Tourney tweaks game plan

DAYTON DAILY NEWS By Gregg Billing

It'll be all fun and games for the 21 boys basketball teams hooping it up at Vandalia's Student Activity Center this weekend. At least that's the goal of founder Eric Horstman as he and his staff host the fourth Flyin' to the Hoop tournament. The national event with a regional flavor returns with its big-time talent and intriguing matchups, but with a few tweaks.

The most obvious is the elimination of brackets. No more Top Gun or Flyin' to the Hoop titles. They've been replaced by single-game matchups. Horstman said different rules by different state athletic organizations made scheduling a "nightmare." For example, Florida teams cannot play on Sunday, but Florida prep schools can. Horstman had to make sure a Florida high school didn't land in a Sunday time slot. Add teams from a half-dozen states, and one from another country, and the rules and regulations pile up. "I never knew the politics of high school basketball," Horstman said.

"The champion title is fine, but in talking to the teams, they are here to play. They want the best competition and they want to showcase their talent in a good area with a lot of fan support, a lot of college coaches and media in attendance. It made (organizing) a lot easier." Landing teams is also simple. All Horstman has to do is check his e-mail or voice mail. Teams are already lobbying to participate in 2007. He estimates 30-40 teams from all corners of the country called since last year. But that doesn't always mean getting the teams he wants.

Horstman would have loved to have Dunbar back in the mix this year, but the Wolverines opted not to attend. "One of the things when you have a team like Dunbar, they get asked to go to a bunch of different things around the country as well," Horstman said. "I think what they wanted to do was go someplace outside of Ohio since you never know when you might get that chance again. Would I have loved to have them? Yes. ... (But) I'm all for it if they can get their kids to California or wherever they can. "Again, this isn't like a local tournament. This is a national tournament someone would fly into, it just happens to be in your backyard."

Horstman said he's also fielded questions from season-ticket holders, basketball junkies and others concerning:

• Moving the event from the SAC to, say, Fairmont's new Trent Arena. "Right now it's convenient where we have it. As long as everything tends to go well and people want to work with me, and hopefully they appreciate what we're trying to bring to the area, I don't have any immediate plans to do it. You never say never, but right now I'm happy with where we are at."

• Adding a marquee girls game, say Beavercreek vs. Chaminade-Julienne? "As we continue to make this bigger there are all sorts of possibilities. Maybe that girls game becomes something we look at."

• Adding halftime entertainment or even cheerleading contests: " I don't want it to become a circus act. I want it to be a good stable tournament. But if there is something that will help increase the fan base or increase paying for the expenses I would look into that."

• Keeping the tournament beyond 2007: "I'll keep doing it until I'm sick of doing it. If I have to sacrifice it being first class or it starts not being fun anymore, I'll pass the baton or we'll close it down. ... As long as people continue to appreciate it and enjoy it we'll keep it going."

Contact Greg Billing at 225-2400, ext. 6991.