MONROE - Monroe High School and Middle School will turn into a basketball kingdom this weekend as the sixth annual Monroe Summer Shootout takes center stage.
Forty-eight varsity and junior varsity basketball teams with about 480 players will be in town for the tournament.
The Monroe Summer Shootout will feature a 24-team varsity tournament on Sunday at the high school and middle school. The Monroe JV team will open pool play on Saturday with games against Darlington at 8 a.m. today and then they will play Columbus at 10 a.m. The Monroe varsity will play Pecatonica at 8 a.m. on Sunday and Dodgeville at 9 a.m.
"Everybody nowadays has so many activities," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of the summer. "At times there are too many. It's nice to have something in our own back yard. We want them to take full advantage of the opportunity."
After two games of pool play, teams will be divided into 1-2-and-3 seed eight team tournament brackets. Basketball games start at 8 a.m. and continue all day, with the championship game at 4 p.m. All day tickets for seventh graders to adults are $3. There will be a concession stand available with hot dogs and barbecues.
Per WIAA rules, Murphy has five days when he can have out-of-season instructional time with players. Murphy said he likes to use four of his contact days to have a basketball camp to coach his team and he usually coaches them at the Waukesha tournament. Monroe finished second last year losing to Pewaukee 50-33 in the championship game.
Murphy has high expectations for his squad, even though he won't be on the bench coaching.
"I think in every sport everyone is using June and July to get better," Murphy said. "You have a small window to try and get better and everyone is doing it."
Each team is guaranteed three games and could play as many as five.
"It's a lot of basketball," Murphy said. "Most teams will bring 10 players. You can get into a pool with teams about the same ability level."
Forty-eight varsity and junior varsity basketball teams with about 480 players will be in town for the tournament.
The Monroe Summer Shootout will feature a 24-team varsity tournament on Sunday at the high school and middle school. The Monroe JV team will open pool play on Saturday with games against Darlington at 8 a.m. today and then they will play Columbus at 10 a.m. The Monroe varsity will play Pecatonica at 8 a.m. on Sunday and Dodgeville at 9 a.m.
"Everybody nowadays has so many activities," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of the summer. "At times there are too many. It's nice to have something in our own back yard. We want them to take full advantage of the opportunity."
After two games of pool play, teams will be divided into 1-2-and-3 seed eight team tournament brackets. Basketball games start at 8 a.m. and continue all day, with the championship game at 4 p.m. All day tickets for seventh graders to adults are $3. There will be a concession stand available with hot dogs and barbecues.
Per WIAA rules, Murphy has five days when he can have out-of-season instructional time with players. Murphy said he likes to use four of his contact days to have a basketball camp to coach his team and he usually coaches them at the Waukesha tournament. Monroe finished second last year losing to Pewaukee 50-33 in the championship game.
Murphy has high expectations for his squad, even though he won't be on the bench coaching.
"I think in every sport everyone is using June and July to get better," Murphy said. "You have a small window to try and get better and everyone is doing it."
Each team is guaranteed three games and could play as many as five.
"It's a lot of basketball," Murphy said. "Most teams will bring 10 players. You can get into a pool with teams about the same ability level."
