Last year's final needed overtime to decide.
Can this year's Junior Timberwolves School District 57 Hoops Classic basketball tournament match that kind of excitement?
Six elementary schools from inner-city (venture) communities will decide that on court in the one-day tournament, which begins today at 8:30 a.m. at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre.
"Last year's tournament kind of sparked something within the students from a basketball perspective, they gained a new passion for the sport," said tournament organizer Nav Parmar. "We'll be seeing a lot of the players from last year at this one as well."
The Westwood Wildcats are the defending champions after their overtime win against the Spruceland Spartans, who scored a buzzer-beater to send the game into OT. The other schools involved this year are Nusdeh Yoh, Ron Brent, Van Bien and Quinson.
"They'll have the full experience of a UNBC game with chairs set up (for the players), the score clock will be running, the scorer's table will be set up and the bleachers will be out - it will be a fun atmosphere for them," said Parmar. "It's just a cool day, stuff they normally don't get. It's nice to see the smiles on their faces and how excited they are when we provide them this opportunity."
Lance Potskin, who heads the SD 57 Northern Huskies aboriginal education sports program, is co-organizer of the Hoops Classic.
Parmar, an assistant coach for the UNBC Timberwolves men's team and aboriginal educator at Southridge elementary, is always on the lookout for diamonds in the rough to restock the T-wolves cupboard. He says there's no reason to doubt a future university star like Tyrell Laing, a Peden Hill Elementary alumni and Prince George Secondary School graduate now in his third season playing point guard at UNBC, will be among the young basketball talent assembled on the NSC court today.
"The biggest thing with these students is they lack the self-confidence to pursue a new sport because they don't get that positive reinforcement outside of school," said Parmar. "It's a great opportunity for me to see which kids have a passion for it. At every Junior Timberwolves program we have there's at least two or three students from the tournaments I do around the district who have joined our camps ad academies."
Parmar and UNBC men's team head coach Todd Jordan oversee the Junior T-wolves club program, which typically starts in late March and runs through May, with the T-wolves' university players serving as coaches.
Hub City Volkswagen is sponsoring game jerseys and T-shirts for all the players and Panago Pizza will keep them well-fortified. The teams will play short games with two 10-minute halves. Each team is guaranteed three games. The final will be played today at 2 p.m.
