The third annual Elite Baseball Series (EBS) highlights the top freshmen and sophomore high school baseball players in America, competing in two series of games in back to back weeks. All games are hosted at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium and UC Irvine’s Anteater Ballpark. The EBS provides a first look at future prospects for college and major league scouts. Over forty players have committed to compete in the premiere event. All games are umpired by Division 1 college umpires and admission is free.

Mike Gillespie, Head Coach of UC Irvine comments, “The EBS will give the players insight into what a college baseball weekend is all about. The experience a player receives participating in the EBS is unattainable anywhere else. It is truly an event a player should be a part of.”

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut won the ESPY Award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for their marathon match at Wimbledon, beating out fellow nominees Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Brett Favre and the Connecticut Women’s Basketball team.

Isner accepted the award from gold medalists Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White on Wednesday evening at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, and immediately paid tribute to the Frenchman.

“First off, I gotta say congrats to my opponent Nicolas,” said Isner, who won after 11 hours and five minutes on court. “He was an absolute warrior that day. You can’t fathom a match going 70-68 in the fifth, but somehow we did it. It was a pleasure to share the court with him that day.”

The 25-year-old American also thanked the fans, his team at Saddlebrook, and extended a special thanks to his trainer, Kyle Morgan. “Without him, I wouldn’t be able to last that long,” he said.

The first-round match stretched over three days, with the fifth set alone lasting eight hour and 11 minutes – 98 minutes more than the previous longest match on record. It concluded just in time to make the ESPY Awards cut, with nominations announced that same day.

ESPY Award host Seth Meyers referred to the match in his opening monologue, joking, “By the time the match ended, the ball boys were ball men.”

The first of two adidas Nations preview shows will air this Sunday July 11 at 9pm EST on CBS College Sports. Follow the adidas Nations Team USA as they attend training camps in Orlando, Las Vegas and Portland to prepare for the adidas Global Experience in Chicago August 6-9.

*CBS College Sports Network, the original 24-hour college sports network, is seen in approximately 38 million homes and is available to 89 million households across the country.  CBS College Sports Network is available through local cable and video providers, and nationally via satellite on DirecTV (Channel 613) and DISH Network (Channel 152).  The Network is carried by nearly every major cable operator/video provider, including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Cablevision, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Bright House Networks, Mediacom and many more.  For more information and to find out where to watch CBS College Sports Network in your market, go to:

http://www.cbscollegesports.com/getcbscollegesports/‬
‪ ‬
‪CBS College is available locally on Chicago via the following cable operators:‬
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Comcast – Comcast Sports Entertainment Package Channel 418 and Channel 232 in HD

AT&T - AT&T U450 package or The Sports Package, Channel 643 and channel 1643 (High Definition)

RCN – Digital basic Channel 380

This article appears in the June 28 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

Ever since John Wall, the 6′4″ action hero from Kentucky, first announced he was headed to the association, NBA scouts, GMs and even other prospects have raved about him. It’s as if they were all foaming from the same mouth. We get it: He’s going to be the top pick. But what haven’t we been told about the guy who will be strutting across the stage on draft night to grab a No. 1 jersey and a handshake with David Stern? Before he becomes a 19-year-old franchise saver, we asked Wall to tell us. — ELENA BERGERON

A lot of people tried to convince me not to play basketball. In eighth grade I was actually better in football. I played running back, wide receiver and safety — just like Allen Iverson. And you don’t understand how little I was, maybe 5′8″ in ninth grade. But my mom took it out of my hands. She said football was too dangerous.

I had a real bad attitude after my dad passed of liver cancer. I was 9, and we were really close. I was acting out, and my mom said I’d have to change my attitude or else she wouldn’t let me play. So I did. I also promised my dad I’d get my college degree — be the first one in my family. I will. I had a 3.5 GPA last semester, and math is my favorite subject.

Most people don’t know I have a weird pregame meal. I’m picky, so all I eat are grapes and a hamburger with nothing on it. I get the meat, the bun, that’s it. When I was at Kentucky we had a cook who would make them for us, so I’ll figure something out when I get to my new city. It’s kinda got to be a specialty burger, though, because I’m trying not to eat too much fast food. But I gotta have my burger or I’ll get mad.

John Wall is ready to take the NBA by storm.

Some people call me Jimmy. People at my high school started calling me that one day. Now I have Great Wall — I like that one a lot. I respond to all of them but most people call me J-Wall, and some call me Dice. That’s what my homeboys call me. I got some nicknames.

I looked up to Magic Johnson a lot. He was a tall point guard who found his teammates and had a good time. It seemed like his enjoying the game made it easier for everybody. I remember Game 4 of the ‘87 Finals — that one where he hit the shot against the Celtics — and that All-Star Game in 1992 when he hit those threes. That should tell you all you need to know about me as a point guard: I like the ball and I like to hit big shots. I got it from Magic.

I can call LeBron anytime. After the South Carolina game, when people said I wasn’t listening to Coach Cal, I felt frustrated and I was getting down. Bron told me that I don’t have to go out there and live up to the hype. All I have to do is just enjoy my moment and have fun.

Lil Wayne and Drake are my favorites right now. Drake’s a big UK fan. He came to a lot of our games, so I’ll get in trouble if I don’t say him. On his new album I like “Light Up” and “Find Your Love.” I don’t have a love, though, so I don’t know about that, and I don’t have the album, either. I have the bootleg.

When I met with the Wizards staff in Chicago they told me that I’d still have the ball in my hands. Gil Arenas would be the 2-guard. They said that’s pretty much a guarantee, but we’ll see how everything works from there.

My mom and my sisters, Cierra and Tanya, are probably going to sit with me at the draft. But oh no, they’re not gonna stay with me once I’m in the pros! I’m buying them a house back in North Carolina. My brother Ty Williams, he’s living with me. He’s like my best friend, so I call him my brother.

Elena Bergeron is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine.