Hopes high that hoops tournament in Moncton gives boost to basketball community

It's a basketball fan's dream in Moncton this weekend. Four teams that have all played in the NCAA's March Madness championship playoffs will be showing off their skills at the Atlantic Slam tournament.  

And Roberto Di Donato hopes it inspires the next generation of New Brunswick players. 

"Just to see those players and see what it takes to play at that level is going to help our kids and help our kids a lot," said Di Donato, co-chair of Atlantic Slam and president of the Moncton Basketball Association. 

Fans will get to watch Gardner-Webb University, Weber State University, Yale University and Colgate University, as well as teams from prep-schools such as Orangeville Prep from Ontario, all at the Avenir Centre.

The event was organized by On Ice Entertainment, Events Moncton, and the City of Moncton. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the New Brunswick government each gave the tournament $50,000. 

Top talent to watch

Sam Thomson of Kitchener, Ont., will get his first chance to play a game for Colgate University on Canadian soil. Thomson is the lone Canadian on his team, so on Thursday morning he treated his teammates to Tim Hortons. 

"I actually showed them an ice cap and and got them some some doughnuts and stuff like that," said Thomson. "There were mixed reviews on it."

Thomson is in his fourth year with the team. Each year his squad has qualified for the NCAA's prestigious March Madness tournament. He said people who show up at the Avenir Centre will get to see elite college basketball on display. 

"A heightened level of athleticism I think is going to be there for sure," Thomson said. "There's some unbelievable athletes that are at this tournament. 

"You're going to see a lot of guys that are going to have an opportunity to play at the next level, whether that be in the NBA or in Europe."

Di Donato said if fans are looking for a star to root for, they should watch out for Dillon Jones from Weber State University in Utah. Jones was recently named national player of the week in the United States and is projected to be drafted to play in the NBA in 2024.

Growth of the game

Di Donato said that when he joined the Moncton Basketball Association four years ago, there were about 600 members. Since then, the association has grown to about 850 participants. 

"The growth of the games is exponential," Di Donato said. "Where we saw the biggest increase in numbers is under the women's game … now we're up to almost half of our players are female, which is tremendous to see."

He said if you include the areas around Moncton, there are over 2,000 kids playing basketball, not including high school or university players. And events like Atlantic Slam will only help that number grow, he said.  

"I think people are desperate to see the game," said Di Donato. 

The challenge is, there aren't many opportunities for fans to watch professional basketball. There are the Moncton Mystics, a semi-pro team that competes in the Maritime Women's Basketball Association during the summer. People can also watch the Crandall University and Mount Allison University teams play during the winter. 

But to see professional games, Di Donato said, fans have to travel. 

Hopes for an annual event

It's not just Moncton that has seen a growth in its basketball program. More Canadians are reaching the top levels of hoops. On the opening night of the NBA season, 27 Canadians were on NBA rosters. But Di Donato said it will still be some time before New Brunswick players make it to that level. 

"I still think we're a ways away. I would say about probably [in the] next five to 10 years you will see players develop," he said.

"Just to get a scholarship to go play basketball down south will be a tremendous success for Basketball New Brunswick."

Di Donato said that so far, the event has been a success. Organizers have been able to sell more tournament passes than expected, and ticket sales have gone well. 

But he hopes that it becomes more than a one-time event. 

"The goal is for this to become an annual event," said Di Donato. "If this comes back year after year after year, that would be a tremendous success for the Moncton area."