Pair of KU basketball targets to display talents in Lawrence

Two of the top high school basketball players in the recruiting Class of 2012, who both have Kansas University on their list of prospective colleges, will meet in the marquee pool play game of the 2011 Jayhawk Invitational at 7:20 p.m., Friday, at Haskell’s Coffin Complex.

Shabazz Muhammad, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High, will lead Dream Vision against Perry Ellis’ Pray and Play Players.

Ellis, a 6-8 forward from Wichita Heights, is Rivals.com’s No. 19-rated player nationally who has a list of KU, Kentucky, Memphis, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Wichita State.

Muhammad, the No. 3-rated player in the class, has a list of KU, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, UCLA, UNLV, Arizona, USC and many others.

Ellis will also play pool play invitational games at 9:10 a.m., Saturday, at Lawrence High’s main gym and 3 p.m., Saturday, at Central Junior High.

Dream Vision, which also features KU targets Winston Shepard (6-8, Findlay Prep High, Henderon, Nev.) and Robert Upshaw (6-11, Edison High, Fresno, Calif.), will also play at 10:20 a.m., Saturday at LHS main gym and 1:50 p.m., Saturday at LHS auxiliary gym. Shepard is ranked No. 36 and Upshaw No. 111 by Rivals.com.

The Compton Magic, who have three players on KU’s wish list, will meet the SYF Players at 9:40 p.m., Friday at Haskell. Those players are: Nino Jackson, 6-2, from Ardmore (Okla.) High School, who is ranked No. 38; Gabe York, 6-2 from Lutheran High in Orange, Calif., who is ranked No. 41 and Tony Parker, 6-9 from Miller Grove High in Lithonia, Ga., who is ranked No. 64. The Magic will also play at 11:30 a.m., Saturday at LHS main gym and 4:10 p.m., Saturday at LHS auxiliary gym.

The SYF Players have KU targets in Mitch McGary, 6-10 from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., who is ranked No. 92, and Glenn Robinson III, 6-5 from Lake Central High in St. John, Ind., who is ranked No. 118. The SYF Players will also play at 12:40 p.m., and 4:10 p.m., Saturday both at LHS main gym.

KU target Marcus Smart, the No. 22-rated player in the Class of 2012, will be playing for the Texas Assault at 9:40 p.m., Friday at Southwest Junior High, 10:20 a.m., Saturday at Southwest and 3 p.m., Saturday, at Haskell. Smart is 6-4 from Marcus High in Flower Mound, Texas.

Chris Thomas, the No. 4-ranked player in the Class of 2013, who has KU on his list, will play for the Colorado Hawks at 8:30 p.m., Friday at Haskell; 9:10 a.m., Saturday at LHS auxiliary; and 4:10 p.m., Saturday at Central Junior High. Thomas is 6-4 out of Westwind Prep International High in Phoenix.

More information on the tournament will be available this week. The official website is jayhawkinvitational.com.