-2 Brayden Miner knocked down a rhythm 3-pointer for the Sea Hawks to make the score 82-81 and they never trialed again. Miner knocked down all three of his 3-point attempts and finished with 11 points. He didn't miss a shot from the field. Miner has contributed greatly to Redondo's success as the team's sixth man with his timely shots, solid defense and calm approach to the game.

Miner's dad is Harold Miner, a two-time NBA slam dunk champion and California playground legend from Inglewood (Calif.). "Baby Jordan" has been out of the spotlight since retiring from the NBA and purposely keeps a low profile. His son is a late bloomer as a senior who just needs a bit more consistency in his offensive game to take his game to the next level. Miner is just scratching the surface of his potential and is going to make a few colleges regret that they didn't go after him a bit harder.

Timpview Looking To Double Dip

When someone double dips in basketball, it's usually a positive thing and on Thursday that's what the all-underclass club at Timpview (Provo, Utah) is looking to do. It played its first round game on Thursday and came away with a 70-51 victory over St. Joseph Prep (Philadelphia, Pal). Timpview, which owns a victory over FAB 50 No. 31 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), scored too easily around the basket for St. Joe's to compete, especially with the size differential.

Six-foot-7 2026 (junior) Dean Rueckert led Timpview with 28 points and nine rebounds, while 6-foot-5 2026 Callen Tollestrup added 14 points. Timpview is going to get off its feet this afternoon as it has to come back this evening at 9 pm (PT) and face FAB 50 No. 32 Notre Dame, Harvard-Westlake's Mission League rival.

Layton Christian Survives & Advances

Tarkanian host Bishop Gorman will take on Layton Christian (Utah) in a 7:30 pm (PT) quarterfinal after downing L.A. Westchester, 72-60. Unsigned senior guard Nick Jefferson had 20 points, but he also turned the ball over seven times as Gorman actually had more turnovers than Westchester (21-20). Gorman didn't have center Chris Baurdreau in addition to Grid-Hooper Jett Washington, who is out for the tourney.

Gorman will have its hand full with Layton Christian, which gutted out an exhausting 79-74 triple overtime victory over a gutty Centennial (Corona, Calif.) team in a game that ended at 10:08 pm local time. Centennial's standout junior guard, Isaiah "Slim" Rogers, sent the game into overtime with a clean pull up 3-pointer from 23 feet away.

From there, it was a series of miscues, poor fouls and rushed shots until the third overtime when Layton Christian executed its high low game with Eastern Washington-bound big man, Alan Gballou, and UNLV-bound Tyrin Jones doing the majority of the damage. Centennial had one last chance to tie it on a 3-pointer, but Rogers' look with nine seconds was off the mark to the right as Layton Christian survived.

Gballou, which his unique game as a power forward who looks like he could make an immediate impact in the trenches on the gridiron, finished with 16 points. Jones, who loves to drive and go get his miss, kept attacking and finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds.

Layton Christian is going to want to throw away the film of its first round game and we have a hunch with that game behind them, the Eagles will play much better against Bishop Gorman.

Notre Dame Plays Waiting Game

The Golden Knights' game didn't begin until 10:16 pm and after playing the waiting game to get in their first round game against Basha (Chandler, Ariz.). They rolled to a 80-63 victory and have to once again play the waiting game to find out its second round opponent, as Timpiew of Utah and St. Joseph of Pennsylvania tip off on Thursday at 1:30 pm PT. Both teams will play two games on Thursday.

Tyran Stokes, arguably the nation's top 2026 and in his third game for Notre Dame this season, had 23 points and 11 rebounds. Rutgers-bound point guard Angelino Mark added 19 points and six assists.

Basha has talented underclassmen in its lineup and freshman (2028) Kingston Montague, a 5-foot-11 guard, had 20 points. Mason McGee, one of the better junior point guards in the West Region, added 13 points.

Redondo Union Looking Strong

The Sea Hawks, the 2014 Platinum Division champs, had a tough first round matchup with Rainier Beach (Wash.) and rolled to an impressive 88-74 victory. Rainier Beach wasn't able to keep up with Redondo's pressure because The Beach didn't knock down enough jumpers. They also weren't able to handle the Sea Hawks on the boards (43-26). Redondo Union also shot it well in the first half, knocking down 9-of-12 3-pointers (Rainier Beach went 3-of-19).

S.J. Madison, a 2026 guard, knocked down 8-of-12 shots from the field and finished with 22 points. Zach Khatib,  a 6-foot-4 junior, is the team's designated sniper and knocked down 4-of-5 3-pointers to finish with 12 points.

Redondo Union has a plethora of weapons and will be a tough out in this tourney. The 8-0 Sea Hawks face Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) in a 3 pm (PT) quarterfinal on Thursday. Coronado defeated previously unbeaten Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.), 85-63, in its first round contest.

UNLV-bound Mason Abittan had a team-high 23 points and continues to display the all-around game that makes him one of the West's most underrated players. Rainier Beach (5-2) has a terrific long term prospect in 2027 6-3 shooting guard Keaundre Morris. He can handle pressure and is a knock down shooter off the catch. Once he gains a bit of strength and more experience, watch out.

Riviera Prep Impressive

The Bulldogs are on the FAB 50 bubble and moved to 7-0 on the season with a 64-55 come-from-behind victory over St. Pius X-Matthias (Downey, Calif.), last year's Platinum Division champions. Riviera Prep trialed 32-26 at halftime, as Pius X was getting the ball inside and getting better looks. A 21-9 third quarter advantage was the difference in the game, as Riviera forced the Warriors into outside shots and got out and converted easy one themselves.

Still unbeaten Riviera Prep has good size on its frontline and could give top seed and FAB 50 No. 9 Roosevelt all it can handle in Thursday's quarterfinal (4:30 pm PT). Gustavo Guimaraes, a 7-foot 2025 center, moves well and sets good screens and could be a difference maker. The two players that make the Bulldogs go, however, are sophomores (2027) Jeremy Jenkins (6-9) and Myles Fuentes (6-1).

Jenkins got off to a slow start and both teams were shaky with the handle and ball control, but he picked it up and make an impact with his defensive length, ability to rebound and start the break, and hit the occasional mid-range shot. Fuentes had media row buzzing with his elite passing, burst, crossover, decision making and pure jump shot. Fuentes is also a quality student and is a cinch Top 50 player in the national 2027 class. Expect his offer count to go up after Tark.

Fuentes finished the first round game with 18 points, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, while Guimaraes added 17 9 rebounds and Jenkins 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Platinum Division 1st Round Previews
(All games listed PT played December 18 at Bishop Gorman HS unless noted)

7-2 St. Pius X-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.) vs. 6-0 Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.), 12:45 pm
This has the makings of a war and could be the best first round game. Whichever team handles pressure defense and gets the ball inside best will win. Look out for 6-foot-1 2027 point guard Myles Fuentes of Riviera Prep.

2-5 St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) vs. 7-1 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), 2:15 pm
Saints usually does well in this event, but will be no match for the top seeded Mustangs, currently ranked No. 9 in the FAB 50 National Rankings. Whomever Roosevelt may face in the second round between St. Pius X and Riviera Prep it will have its hands full.

5-0 Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.) vs. 3-2 Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), 3:45 pm
This will be an intense game and could come down to the production of Colorado-bound Isaiah Johnson of Campbell Hall. He's capable of scoring outbursts and Coronado will want to contain him. UNLV-bound Mason Abittan of Coronado is one of the more underrated players in the event.

5-1 Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) vs. 7-0 Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 5:15 pm
The guard matchups will be scintillating in what should be a fast-paced game. Rainier Beach will be in business if it can keep the turnovers down and get Rutgers-bound Jayden Powers going offensively. Redondo Union will want to speed The Beach up and whomever executes if the game is close will win. If the game is not that close, I would expect the Sea Hawks to be up because they are getting the better shots. The loser of this game could be a tougher out than the Campbell Hall-Coronado winner in the quarterfinals.

7-0 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) vs. 3-5 Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.), 6:45 pm
The host Gaels are a bit more talented, but they know the Comets play hard and anything can happen in a one-game setting. Westchester's Tajh Ariza will need to stay composed against a multitude of Gorman defenders. With the ankle injury to Gorman's Grid-Hoop stud Jett Washington, it could be a tough road for the host club and three time tourney champs because he's the Gaels' most versatile player.

3-6 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) vs. 3-2 Layton Christian (Layton, Utah), 8:15 pm
Don't let the records fool you; these are two quality teams, although Centennial is a youthful club. Centennial won this tournament in 2019 and won't go easy, but with three D1-bound seniors, including UNLV-bound Tyrin Jones, the Eagles should advance to meet the hosts in Thursday's 7:30 pm quarterfinal matchup. Layton Christian owns a 42-39 victory over Timpview, which has beat FAB 50 No. 31 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) last week.

9-0 Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) vs. 9-0 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), 9:45 pm
In a battle of unbeatens, the matchup within the matchup is the point guard battle between Rutgers-bound Lino Mark of Notre Dame and 2026 15-year old Mason McGee of Basha. Notre Dame, currently ranked No. 32 in the FAB 50, is the stronger team and is getting Tyran Stokes back in the fold from a hand injury. He could be the top junior in the country, but Notre Dame has quality role players who have improved in his absence.

4-2 Timpview (Provo, Utah) vs. 0-1 St. Joseph (Philadelphia, Pa.), 1:30 pm (12/19)
These teams have to meet on Thursday because of travel and are good enough that if the bracket was truly seeded, would likely be a quarterfinal matchup. The one area where Timpview has the advantage is having quality games under its belt, where as St. Joe's is just warming up. Timpview shoots the perimeter shot as well as any team in this field and has quality size to boot, led by 6-foot-7 2026 Dean Rueckert and 6-foot-9 2026 Will Openshaw. The winner will likely face Notre Dame at 9 pm on Thursday evening in an attractive quarterfinal matchup. Both Notre Dame and Roosevelt on the opposite sides of the bracket potentially face teams more than capable of pulling an upset in the quarterfinals.

Chris Cenac Impresses
The 6-foot-10 Houston-bound Cenac and the best big man in the senior class impressed for FAB 50 No. 20 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) in its 78-61 victory over ABC Prep National of New Mexico on Tuesday. Cenic was overpowering around the basket with his quick leaps and power finishes. He finished with a team-high 20 points on 9-of-11 from the field.

Cenac does need to work more inside, as he tends to drift to the perimeter against top tier competition, but he has all the necessary tools to make a pro impact down the line.

Gut Check For Prolific Prep
On Monday evening FAB 50 No. 3 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) was in a dogfight with Colorado Prep and pulled out a come-from-behind 89-83 overtime victory. Prolific Prep trialed 43-32 at halftime, but stormed back behind the 3-point shooting of Michigan-bound wing Winters Grady and Kansas-bound shooting guard Darryn Peterson. The Crew survived a late technical foul and some dynamic play from Colorado-bound point guard Josiah Sanders to outscore Colorado Prep, 15-9, in a three-minute overtime.

Grady, one of the country's best spot-up shooters, made 8-of-17 3-pointers and finished with 32 points. Peterson converted a monster slam dunk down the stretch to spark The Crew and finished with 26 points, including 16 in the second half, along with eight assists and zero turnovers.

Sanders finished with 38 points, including 23 in the first half, and had the look and makings of a Top 100 player in the national 2025 class.

Darryn Peterson Tracking Nicely

The well-built Kansas-bound guard showed why some consider him on par with Duke-bound Cameron Boozer of FAB 50 No. 1 Columbus and BYU-bound A.J. Dybansta of FAB 50 No. 28 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) as the best prospect in the national 2025 class. Peterson is unselfish, sees the floor, and is a tier one scorer who is more of a dynamic shot-maker than shooter.

Peterson, who came in third place in the 2024-25 preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker and was the only player to garner a first-place vote besides front-running Dybansta and Boozer, reminds us of former Ohio St. All-American and two-time Mr. Ohio Mr. Basketball Jimmy Jackson, who went on to play 14 seasons in the NBA, with his combination of strength, skill and calm demeanor. If he continues to develop point guard traits, it will one day make Peterson an even more potent professional player.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores