PREP SUMMER BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS : Newport Harbor Attracts County’s Best

Huntington Beach High, featuring four starters from last season, is among the top entries in the Newport Harbor Surf City summer basketball tournament scheduled to begin June 26 at Newport Harbor High.

Huntington Beach’s top player is 6-foot-5 forward Tony Gonzalez. Coach Roy Miller also has guard Bryan Chang, forward Matt Ambrose and guard Tom Walden returning.

Mater Dei and Capistrano Valley also are entered.

The championship game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. June 28.

The first-round pairings:

At Boys’ Gym: 11 a.m.--Newport Harbor vs. Mater Dei; 12:40 p.m.--Servite vs. Foothill; 2:10--Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita; 3:50--Temple City vs. Huntington Beach.

At Girls’ Gym: 11 a.m.--Trabuco Hills vs. El Toro; 12:40 p.m.--Edison vs. Estancia; 2:10--West Covina vs. Corona del Mar; 3:50--Marina vs. Capistrano Valley.

Los Angeles Fremont, defending City Section 3-A champion, is top-seeded in the Servite tournament, whichbegins July 9 at Servite High.

Fremont was the runner-up to Alameda St. Joseph in the 1991 State Division I championship game and finished 31-4 last season, losing to Mater Dei in the semifinals of the Southern California regionals.

All-city guard Ricky Brown is the only returning starter for Fremont. Other top players scheduled to compete include forward James Cotton (St. John Bosco), center Richard Mandeville (La Canada), forward Chris Blanton (Compton Dominguez), forward Damien Mobley (Pomona), forward Monte Marcaccini (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) and guard Stais Boseman (Inglewood Morningside).

The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. July 11.

First-round pairings July 9:

9 a.m.--Fremont vs. Savanna; 10:30--Long Beach Millikan vs. La Canada; Noon--Pomona vs. Long Beach St. Anthony; 1:30 p.m.--Katella vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame; 3--Dominguez vs. Los Alamitos; 4:30--El Modena vs. Morningside; 6--St. John Bosco vs. El Camino; 7:30--Servite vs. Huntington Beach.

Artesia, defending State Division II champion, is the favorite to win the Nike summer basketball tournament, scheduled to begin July 9 at two locations.

Artesia finished 29-4 last season, defeating San Ramon in the State championship game at Arco Arena. Charles O’Bannon, The Times’ Southern California player of the year, returns for Artesia along with center Avondre Jones and guard Shawn Caracoza.

The 32-team tournament is scheduled for four days with games played at Mater Dei and Ocean View. The championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. July 12 at Ocean View.

The first-round pairings:

At Mater Dei: 8 a.m.--Bishop Montgomery vs. Estancia; 9:30--Savanna vs. Santa Ana Valley; 11--Tustin vs. Ontario; 12:30 p.m.--Lynwood vs. Arlington; 2--Muir vs. El Toro; 3:30--Western vs. Los Alamitos; 5--Mater Dei vs. Esperanza; 6:30--Pasadena vs. Newport Harbor; 8--Santa Margarita vs. Los Amigos; 9:30--Capistrano Valley vs. University.

At Ocean View: 9:30 a.m.--Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula vs. Crespi; 11--Serra vs. Lakewood; 12:30 p.m.--Artesia vs. Simi Valley; 2--Inglewood vs. Millikan; 3:30--J.W. North vs. West Covina; 5--Oxnard Santa Clara vs. Cypress.