For the first time in six years, there will be a marquee AAU basketball tournament being played in Northwest Arkansas, thanks to the efforts of a former Arkansas Razorback.
Marcus Monk, who played football and basketball at Arkansas from 2004 to 2009, has created The Warmup, a first-year tournament that will run today through Sunday in Bentonville.
It's the first tournament in the area since the Real Deal on the Hill left Fayetteville in 2009 for Little Rock, with the tournament now known as Real Deal in the Rock.
"We hope to have great crowds," Monk said. "We'll have high-level competition. We'll have a lot of good basketball. There's been people contacting me and wanting something back in the area.
"We have so many good players in the state right now."
The tournament features several of the state's and nation's top players, including Bentonville's Malik Monk (Marcus' brother), Michael Porter Jr. of Columbia, Mo., (MoKan Elite) and C.J. Roberts of Arlington, Texas (Team Texas). Admission is $10 per day or $25 for a weekend pass.
Malik Monk, who was named by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as the 2015 All-Arkansas Preps boys player of the year, will play for Arkansas Wings' 17U Elite team. The Wings take on Elfrid Payton Elite at 8:30 p.m. today at Bentonville High School. Van Buren's Mitchell Smith -- a All-Arkansas Preps first-teamer -- Fayetteville's Payton Willis, Pulaski Academy's Lawson Korita and Jalen Johnson of Baton Rouge University Lab also will play for the Wings.
Marcus Monk said there will be 50 to 60 teams in this weekend's tournament. The schedule will be posted at madehoops.com, he said, and will feature games at Bentonville High and local middle schools in Bentonville. A livestream of tonight's Arkansas Wings-Elfrid Payton game will be available on the site as well.
The Warmup is the first of eight tournaments the Wings are scheduled to play in this year. Monk said this weekend's tournament will help the Wings prepare for the next four months.
"We were just looking for a tournament that will prepare us before we encounter league play," Monk said. "We wanted a high quality of teams and we're really focusing on the quality of basketball."
Sports on 04/03/2015