Some top high school basketball players around the country, including a Pitt recruit, will be in Pittsburgh for the third annual Jam Fest AAU/all-star tournament Friday-Sunday.

The event has 250 teams, ages 14 and up, and will be played at the Petersen Events Center and nine other venues in the district. It is run by the Hoop Group, a company in Neptune, N.J., that stages other tournaments around the country.

Among the players in the tournament is point guard Isaiah Epps, a highly touted junior guard from Plainfield High School in New Jersey who already has made a verbal commitment to Pitt. Epps will play for the Playaz from New Jersey.

For the past two seasons, Division I college coaches were allowed to attend the Jam Fest and a number of big-name coaches were in attendance. But Division I coaches are not allowed on the road to recruit this weekend. Some of the games can be seen on the Internet live, though, and Division II and III coaches will be there.

"This is the third year we've been in Pittsburgh, and we were a little concerned about this year because of the economy, and because Division I coaches aren't allowed out," said Steve Ott, Hoop Group's director of team events. "But we have more teams this year than ever before."

Teams from many different states, including Florida, Indiana, New York and New Jersey, are playing in the event. Two other big-name players are Mike Gilchrist and Kyrie Irving, who both play at St. Patrick High in New Jersey. Gilchrist, a 6-foot-6 guard-forward, is ranked the No. 3 sophomore in the country by rivals.com and scout.com. He already has scholarship offers from Connecticut, Villanova, Memphis and Georgetown. He will play for Team Final at the Jam Fest.

Irving is a 6-2 junior ranked the No. 27 player in the country by scout.com. He already has offers from Duke, Indiana, Kansas and Memphis. He will play for the New Jersey Roadrunners.

"The caliber of players coming in is very high," Ott said. "People seem to love coming to Pittsburgh for this. They love the facilities."

A number of the top juniors in the WPIAL will play on the Basketball Stars of America team in the 17-and-under division. The team includes Sewickley Academy's Tom Droney, Hempfield's Nate Perry, and Mt. Lebanon's Evan Pierce and Deion Turman.

Ninety-six teams will be in the 17-and-under division, which is mostly current high school juniors. The 16-and-under division (sophomores) has 76 teams. Other sites being used this weekend are Fitzgerald Field House and Trees Hall, Robert Morris University, La Roche College, Chatham College, Sewickley Academy, North Allegheny and Shaler high schools, and North Allegheny Intermediate School.

All of the games are open to the public. A weekend pass costs $12 and a one-day pass $8. For a schedule of all games, go to www.hoopgroup.com. Then click on "team events" and "grassroots."

The old guy at Hopewell apparently still has something left on his coaching fastball.

Joe Colella is in his 46th season as Hopewell's baseball coach -- and he is enjoying plenty of success.

Hopewell is 10-1 and the Post-Gazette's No. 2-ranked WPIAL Class AAA team. The Vikings are in first place in Section 3 and are averaging eight runs a game. Colella, who won his 600th game last season, is trying to win his 17th section title.

It's not on the level of the old Dapper Dan Roundball Classic of years ago, but the Roundball Classic at Geneva College has become the premiere all-star event in district basketball. This year's event is April 25 and includes one girls' game and two boys' games. The boys' games are Class AAAA vs. AAA, and AA vs. A.

Ellwood City resident Allen Deep runs the event and has a banquet the night before the games to honor players and coaches. The girls' game features three of the four seniors on the Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 -- Peters Township's Emily Correal, Mars' Lily Grenci and Mt. Lebanon's Emily Miller. Schenley's Markel Walker, the Post-Gazette Player of the Year, already has played in two national all-star games, and NCAA rules prohibit players from participating in more than two games.

The boys' games feature the top seniors in the WPIAL and City League, including the three seniors on the PG's Fabulous 5 -- Franklin Regional's Nick Novak, Latrobe's Jeff Yunetz and Greensburg Salem's Chris Klimchock. McKeesport 7-footer Zeke Marshall, an Akron recruit, also will play in the game.