SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMPS NEW TO ND

Basketball junkies are getting a summertime fix in Wahpeton this weekend. The Dakota Hoopfest is ...  More »

Basketball junkies are getting a summertime fix in Wahpeton this weekend. The Dakota Hoopfest is a traveling tournament for high school kids. Summer ball has been around for years, but events like this in North Dakota have not. Reporter Eric Morrow has more. (Reporter:) Summer basketball tournaments can make or break a recruit. College coaches make their main evaluations of a player this time of year. Yet, just a few summers ago, organized traveling teams did not even exist in North Dakota. But that's when Dan Hodgson of Wahpeton decided to do something. He started E-C-I, a non-profit group that has a number of programs for kids, including basketball.. (Dan Hodgson:) We wanted to compete against others for those spots and earn it. (Reporter:) In its 2 and a half year existence, E-C-I baskeetball has exploded. At the beginning...there were 10 teams...now there are 22 comprised of players from North Dakota and parts of Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota. (Dan Hodgson:) The players drive this program....they have a desire to get better and connect with others. (Reporter:) Austin DuFault of Killdeer is a prime example of a player who has benefited from E-C-I. The 6-8 forward is considered by most coaches in the area to be the top prospect in North Dakota. Yet without E-C-I, Dufault would probably have no chance of being seen in the summer. (Austin Dufault:) I'd probably just be in Killdeer playing with my guys. Without AAU, only local coaches see you...now they can see you against better players. (Reporter:) And while playing for E-C-I will probably not lead to an abunDance of division one players from the area, at least kids can show local coaches how they stack up with the rest of the country That was Eric Morrow reporting. E-C-I has tournaments for girls as well as boys.  « Less