BASKETBALL : Las Vegas Tournament Features Ex-Cougar Center Leon Watson

Two winters ago, Leon Watson’s high school basketball season was cut short when the former Crenshaw standout suffered a major cut across the shoulder after a glass-shattering dunk.

The 6-foot-10 center missed most of the Cougars’ successful pursuit of a second consecutive State Division I championship in 1994.

But Watson perservered, continuing his career last season at Dixie Community College in Utah. He is now considered one of the nation’s top 10 prospects.

Watson, former Cougar Robert Parker, and Los Angeles City College sophomores Leslie Bean and Stacy Thomas will be among the featured performers during the West Coast Junior College Tournament, beginning Friday at Durango High School in Las Vegas.

Parker, a 6-4 incoming freshman plays for Columbia College, Sonora (Calif.). Bean, a 5-11 guard, and Thomas, a 6-5 forward, did not play last season, but figure to start for the Cubs who had six players receive Division I scholarships last spring.

Fresno, led by former Serra star Leonard Butler, is the tournament’s top-seeded team.

The nation’s top players come to Pleasant Hill, Calif., for the Diablo Valley Junior College Tournament July 21-23.

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Finally got that soft touch back? Want to prove you can still make that 15-foot jump shot?

Then it’s time to sign up and test your abilities at the 15th annual National Outdoor Five-on-Five Basketball Championships, Sept. 2-4 at Venice Beach.

More than 1,000 players, including National Basketball Assn. stars Chris Childs of New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers Charles Outlaw, are expected to play in the Labor Day Weekend Tournament on the Venice Beach basketball courts located south of Venice Pavilion.

There are five levels of competition: men’s open pro-am, men’s 6-foot-2 and under, women’s open, 35-and-over and 40-and over. There are also seven youth divisions for boys 5-17 and girls 10-14.

Registration for adults is $250 a team, and free for youths.

Information: Kenn Hicks 805-263-0500.

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For a slower pace, try spending a week at the Club Med’s 2nd annual National Basketball Champions week, Sept. 2-9 at the Club-Med Turkoise (Turks and Caicos Islands), West Indies.

The $875 a person fee includes seven days and nights of clinics, training sessions and games.

Also attending will be center Vlade Divac and forward Kurt Rambis of the Los Angeles Lakers, former Los Angeles Clipper center Olden Polynice and guard Ron Harper, and Houston Rockets guard Kenny Smith, Utah forward Antoine Carr, Minnesota Timberwolves first-round pick Kevin Garnett, and former USC All-American Rhonda Windham.

Information: Susie or Cheryl 310-447-5903.

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Olympians Cindy Brown of Rated PG and Lisa Leslie of L.A. Finest have put their teams in the lead after the first half of the Say No Classic/Nike Women’s Basketball League at USC.

Games are played weekends through Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free.