High School Hoop Dreams

Of all the silly excuses I heard about why the Grizzlies failed in Vancouver, the one about the city not having a rich basketball history took the proverbial cake.

I don't remember the name of the degenerate who made that baseless claim, but he certainly didn't consider hoops at the grassroots level when he made that ignorant statement.

You need go no further than the Agrodome during the Provincial AAA high school championship tournament to see that basketball is alive and well in the Lower Mainland.

Although the championships are many months away, fans of high school hoops can whet their appetites at the HSBC Basketball Classic tournament that is taking place.

In its eighth year of existence and featuring Boys and Girls high school, Wheelchair, First Nations and Night Hoops tournaments among others, the Classic officially rings in the 2007/08 high school basketball season and in that vein, there are also scholarships available for graduating high school seniors.

The tournament started on Monday and runs until Saturday, December 8, 2007 at various gyms throughout the Lower Mainland with the final at UBC.

Tickets for the final are available free of charge at select HSBC locations in Vancouver and the North Shore.