Come June 2 through 5, the cry "Take it to the playground" will be heard at the South Towne Center in Sandy as the fourth annual Roundball Ruckus three-on-three tournament gets under way.
Presented by the Deseret News, Utah Jazz and Coca Cola, Roundball Ruckus is Utah's premiere three-on-three basketball tournament and has outgrown its three-year home at the 49th Street Galleria, says organizer Dan Cramer of Lakewood, CO."We just never dreamed this thing would get so big in such a short a time. Utah is a lot like Indiana. People are just basketball crazy. South Towne Center will give us plenty of room to park and play some good three-on-three street B-ball."
In just three years Roundball Ruckus has grown from its modest beginnings of 250 teams in 1990 to 800 in 1991 and 1,648 last year.
"We've decided we have to limit the number of teams to 2,000 this year so that we can still put on a quality tournament. The logistics are just mind boggling," said Cramer, who will supervise the construction of nearly 100 temporary baskets.
The tournament is open to all players age 10 and up regardless of skill level. Last year, the oldest player was a young 76.
Tournament fees are $68 this year with all teams guaranteed at least three games. Fees include a Roundball Ruckus T-shirt, a "goodie bag" from sponsors and a pre-tournament party with hot dogs, Coke products, Meadow Gold ice cream prize drawings, celebrity appearances, shooting and dunking contests.
Continental Airlines will donate several trips for two to anywhere in the United States.
The entry deadline is May 20. Entry forms are available at Smith's, Hardee's and 7-Eleven. For more information, call 944-1661, the phone number for the local chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, local charity for the event. Last year, Roundball Ruckus organizers contributed nearly $25,000 to MDA.
MDA needs several hundred volunteers to assist with all facets of the tournament. Anyone interested can call the above number.
Here are some things you should know about Roundball Ruckus:
1) Three-on-three basketball is played on regulation baskets but on smaller courts.
2) Teams consist of four players, although only three are on the court at a given time.
3) There are separate divisions for under 6 feet and ages 40 and over. Every effort is made to group teams of similar abilities into comparable divisions.
4) The tournament backbone is the many divisions made up of 10- to 16-year-old recreational players. 5) Games are played to 20 baskets or 30 minutes.
6) Stalling and dunking are not allowed. Additional sponsors this year include KISN radio and KSTU Fox 13 television, Hampton Inn and Sandy City's Centennial Celebration.
The fourth annual edition of Roundball Ruckus promises to be the best yet. Be sure to sign up early and watch for a special ad in this Sunday's sports section of the Deseret News complete with entry forms.