A Who's Who of Class 2A basketball will populate Begich Middle School this week.
The Rally the Regions Hardwood Classic boasts all four semifinal teams from last season's boys state tournament plus the two teams that played in the girls state championship game.
The 16-team tournament – eight boys teams, eight girls teams – begins Tuesday. After three days of round-robin play, championship games will be played Friday.
On tap are eight games each day, with action running from 8 a.m. to about 10 p.m. Three of the four nights will feature Native dance performances – Tlingit and Haida on Tuesday, Yu'pik on Wedesday and Inupiaq on Friday – and Thursday's games will be followed by a potlatch.
The second annual tournament is sponsored by the Alaska Fellowship of Christian Athletes (AKFCA).
"The really exciting thing is our goal to make this become a community event," said tournament director Heath Day, the executive director of AKFCA. "We've got eight different churches hosting teams and that means volunteers stepping up to help . . . roughly 100 to 150 people."
Organizers have put together a loaded field.
Thursday's 11 a.m. girls game is a rematch of last season's Class 2A state championship game between Petersburg and Bristol Bay. Petersburg beat Bristol Bay 43-34 in March to capture the state title.
On the boys side, all four state semifinal teams are on hand – Unalaska, Petersburg, Cordova and Unalakleet. Unalaska beat Petersburg in the title game 49-39.
Tuesday's games
Girls
8 a.m. – Unalakleet vs. West JV
11 a.m. – Unalaska vs. Metlakatla
3 p.m. – Aniak vs. Bristol Bay
6 p.m. – Petersburg vs. Cordova
Boys
9:30 a.m. – Unalakleet vs. Dillingham
12:30 p.m. – Unalaska vs. Metlakatla
4:30 p.m. – Aniak vs. Bristol Bay
8:30 p.m. – Petersburg vs. Cordova