Hoops Heaven comes to the Hi-Line this week

Around here, basketball fans have been waiting a long time for the season to start and this Thursday, at Montana State University-Northern, the local basketball season will begin with a bang.

That's because after being gone for a year, the Native American Classic is back at the Armory Gymnasium and once again, the field is loaded with talented teams. The Rocky Boy girls and Kainai will tip-off the three-day hoops extravaganza Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The nightcap on the first day will also feature the renewal of the Rocky Boy-Box Elder rivalry, as the two boys basketball teams will meet Thursday night at 8:30.

Of course, there are going to be marquee matchups throughout the three-day lineup and that's because in attendance will be teams such as Box Elder, Rocky Boy, Harlem and Hays-Lodge Pole, along with Arlee, Poplar, Lodge Grass, Heart Butte and the Browning JV.

And while the marquee boys game of the first day will be between Box Elder and Rocky Boy, there is a sneaky-good girls basketball game right before it at 7 p.m., as the Box Elder girls, the defending Class C state champions, will take on Harlem, a team that was ranked as high as No. 2 in Class B last season. The Lady Bears will be led by Lilly Gopher and Joelnell Momberg, but Harlem will counter with L'Tia Lawrence and Skylee Dirden in what should be a good test for both teams.

Friday, fans will also see some interesting matchups. The Box Elder boys will turn around and play Kainai Friday morning at 10 a.m. That game will be followed by the Arlee girls playing Poplar. Later Friday even, Arlee, the defending Class C boys state champions, will play at 8:30 p.m. against Lodge Grass.

The Native American Classic will feature a total of 20 games over three days with five games Thursday, seven games Friday and eight Saturday. Hays-Lodge Pole will open up things Saturday, as the HLP girls will battle Kainai at 9 a.m., followed by the Thunderbirds and Poplar going at it in a boys contest.

Later in the day Saturday, the NAC will close things out in style with Rocky Boy and Arlee going head-to-head at 4 p.m., followed by Arlee against the Box Elder girls at 7 and Harlem vs Lodge Grass in a boys game at 8:30.

Over the years, the Native American Classic has always had quality teams, but this season, it's even better. The tournament has the Class C state champion in boys and girls in Arlee and Box Elder, as well as five other teams that played in their classifications state tournament last season. Rocky Boy played in both boys and girls state tournaments, with the boys team finishing third. In addition to that, the Heart Butte boys made the Class C state tournament, the Lodge Grass boys made the Class B state tournament and the Poplar girls also qualified for the Class B state tournament.

In boys and girls basketball last season, there were 32 teams that played in a Class B or Class C state tournament and seven of those teams will be taking part in the Native American Classic.

All 20 games will be played inside the Armory Gymnasium on the campus of MSU-N/. The action will get underway Thursday at 2:30 p.m., and it will conclude with the final game Saturday night at 8:30.

The NAC isn't the only local tourney on the Hi-Line this weekend either.

Chester-Joplin-Inverness will host a quadrangular where Chinook and CJI will make their season debut.

North Star and Big Sandy will make their debut at the Dutton-Brady Preseason Tournament. And Fort Benton will host a preseaosn tournament Friday and Saturday as well.

Both the Havre High boys and girls also make their season debut this weekend. The Havre girls host Billings Central Friday night, and the Blue Pony boys make their home debut Saturday against Glendive.