Thursday, July 25: Like the tens of thousands of people who come to Las Vegas everyday of the year, roughly 4,500 high school players from across America (and Canada) came to Las Vegas this week, seeking their fortune. Their goal, realistic or not, was to show the roughly 900 college coaches, who came to the 344-team Big Time Tournament, that they had what it takes to deserve a college basketball scholarship. Obviously, some kids hit the jackpot and for vast majority of the 4,500, it's on to another tournament or it's back to working on their game. Or it's time to go home and get some sleep. Spend some of the summer hanging with friends and just being a teenager.

Most of the teams have already departed Las Vegas by Thursday evening with elimination having begun as early as Wednesday morning. Same can be said for the majority of the college coaches. Sure, 150-300 coaches will still be in town today to watch the final day of games, but for many of the coaches, they've hit the road to the next tournament. Afterall, the evaluation period doesn't end until July 31.

After today, for many of the teams competing in the Big Time, it's on to Los Angeles (where many people will find out that air conditioning isn't necessary 24/7), for the Double Pump Best of the Summer Tournament held at Loyola-Marymount University. That tournament starts Saturday. Again, it's another chance to be seen and hopefully earn that elusive college scholarship offer.

Wednesday, July 24: Greetings from Vegas… It actually felt livable, walking in the Durango High School parking lot Tuesday afternoon -- turns out it was only 102 degrees. College coaches are out en masse at various high schools across the Las Vegas landscape trying to see as many prospects as they can. There are over a dozen NBA scouts/personnel in attendance at the Big Time, trying to get a feel for potential high schoolers who might bypass college for future NBA drafts. Reportedly, there are at least 10 NCAA investigators spending the week at the Big Time, trying to enforce the new NCAA rules. Even top junior colleges are out at the Big Time looking to evaluate and recruit. We spied NJCAA national champion Dixie (Utah) along with other top JUCO programs (Indian Hills, Iowa; Southern Idaho, Idaho; Howard College, Texas; Southern Nevada, Nevada; Western Arizona, Arizona). Among the hundreds of college coaches seen working the various gyms, letting the presence be felt were Rick Majerus, Utah; Lorenzo Romar, Washington; Matt Doherty, North Carolina; John Calipari, Memphis; Rick Pitino, Louisville; Perry Clark, Miami; Tom Crean, Marquette; Dave Leitao, DePaul; Ben Braun, Cal; Tim Welsh, Providence; Rick Stansbury, Mississippi State; and Jim Calhoun, Connecticut.

Tuesday, July 23: I found the only thing hotter than the Vegas nightlife ... Stepping outside the gym to my car for a lunch break. The Las Vegas heat registered at 107 degrees Monday. Well, thankfully, it's not Phoenix, which is really hell outside during the summer months. And thank you for air-conditioning, everywhere, in the gyms and in the hotels. Nevertheless, it's wall-to-wall basketball from 9 a.m. to midnight, with two gyms at each high school, and each gym connected to each other. No need to go out side, thank God. The first two days are pool play games, which determine which bracket a team plays in during single-elimination play. College coaches sit on one side of the gym and players, parents and fans sit on the other side. Everyone seems to be paying attention to the NCAA rules about making contact with recruits or mingling with college coaches. Coaches are also making sure they don't lose their coaches packet, which is being sold by tournament organizers for $200. Without the copyrighted book, which contains rosters for each of the 344 teams, the coaches would be handicapped. Almost as bad as a coach not having a cell phone.

David Benezra and Mark Mayemura cover the national college basketball recruiting scene. E-mail at: hoopsusa@mindspring.com or call (818) 783-2244 or (818) 783-2212 for subscription information.