Tark Saturday: Four-star Chuck O'Bannon nearing decision

MORE TARK: Shaq's son chats with Rivals | Friday's report | Thursday's report

LAS VEGAS – Top 50 shooting guard Charles O'Bannon Jr. won't need much longer to make his college choice. Read on for more on the 6-foot-5 senior and other standouts from Saturday's action at the Tarkanian Classic.

From the way he carries himself with a carefree nature, you would never guess that the recruiting process is wearing on four-star shooting guard Charles O'Bannon. Shortly before helping lead Las Vegas Bishop Gorman to the semifinals of the platinum bracket of the Tarkanian Classic, though, O'Bannon admitted that things are starting to wear him down.

O'Bannon has visited N.C. State, UCLA and USC officially and is also considering hometown UNLV but he won't be on the market much longer.

In a bit of a surprise, O'Bannon told Rivals.com on Saturday that he plans to make his decision within the next one or two weeks and that he hopes to have it out of the way before Bishop Gorman leaves for the Beach Ball Classic set to take place in Myrtle Beach, S.C., after Christmas.

It would be easy to forget about four-star small forward Ignas Brazdeikas because he plays his high school ball north of the border at Orangeville Prep in Ontario, Canada. However, the junior's game makes him tough to forget.

Rivals.com snuck into an auxiliary gym on Saturday to check on the skilled 6-foot-7 wing and he was everything that we expected.

He showed toughness, he hit threes, he made alert passes and showed the hybrid ability that could allow him to play on the wing or in the frontcourt on the college level.

"That's what most coaches see me as," said Brazdeikas, when asked if he was being recruited as a combo/stretch forward. "I think I can play multiple positions in a college offense."

The offer list for Brazdeikas has really started to blossom. He listed offers from Oregon, Tennessee, Colorado, Vanderbilt, USC, UNLV, Baylor, Southern Utah, Denver, St. Bonaventure, Niagara and Canisius.

Thursday's dominant performance proved to be no fluke and Maryland-bound big man Bruno Fernando looks like one of the most improved players in the senior class. Currently ranked No. 112 in the 2017 Rivals150, Fernando has always been a power broker and tough guy around the rim. However, seeing him swish threes, make laser passes from the high post and flash much improved footwork suggests that he's currently under-ranked by at least 30 spots or so, if not more.

Programs on the mid to upper mid-major level are going to watch 2018 combo guard Kaison Hammonds of Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Thunder Ridge closely as he develops over the next year. At 6-foot-3 he's got some length, good burst off the dribble and is a confident scorer. His jumper looks like a bit of a question mark but if the three-star prospect can address that some he has a chance to go even higher. Denver has offered – and watched Saturday – while Colorado, Colorado State and Gonzaga have taken looks.

Sticking in the state of Colorado, class of 2019 center Assane Diouf is as raw as they come offensively. But, he's also nearly 7-feet with a well-chiseled body and he plays the game with a lot of aggression and physicality. He's one that programs all the way up to the high-major level are going to have to keep close tabs on to see how he develops.

From the department of bigger steals on the West Coast, Cal State Fullerton got itself a very good one in three-star wing Matt Mitchell of Eastvale (Calif.) Roosevelt. A well-built 6-foot-4 senior, Mitchell was draining one deep three after another on Saturday. He also showed off some athleticism with strong drives to the bucket including one particularly emphatic dunk in traffic.

It was a very nice day for class of 2019 five-star forward Onyeka Okongwu. In Chino Hills (Calif.) High's run-and-gun style, the 6-foot-7 sophomore doesn't get the touches he might in other offenses and they often come at unexpected times which causes him to play a bit timid. On Saturday, he was ready at all times whether it was soaring in for tip dunks, recovering to block shots or catching, squaring and shooting home 17-foot jumpers while trailing in transition. He had an assistant from UCLA on hand to watch.

Finally, Rivals150 point guard Elijah Hardy is a bit of a wild man but it's tough to deny that he has high-major talent. The junior at Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O'Dowd is long, wiry and plays the game at a fast pace. As he gets more comfortable with the decision-making processes involved with driving or shooting from deep and how to best utilize ball screens, his upside is high. There's no doubt he can create when all else breaks down and that's a terrific quality for a point guard. Hardy counts California, Nevada, Santa Clara and San Francisco among his early offers.