Bob Gibbons expects about 35 of the top 50 high school junior basketball prospects in the country to play in his Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina Tournament of Champions event May 28-30.

The tournament has been expanded to 128 teams, including 64 in the featured 17-and-under bracket and 32 teams each in the 16-and-under and 15-under brackets.

The tournament will be held at multiple venues across the Triangle -- North Carolina's Smith Center, Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum and 17 other area gyms.

Reputations can be made or tarnished very quickly at the event, which is a showcase for next year's senior players.

College coaches cannot attend because of NCAA rules, but the courts often are lined with recruiting writers and analysts.

Few fans attend.

Bill Sewell, who heads the team selection committee for the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational, recalls going to a 9 a.m. Sunday game where he saw three players who are projected to be taken in the first round of the NBA Draft this June -- Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Sebastian Telfair.

"I counted. There were literally four spectators in the stands," Sewell said.

Sewell has a great start on the field for the Glaxo in December.

Among the players expected for the Dec. 27-29 event are Duke recruit Greg Paulus, North Carolina recruit Marcus Ginyard and Wake Forest recruit David Weaver.

CAVS CLEAN UP: Virginia may be assembling an incredible football class.

According to the TheInsiders.com Web site, the Cavaliers already have 11 oral commitments -- more than the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference combined.

Duke and Virginia Tech have two known commitments each. N.C. State, Florida State, Maryland and North Carolina have one apiece.

NCAA rules prohibit colleges from commenting on oral commitments because the commitments aren't binding and players can change their minds.

But Mike London, the Virginia football recruiting coordinator, said the Cavaliers have been working hard this spring.

"We tried to do our homework a little earlier than most," he said. "The University of Virginia is not a hard sell. We are a great academic institution.

"We are trying to outwork everybody."

KENTUCKY ON TOP: With the addition of 6-foot-10 center Randolph Morris of Atlanta Landmark Christian, Kentucky has the top-rated basketball recruiting class in the country, according to recruiting analyst Dave Telep.

Morris, ranked the No. 11 prospect in the country by Telep, had trimmed his list to the Wildcats and Georgia Tech before opting for Kentucky.

The Wildcats also signed shooting guard Joe Crawford and point guards Rajon Rondo and Ramel Bradley. Morris, Rondo and Crawford were McDonald's All-America selections.

GUILFORD BASKETBALL: Guilford signed two members of the Chapel Hill High basketball team last week.

Ben Strong, a 6-foot-9 center, and 5-10 guard Caleb Kimbrough will join coach Tom Palombo's program.

Guilford went 15-11 overall this year in Palombo's first season with the Quakers.

Former Broughton player William Fickes is an assistant coach at the college.

BLACKMON PICKS GREENSBORO: Girls basketball guard Alison Blackmon of South Johnston has committed to Greensboro College.

Blackmon averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 6.5 steals her senior year. She holds the South Johnston career record for 3-point baskets.

BUNN TACKLE NOTICED: Bunn defensive tackle Mike Rinfrette (6-3, 260) is getting some national recruiting attention.

Vanderbilt offered him a scholarship last week and teams such as Notre Dame, Purdue and Tennessee have been impressed by him, according to Wildcats coach David Howle.