Warriors to host annual hoops tourney

WASILLA — Eight teams will hit the hardwood during the Doc Larson Roundball Classic, which starts Thursday at Wasilla High School.

Four boys and four girls teams will compete in the three-day round-robin tournament. Highlighting the field of the fifth-annual Roundball Classic are both of Alaska’s defending 4A state champions, and the Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers of Severn, Md.

Archbishop Spalding, Lathrop, East Anchorage and host Wasilla make up the boys’ field. East is the defending state champion. Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said he likes the group of teams in this year’s field.

“We want teams that are hopefully going to give the teams from Outside a game,” Engebretsen said.

Organizers created the event to attract teams from outside of Alaska to Wasilla for a holiday tournament. The Doc Larson has featured multiple teams from the Lower 48 in the past. This year, Engebretsen said, other teams from outside Alaska had agreed to participate in the tournament, but were forced to cancel plans.

Archbishop Spalding is led by head coach Derrick Lewis, a former University of Maryland player who was selected by the NBA’s Chicago Bulls in the third round of the 1988 NBA Draft. He later went on to play professional basketball in France. The Cavaliers finished 29-14 last season, in fourth place of Maryland’s Class MIAA A.

The girls field includes Soldotna, Juneau, Galena and host Wasilla, the three-time defending 4A state champions. Engebretsen said Galena took the spot of a team from the Lower 48, which dropped from the field about six weeks ago.

Tournament schedule:

Thursday: Galena girls vs. Soldotna, 2:30 p.m. Archbiship (Maryland) vs. East boys, 4:15 p.m. Juneau girls vs. Wasilla, 6:15 p.m. Lathrop boys vs. Wasilla, 7:45 p.m. Friday: Soldotna girls vs. Juneau, 2:30 p.m. Archbishop vs. Lathrop boys, 4:15 p.m. Galena girls vs. Wasilla, 6 p.m. East boys vs. Wasilla, 7:45 p.m. Saturday: Juneau girls vs. Galena, 12:45 p.m. Lathrop boys vs. East, 2:30 p.m. Soldotna girls vs. Wasilla, 4:15 p.m. Archbishop boys vs. Wasilla, 6 p.m.