LeBron brings skills academy to Vegas

Las Vegas has long been a hotbed in July for NBA, college and high school basketball scouting events.

All three will converge Friday with the arrival of the LeBron James Skills Academy. The event had been in James’ native Ohio but has relocated this summer as James and the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team train in Las Vegas.

About 80 of the nation’s top high school players and more than 20 top college players will participate in the four-day event, receiving instruction from James, Boston Celtics assistant coach Kevin Eastman, ESPN analysts Jay Bilas and Fran Fraschilla, and many others.

“Any time young men have a chance to spend time with the best player on the planet, it’s a positive experience,” said Merl Code, director of Nike Elite Youth Basketball, which is running the event.

As of Thursday afternoon, the event was scheduled to begin Friday at Rancho.

Some secrecy has surrounded the event because organizers do not want James and other NBA luminaries to be inundated with attention. The event is not open to the public, and its location has not been announced publicly.

Rosters for the event will not be revealed until Friday, but several locals are expected to be involved.

Confirmed participants include UNLV junior forward Mike Moser and rising Findlay Prep seniors Chris Wood, Nigel Williams-Goss and Allerik Freeman.

“It’s always a good thing when you can get exposed to that type of atmosphere,” said Findlay Prep coach Michael Peck, who is on the coaching staff for the event. “I think all of our guys are excited about it.”

It’s the latest stop in a breakout summer tour for Wood, who has committed to UNLV. The versatile 6-foot-8-inch forward has risen to No. 35 in the Rivals.com rankings for the class of 2013.

Williams-Goss, a 6-4 combo guard committed to Washington, is an elite defender and floor general.

Freeman, a 6-4 shooting guard, is one of the nation’s top undecided prospects after transferring from Olympic High in Charlotte, N.C.

Code said the event’s high school contingent is mostly rising seniors, but there are a few class of 2014 players invited.

The event is not certified for college coaches to attend but is open to NBA scouts. They’ll have a chance to study Moser, who considered entering the NBA Draft this year but opted to return to the Rebels for his junior season.

“It’s a great honor and great recognition for someone who deserves it,” UNLV coach Dave Rice said of Moser’s selection.

The 6-8 Moser was an honorable mention All-America pick last season after leading the Rebels with averages of 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds.

“We are going to play him more on the perimeter this coming year,” Rice said. “Certainly he’ll play some on the (power forward) spot, but we plan to play him a lot of minutes at the (small forward) spot. He’ll continue to be a great rebounder, and his ability to get on the break is one of his best attributes.

“He works so hard on his all-around game. We expect him to have a terrific year.”

Player workouts are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, and games begin Sunday. The championship game is set for 8 p.m. Monday.