Nothin' but Net heats up the streets

Even though we are approaching the dog days of summer in Havre, it is never too early to start thinking about basketball.

And this Saturday, hoops will kick into high gear on the Havre pavement as the annual Nothin' but Net three-on-three hoopfest tournament returns for a day of bounce passes, bank shots and basketball action.

The tournament features five different categories of teams and it will be played throughout the day on Saturday. There will be brackets for high school boys and girls as well as middle school girls and boys. There is also a co-ed bracket for grades fourth through sixth.

The tournament will be held on 10 outdoor courts that will be set up on Fourth Avenue and Third Street. Play will begin at 9 a.m. with a round-robin format. The round robin format will last roughly until noon.

During the lunch break there will be a free throw and three-point contest. The single-elimination championship tournament will then begin at 1 p.m. and last until around 3 p.m.

According to tournament official Dustin Kraske, there are about 30 teams registered so far, but that number may be less than year's past.

"Last year we had about 55 teams in the tournament, but I think we might be down a little this year," Kraske said. "There are several other things going on this weekend that might take some kids away, but we still expect a great day of basketball."

Kraske says that teams can still register up until 5 p.m. this afternoon at the Havre Chamber of Commerce. The rest of the tournament is set.

"We have all of our officials and volunteers in place," he said. "We're expecting really good weather so it should be a really fun day."

The three-on-three tournament will get under way at 9 a.m. Teams can check in for the tournament beginning at 8 a.m.