Organizers work to bring basketball's best to Doc Larson tourney

WASILLA — Traveling out of state during the holiday break in search of a high level of basketball has become an annual thing for numerous prep teams across Alaska. But there are some who work tirelessly to bring that high level of hoops to the 49th state.

Wasilla High School boys basketball head coach Ryan Engebretsen can’t even begin to calculate the number of hours he’s sat in front of his computer, researching high school basketball programs throughout the country.

“My assistant coach and I Google state tournaments from the past. We spend countless hours. I don’t even want to wrap my head around it, too many hours to count,” Engebretsen said.

But to Engebretsen, the time put in has been worth it. In the seven years since he helped create Wasilla High’s annual holiday hoops tournament, Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic, Engebretsen has watched the tournament continue to produce that high level of high school basketball many Alaskans have been in search of. State champions from multiple states have competed in the Wasilla tournament. Tournament alumni have gone on to play at the Division I level. There are even a couple of athletes who have played in the tournament that have a legitimate shot at the NBA.

Engebretsen said he looks for teams that have a habit of advance to their state tournaments, and consistently produce a winning program.

“Then I know they’re going to come up, and regardless, they’ll know the expectations, handle themselves well. They’ll appreciate the experience, appreciate the basketball. It gives them the opportunity to see Alaska,” Engebretsen said.

Engebretsen said he ranks Carver High School of Montgomery, Alabama, as the top team to play from outside Alaska to play in the tournament. Carver, which beat Wasilla for the 2011 Roundball Classic title, produced at least two players who went on to compete in Division I sports. Former Carver guard Craig Sword is now an All-SEC athlete at Mississippi State. Another former Carver guard, Jeremy Johnson, is a quarterback for Auburn’s Division I football program.

“That championship game, Wasilla-Carver, was just phenomenal. I don’t know if I’ve seen much basketball at this level in the state in all my years living here, growing up here, coaching here,” Engebretsen said.

Carver went on to win the Alabama Class 6A state championship that season.

The 2015 field could be the best yet. It’s the first time in the tournament’s seven-year history that there’s a full eight-team bracket. The tournament includes three out-of-state teams: the Ambridge Bridgers of Ambridge, Pennsylvania; Coronado Cougars of Henderson, Nevada; and Lincoln Cardinals of Portland, Oregon. Barrow, Colony, West Anchorage, Juneau-Douglas and host Wasilla are the five Alaska boys team in the field. The four-team girls’ round-robin bracket includes Coronado, Lincoln, Barrow and Wasilla.

Coronado boasts a regarded team from Nevada, that’s already played the second and third-ranked teams in its home state, according to maxpreps.com. The Alaska teams include a pair of defending state champions, 3A Barrow and 4A West. Colony was third at the 4A level last year.

On the girls’ side, Wasilla finished fourth in the 4A class last season and Barrow was third in 3A.

The Barrow boys could have as much star power as any team that has competed in the Roundball Classic. Sophomore Kamaka Hepa is a nationally recognized talent. Hepa is currently ranked No. 21 on the ESPN.com list of top boys’ basketball players in the class of 2018. He was a first-team all-state selection as a freshman, and is already receiving offers from Division I programs across the country.

“Kamaka may be one of the best basketball players to ever play in this tournament,” Engebretsen said.

Hepa is not the only Barrow sophomore garnering national attention. Point guard Travis Adams has also drawn mass praise for his play on the court. He is also one of a handful of Barrow basketball players who play football at Barrow High, and among athletes profiled in a television series, “Football Town”, that aired on the NFL Network.

Barrow head coach Jeremy Arnhart said his players have handled the attention well.

“It gave them some notoriety,” Arnhart said of the series. “It was pretty cool with the film crew there. They appreciate it, they like it, but they don’t let it get to their heads.”

Arnhart said Hepa and Adams have also done a good job of not letting the attention on the court get to them.

“They have a good head on their shoulders. They’re pretty smart kids,” Arnhart said. “The thing with them and the notoriety, they go out and compete in the summer. We do a lot of team camps. They go out with the best of the best in the nation. They see the level they need to be at, and the work.”

Arnhart said he sees great potential in both players.

“Kamaka, you could see him one time in the NBA. He’s definitely going to be a big time Division I player. A lot of people want him,” Arnhart said. “Travis, the sky’s the limit for him too. He’s got things he needs to work on. He’s a little bit small, but he has got great quickness, great floor awareness. I could see him playing at the next level.”

Wasilla High has also showcased its fair share of Division I talent in the Roundball Classic during the past seven years. Former Warriors Connor Devine (South Dakota State) and Dane Kuiper (New Mexico) are playing at the Division I level. Another, Eric Roberts, walked on at Creighton. Another, Wasilla senior Leya DePriest recently signed her National Letter of Intent to play women’s basketball at Division I Denver.

“It’s been terrific,” Engebretsen said.

Engebretsen has also taken pride in helping provide the Alaska experience to those who travel to Wasilla with the out-of-state programs. This year’s list of activities includes dog mushing and ice fishing. Engebretsen had great praise for Iditarod musher Martin Buser, who helped provide such an experience this weekend.

“Anybody getting involved, we really appreciate it. A huge thank you to Iditarod musher Martin Buser. He did a phenomenal deal for these five teams up here. He did a little tour with them. They will have an experience they will never forget because of the opportunity he provided them,” Engebretsen said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.