Even with the pigskin flying, round ball diehards can get their fix this weekend at Niagara Falls High School.

The 17th annual Can-Am/PAL Basketball Classic, featuring some of the region’s top players and AAU teams, is set to tip Saturday and Sunday in the Cataract City.

“It should be a fun weekend for everyone involved,” event organizer Sal Constantino said.

The action begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with games in both the Wolvearena and auxiliary gymnasium. Thirteen teams are entered in the tournament. They’ve been divided into four brackets with first-place teams following pool play earning a spot in Sunday’s 10:15 a.m. semifinals. The championship is set for 12:45 p.m. Sunday.

“Ckatts beat us in the championship last year, but there’s a number of teams that could win it this year,” Constantino said. “That said, there’s not anybody (PAL) can’t compete with.”

Still, perhaps the most important part of the tournament is the ability to get some relatively-unknown players exposure to Division II and III schools.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to be seen by college coaches that might otherwise not get the chance to be seen,” he said. “I expect a good turnout of coaches and just this week I’ve gotten a few more calls of coaches that were interested.”

He added that several players will also be filmed at the event with their tapes headed for potential Division I suitors. Included in that group is NFHS senior guard Kelvin Agee, who Constantino said is currently being looked at by Fairfield, Rider and Central Connecticut State.

Admission is only $2 for adults and $1 for children with all proceeds benefiting the PAL and its youth programs.

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.



FALLS HOOPLA

• WHAT: 17th annual Can-Am/PAL Basketball Classic

• WHEN: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

• WHERE: Niagara Falls High School

• TICKETS: $2 adults, $1 children

• TOP TEAMS: Ckatts, Southwest Ontario, RAP, PAL

• TOP PLAYERS: RAP (6-8 R.J. Kolb, 6-8 Jordan Heath, Rutgers signee Dane Miller), Southern Tier (low D-I prospect Adam Kemp), Ottawa Phoenix (MAAC prospect Jahenns Manigat), Ontario B (America East prospect Tyrell Edwards), SW Ontario (MAAC prospect Enrico Diloreto), Waterloo (6-11 Lucas Nugteren, 6-9 Colton Hood), Rebels (6-9 Keegan Dunlop), Ckatts (6-9 Chadarack Lusile, 6-9 Byron Trench)