UCI’s Russell Turner one of many college coaches scouting players at California Live

UCI Coach Russell Turner attended the California Live Tournament Friday at Irvine High School. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Russell Turner was among the many college coaches attending the first day of the Boys California Tournament Friday at Irvine High School.

The three-day inaugural tournament allows college coaches to attend and scout potential recruits.

“I love the fact that we have all these high school teams playing now in a great event that’s so close to campus, it’s a big advantage for us and other schools in the Big West that we are this close to it,” said Turner, who completed his 12th season guiding the Anteaters and has been named Big West Conference coach of the year four times.

“We get to see so many guys playing really competitive games.”

There are 163 teams in the tournament, which continues Saturday and wraps up Sunday at Irvine High School. Coaches were given a booklet with complete rosters and contacts for every team in the tournament.

Turner was on hand for one of the games in Irvine’s second gymnasium Friday afternoon.

“We can’t talk to them in person here, but we can watch them,” Turner said. “This is when we do the most important work and that’s the evaluation work that goes into deciding who we recruit.”

Turner said his staff will be busy this weekend. Anteater assistant Ryan Badrtalei attended the session at Tustin.

“My staff and I combined, it will be a lot, probably 60 or 70 games between all of us and that’s just a great opportunity,” said Turner, who is the only UCI coach to earn 200 wins in his career. He now has 242 in his career.

Turner goes into the event with an open mind, not sure what players he’s looking for.

‘I don’t think any of us anymore have the type of certainty we used to be able to have before the transfer portal and other factors created the amount of movement that is going to happen now every year in college basketball.

“For our place, there is a type of player and person and fit that we’re going to continue to identify with, young kids who can continue to improve. That’s going to continue to be the way our program is built.”

Turner said he’s excited about the future for UCI.

“We’re excited about our recruits,” he said. “My staff has done an incredible job and I rely on those guys heavily and on the community coaches we’ve developed over a period time, being in the same place.

Turner expected to have some company among fellow coaches in the Big West and other conferences.

“I’d be surprised if I don’t see them all here,” Turner said. “It’s as good and as big an event that’s going on in the country right now.”

Tournament organizers expected many coaches at other venues too.

At Tustin High School, where both the old gymnasium and the new gym were being used. colleges represented were UNLV, Colorado, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, Nevada, Gonzaga, Texas A&M, Sacramento State, University of San Francisco, according to Tustin assistant Nick Kohler, who was coordinating the Tustin site while head coach Ringo Bossenmeyer was coaching the Tiller varsity at a summer tourney.

Tustin is not in the California Live event, but is one of the host sites.

RELATED

OC boys basketball teams included in large field of inaugural California Live Tourney

—-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com