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Saskatchewan’s version of March Madness has arrived in Saskatoon.
Hoopla — the provincial high school basketball championships — begins on Thursday and lasts until Saturday.
Holy Cross Crusaders senior boys head coach Brett Hardy said at the introductory press conference that he is excited to be back.
“Hoopla is where we wanted to end up when we were setting our goals at the beginning of the season,” he said. “We were here last year and hope to build on our performance.”
The tournament includes five divisions of both girls and boys basketball teams.
Teams from all across the province earned the right to be in Hoopla by winning either regional or city titles.
The Centennial Chargers girls team went undefeated in league play and is the Saskatoon city champion.
A couple of players have played in previous Hoopla tournaments and head coach Trevor Mirtle said he expects that experience to be a big factor.
“Having some veteran leadership with some girls who have played a lot of basketball and been here before, they are going to be a calming influence on the floor,” he said.
The Chargers are one of the top teams in the tournament and Mirtle said it is a different feeling being the hunted and not the hunter.
“My approach as a coach is it’s not so much about what the other teams do, we need to take care of ourselves,” he said. “If we play to the best of our ability, the game will take care of itself and we will be successful.”
Knockout-style games determine which teams reach their division final.
Walter Murray Marauders boys head coach Kirk Jones said he likes the depth his team brings.
“We are a balanced team,” he said. “Nobody has to score 20. We are a deep team and that’s how we try and win.”
Walter Murray plays Regina powerhouse LeBoldus on Thursday night and Jones said he is not looking past the Golden Suns.
“In March basketball, you survive; it’s a cliche, but it’s true,” he said. “We won’t beat LeBoldus unless we focus on ourselves, play well and hope the results take care of themselves.”
Hoopla is hosted by four high schools in Saskatoon, with games taking place at Centennial, Evan Hardy, St. Joseph and Walter Murray.