Las Vegas events loaded with nations top talent

The final of July's three live periods begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday, and Las Vegas is the place to see the vast majority of the country's top high school basketball talent. Twenty-one of 25 five-star prospects in 2016 will be playing in either the adidas Summer Championships, Fab 48 or the Las Vegas Classic.

Kansas City and the AAU Nationals/Super Showcase in Louisville also will have talent on hand, as we preview the final live period.

adidas Summer Championships

Formerly called the Super 64, adidas has rebranded its summer-ending event as part of the adidas Uprising grassroots movement. The field will be heavy with top adidas teams, but there is an added twist this year.

Inside the 17U division of the Summer Championships, adidas has added the Creators Cup bracket. An eight-team bracket made up of the New York Rens, Team Loaded Virginia, Texas Pro, Team Loaded NC, Atlanta Celtics, Utah Prospects, Indiana Elite and the Big Ballers VXT.

That group of teams includes five-star rising seniors Rawle Alkins (Rens), Mustapha Heron (Rens), Jarrett Allen (Texas Pro), Dennis Smith (Team Loaded NC), Edrice Adebayo (Team Loaded NC), Joshua Langford (Celtics), Kobi Simmons (Celtics), Lonzo Ball (Big Ballers) and Frank Jackson (Utah Prospects).

Included in that group are four of the nation's top five point guards in 2016 and the chance to see Smith, Ball, Simmons and Jackson all battle it out will go a long way toward deciding the pecking order of the postseason rankings.

Fab 48

Under the direction of Grant Rice, Dinos Trigonis and Gary Charles, the Fab 48 has turned into one of the most anticipated events of the summer. Because the event has no affiliation to any shoe company and there aren't many shoe events the final recruiting cycle, the Fab 48 draws as diverse a group of teams as any event in the country.

As is always the case, the opening night set of games for Wednesday is absolutely stacked.

There will be a battle of Dallas-area supremacy as Pro Skills from Nike's EYBL circuit led by five-star big man Marques Bolden and shooting guard Andrew Jones take on five-star wing Terrance Ferguson and MWA Elite from Under Armour's Association.

Other cross shoe company tilts include the New York Rens from adidas taking on a loaded Each 1 Teach 1 team from the EYBL. Thon Maker and Canada Elite of the UA Association will battle it out with Dennis Smith and Edrice Adebayo's Team Loaded NC from the adidas Uprising and the EYBL's Team Takeover with five-star wing V.J. King will take on five-star big man Dewan Huell and the UA Association's Team Breakdown.

The Fab 48 also provides a launching pad for many off-the-radar prospects to achieve national prominence. Last year Kerwin Roach went from unranked to the national top 35 and this year unranked combo guard Maliek White of the River City Reign will be given a platform to show that he belongs with the nation's best guards.

Provided they show up w/the teams they are expected to, 40 of 2016's top 50 players in Vegas this week.- Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) July 22, 2015

Las Vegas Classic

In terms of sheer size, no event can come close to touching Bigfoot Hoops' Las Vegas Classic. Event organizer Hal Pastner tells Rivals.com that there will be 950 teams participating in 50 gyms across the city.

Another player Rivals.com hopes to see is 2018 SF Gerald Liddell of the D1 Shooters in the 15U division.

We will certainly take time to seek out Nike's EYBL Champion the Georgia Stars, who feature 2017's No. 3 player, Wendell Carter, as part of their stacked lineup.

Like the Summer Championships, the Las Vegas Classic has an exclusive bracket buried inside its 17U Division with "The 8". A Chris Paul-backed venture featuring some of Nike's best teams, The 8 will showcase the class of 2016's No. 2 player Harry Giles of Team CP3. Additionally, the nation's No. 3 player and recent Duke commitment Jayson Tatum, who usually plays for the St. Louis Eagles, will join forces with No. 6 in 2016, Malik Monk, on the Arkansas Wings.

The other teams competing in The 8 include Team Final, Elfrid Payton Elite, Team Melo (coached by Carmelo Anthony), Team Takeover and the Oakland Soldiers.

KC Events and AAU Nationals

Rivals.com will have coverage from other events, as well: the KC Hardwood Classic and Jayhawk Finale in greater Kansas City, and the AAU Nationals/Super Showcase in Louisville.

Among the big names expected in Kansas City are 2016 five-star big man Omari Spellman, 2017's No. 2 player Michael Porter and potential 2018 big-timer Bol Bol. The AAU Nationals/Super Showcase will be a great place for four-star shooting guards Curtis Jones and Kevin Huerter to show that they deserve bumps in the 2016 rankings.

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