Buddy Collings of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Two summers ago, Dr. Phillips boys basketball coach Theo McWhite was mapping out ways to get Amare Stoudemire the ball. Tonight, McWhite wants his team in full denial mode against the player who might have been its star.

Stoudemire, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center who is almost certain to leap from high school to the NBA next June, makes his Cypress Creek debut against Dr. Phillips, the team he first worked out with after moving to Orlando before the 2000-2001 school year.

The Bears host Dr. Phillips at 7:30 p.m., with a record crowd expected in Cypress Creek's 2,250-seat gym. The Bears never have drawn more than about 500 fans for a basketball game.

Stoudemire, a native of Lake Wales, has not played in a high school game since his sophomore season at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. Last year he was ruled ineligible by the Florida High School Activities Association after enrolling first at Dr. Phillips for summer school, then at West Orange. He transferred to Cypress Creek last March and was cleared to play by Orange County Public Schools after satisfying concerns about his residency and grades.

In summer play against some of the top high school centers in America, Stoudemire dominated, often racking up double-digit dunk and blocked-shot totals in games.

Dr. Phillips will play without suspended senior star Ryan Moore but still is loaded with third-year veterans from a 21-11 team. Returning starters are top scorer Barry Durosier (6-1, senior), Langston Anderson (6-4, senior) and Nick Rollins (6-7, senior), son of former Orlando Magic center and assistant coach Tree Rollins.

Chance McGrady, a 6-1 junior and the younger brother of Magic swingman Tracy McGrady, is Dr. Phillips' new point guard.