Bring a hoops tourney to the isle

There is no reason Ball High School, possibly with the joint help of O’Connell College Preparatory School, could not host a first-class high school basketball tournament in Galveston.

Especially during this holiday break when coaches everywhere are looking for out-of-town tournaments to keep their teams in tune for the remainder of their respective district schedules while treating the players to a fun getaway trip.

Picture this: 16-team brackets on both sides of the court, teams that would spend two to three days and nights in hotels desperate to fill rooms and restaurants desperate to fill tables between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Certainly a chance for islanders to showcase the local talent, and Galveston as a whole, making a valiant comeback from Hurricane Ike, just what the Galveston Convention and Visitors Bureau is hoping to accomplish through its newly forming sports tourism ad hoc committee.

Not to mention the x-number of dollars locals will save not traveling elsewhere.

But the time to start making plans and sending out invitations is now.

Look at what the Beachcomber Tennis Classic is bringing to Galveston come late March.

Thirty-two-plus high schools, a big chunk alone from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, as well as Beaumont, San Antonio and Tyler, will be competing, about 500 participants in all. That is quite a few mouthfuls to feed and accommodate along with the parents and friends, who also will be packing their bags and swim suits for sunny Galveston Island.

That same interest, know-how and enthusiasm exist to put on a top-caliber high school boys and girls basketball tournament.

How exciting would it have been to pit Ball High’s No. 1 state-ranked boys team against some of Texas’ and maybe even the other states’ best right in its own backyard?

So, this time next year, hoop it up, Galveston! Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Manuel Moreno Jr. is a sports correspondent and tennis columnist for The Daily News. His e-mail address is mmjtenicon(at)aol.com.