DaytonDailyNews.com

KETTERING — Three words describe the climax of the Flyin' to the Hoop boys high school basketball tournament at James S. Trent Arena.

It was smashing.

From Aaron Deister's shooting exhibition for Dayton Christian to Jeremy Tyler's rim-rattling dunks for San Diego, from the Rev. JD Grigsby's stirring rendition of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech to the up-tempo, fever-pitch Wayne-Findlay Prep finale, Monday was, well, magic.

"People in Dayton love basketball," said Grigsby, a former University of Dayton star. "If Eric (tournament director Eric Horstman) keeps doing what he's doing, this is really going to be a gold mine for Dayton."

Interested observer

University of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and his assistant, Walter McCarty, were here to witness Tyler — their prize recruit for the 2010-11 season — score 27 points, grab 15 rebounds, block four shots and dish out four assists in the Cavers' 64-57 loss to Cleveland Heights.

NCAA rules prohibit Pitino from speaking about Tyler, but not about the tournament.

"I think it's great," Pitino said. "It allows me personally to have a short trip. So we practiced this morning, then I could come in here and see kids from all parts of the country play."

Walking wounded

Longtime basketball referee, football official and baseball umpire Bob Juliano hobbled into the arena, using a rolling walker to brace himself and get around. He's resting, rehabbing and recovering from Jan. 5 surgery on his left hip.

Juliano, a Kettering resident who has officiated for 32 years, worked the first part of the basketball season, but the hip pain became intolerable.

"(Doctors) put a cup over the femur bone and then a new socket in that the femur bone fits into," he said. "I'll try to work a little bit of baseball and softball, but not push myself, take the summer off and then be ready for football and basketball seasons next year."

The future

Horstman has signed contracts for the 2010 Flyin' event from Wayne, Trotwood-Madison, Centerville, Thurgood Marshall and Winton Woods.

Contracts await signatures at Princeton, Roger Bacon and Wilmington. National powerhouses interested in the tourney are DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), Milton (Ga.) and, of course, Findlay Prep (Nev.).

Quote machine

"We love coming here. We wish we could sign a lifetime (tournament) contract." — Findlay Prep assistant coach Todd Simon.

Bottom line

More than 40 colleges — from as far east as Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) and as far west as the University of Wyoming (in Laramie) — were represented here.

Pitino and Illinois' Bruce Weber, Wright State's Brad Brownell and Dayton's Brian Gregory were among the one-stop shoppers.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.