Potential future basketball stars returned Saturday to The LINC -- and to State Technical College of Missouri.
Hoops Midwest presented a basket tournament -- Santa Shootout -- for boys and girls in grades 3-8 at the two sites.
Hoops Midwest co-founder Mike Edwards said this winter marks the end of Hoops Midwest's 14th season.
The youth tournaments continue nonstop all year long, he continued, with 15-20 of them occurring at The LINC in Jefferson City.
"Today we have 49 teams," Edwards said. "Some are playing at State Tech. We have teams today from all over Missouri. I don't think we have any Illinois teams here today. Last weekend we had five Illinois teams."
But teams arrived from all over Missouri for Saturday's tournament, he added.
"People in basketball are looking for tournaments. They're looking for quality tournaments," he said.
Among the teams playing Saturday was Ballistic, a group of fourth-grade girls from California.
Doug Porter said local teams often include family groups.
"Number three is my daughter, and the coach is my son," he said.
Porter said his daughter, Trynleigh, has five older brothers and sisters. Therefore, she had to learn to play sports early.
"Two of her sisters play college basketball," he said. "Basketball kind of runs in the family."
Alexa Pfeiffer/News Tribune photo: Karley Hogan dribbles the ball down the court Saturday at The LINC in Jefferson City. Hogan and her team, Ballistic, competed at the Hoops Midwest Basketball Tournament.
Alexa Pfeiffer/News Tribune photo: Ada Milligan, right, of Ballistic plays defense Saturday during the Hoops Midwest Basketball Tournament at The LINC.
Alexa Pfeiffer/News Tribune photo: Erskine Wilkerson, center, passes the ball to JC Toliver on Saturday during the Hoops Midwest Basketball Tournament at The LINCy. Wilkerson and Toliver are members of the fifth-grade team JC Juggernauts.