NOTES: Clark’s Jones prepares for avalanche of attention

Diontae Jones has been receiving letters of interest from college basketball coaches for a while.

It’s nothing compared to the deluge of recruiting attention coming his way.

Jones, who will be a sophomore forward at Clark next season after transferring from Arbor View, was named Most Valuable Player in the 15-and-under bracket of July’s adidas Super 64 tournament after leading the Las Vegas Prospects to the championship.

“He’s got a ton of mail, from Georgetown to Stanford and everywhere in between,” Prospects coach Anthony Brown said. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Jones hasn’t received any scholarship offers orally, but that’s likely to change as more schools learn of the 6-foot-5-inch defensive standout.

Jones took four charges in Las Vegas’ 54-51 win over Minnesota Pump N Run in the title game, after scoring 17 points in a tournament-opening win.

UNLV assistant coach Justin Hutson watched the title game.

“I like playing defense. Most kids don’t like playing defense,” said Jones, who said Southern California, Stanford, Notre Dame, Texas Christian, Oklahoma and Colorado State have shown early interest.

Jones averaged 7.1 points as a freshman at Arbor View. He said he has transferred to Clark for educational reasons.

“I want to work on my dribbling a little better, to be able to take anybody off the dribble,” Jones said of next year.

COLLIE SIGNS — Wade Collie, a 2009 graduate of Silverado, signed to play basketball at Southern Utah.

Collie, a 6-6 forward, will be a sophomore for the Thunderbirds after playing the 2009-10 season at Air Force Prep and last season at Wallace College (Ala.).

Collie averaged 22.5 points and 8.7 rebounds as a Silverado senior on his way to first-team all-state honors.

SOCCER DECISIONS — Several area soccer standouts recently committed to Division I schools.

In girls soccer, Centennial senior Sienna Drizin committed to UC Davis, Arbor View senior McKenzie Karas to Washington, Palo Verde junior Lauren Kaskie to UCLA, Arbor View junior Tara LeBaron to Cal State Fullerton, Arbor View senior Falon Miller to Washington and Palo Verde senior Sila Tuiofea to Gonzaga.

Eldorado boys senior Ruben Duran picked Cal Poly.

COACHING MOVES — Steve Boyack resigned as Cimarron-Memorial’s boys basketball coach in July after eight seasons, to teach algebra and become baseball coach at Mountain View in Orem, Utah.

Boyack guided the Spartans to the Northwest League title in 2006-07 and had several other playoff teams, including the 2009-10 season in which guard Kevin Olekaibe averaged 34.3 points on his way to Fresno State.

“It was fun, and every year was different,” Boyack said. “The most memorable year was coaching Kevin Olekaibe. We had to think of ways to get him open. It was probably the most fun I’ve had.”

Also, Wendell West was promoted from assistant to head coach in Agassi Prep’s boys basketball program. He replaced William Hopkins, who resigned after taking the Stars to last season’s Class 2A state championship.

West was a star forward at Western, winning a 4A state title in 2000-01.

ADIDAS NATIONS — Bishop Gorman swingman Shabazz Muhammad, Findlay Prep forward Winston Shepard and Findlay Prep guard Nigel Williams-Goss were selected to rosters for the adidas Nations basketball camp, which begins Friday in Los Angeles.

Also chosen was Pierre Jackson, a former Desert Pines star who will be a junior point guard at Baylor next season.

TRACK TALENT — Several locals shined at last week’s National Junior Olympic Championships in Wichita, Kan.

Legacy senior Avione Allgood won the young women’s javelin with a national age-group record throw of 171 feet, 7 inches. Silverado sophomore Randall Cunningham II took third in the boys intermediate high jump at 6-4 3/4.