The Shootout, once considered one of the country’s premier high school basketball events, was cancelled a year ago with hopes that it might return in 2008.

It appears that organizer Keith Pickett, who started the event in the mid-1980s, was trying to put together another Shootout this year.

Gary McKnight, the basketball coach at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, said recently that he agreed back in the spring to bring his team to participate in this year’s edition of The Shootout.

But McKnight acknowledged that after agreeing to bring his team from California, he has not heard from Pickett in several months and said Pickett’s phone number has been disconnected.

The Monarchs have an impressive squad, led by Travis and David Wear, two 6-feet-10 twin towers who have verbally committed to North Carolina and 6-8 forward Andy Brown, who is considering Stanford among his school choices.

Mater Dei’s opponent, the coach said, was supposed to be Lafayette and its standout forward Tyler Griffey, who has committed to the University of Illinois. First-year Lancers coach Scott Allen said he knew nothing about it.

Attempts to reach Pickett, who cited health problems as one of the issues that contributed to the canceling of the event a year ago, were unsuccessful.