Kent will be taking on a decidedly Spokane feel later on this summer.
While the Gonzaga Bulldogs won’t be coming this way any time soon, the ShoWare Center parking lot will be host to the first 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Kent history. The tournament, which is being tabbed the ShoWare Shootout presented by Allied Waste, will follow the blueprint established by the Spokane Hoopfest, which takes place at the end of June each year and draws more than 5,000 teams and 25,000 players from around the nation.
Tournament promoter Steve Turcotte, recognizing that the South County has become a virtual hotbed for basketball and producing top-tier players like Joshua Smith and Rodney Stuckey (Kentwood), Gary Bell (Kentridge) and Cole Dickerson (Federal Way), began planning the tournament five months ago.
“Our area down here is a hoops hotbed,” Turcotte said. “And we have one of the best sports complexes around. I just thought it would be another fun basketball event to do. The Hoopfest in Spokane was the idea for it.”
The tournament, which is slated for Aug. 7-8, will include age divisions for men, women, seniors, kids and wheelchair participants. The participation fee is $100 per team (July 25 deadline). The entry fee will go toward a four-game guarantee and a T-shirt and a trophy (for the winning teams). Games will run throughout the day and into the night on 25 separate courts.
Buzz has begun locally, too.
Craig Rasmussen, who graduated from Kentridge High two weeks ago, plans on bringing a Charger feel to the tournament. Rasmussen, a 6-foot-3 forward, averaged 10.3 points per game with the Chargers during the winter. He will be joined by Devin Topps and Sean Ringor, both of whom played a prominent role on the Kentridge High basketball team the past two years.
“I think this is going to be pretty fun,” Rasmussen said. “You have the Hoopfest over there (in Spokane) and it will be nice to have something here on the West side. There are a lot of gym rats around here. I think in five or 10 years, we could get this thing to be pretty big.”
Topps, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward, averaged 3.9 points for the Chargers during the winter. Topps will be attending Eastern Washington University in the fall on a football scholarship. Ringor, a 5-foot-10 guard, averaged 2.7 points per game with the Chargers.
“I think we’ll do all right,” said Rasmussen. “Me and Devin, we’ll grab the boards, and we have a little guard play, too. You can’t do that bad with three varsity basketball players.”
Rainy weather will not impact the tournament, Turcotte noted.
“Rain or shine, we’re playing,” he said.
All games will be played up to 20 points or 25 minutes, whichever comes first. In addition, there will not be any officials as players will be expected to call their own fouls, but there will be court monitors. The two main courts on the premise will be set up for the elite teams and will be surrounded by bleachers, which will be provided by the Kent Parks Department. A concession stand with food and beverages along with a barbecue sponsored by the ShoWare Center also will be available. The tournament also will include a “Kids Zone,” which is specially designed for youngsters who are not yet old enough to compete. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated back to the Kent Youth and Family Services.
“Our goal right now is to have 24 courts and 150 teams. Anything on top of that would be great,” Turcotte said. “The most important thing is that we put on a first-class show.”
For more information on the ShoWare Shootout presented by Allied Waste, go online to www.showareshootout.com.www.showareshootout.com.
