Baha’i Ballers Classic Basketball Tournament - Austin, TX

After the games on Saturday we will convene at Goode Co. Barbeque, 5109 Kirby Drive, at 8pm. Since the seating is outdoor, the dinner will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain.

Please take the University Drive entrance to the campus to access the Rec center. Wheeler is closed for Metro construction.

• Parking: Parking is free at UH on weekends. Take Spur 5 to University Drive (main UH entrance), the rec center is on your left. Park in any surrounding lot.
• Wristbands: Players and spectators need wristbands to get in and out of the tournament. This is a UH Rec policy. At the entrance where the staff checks your gym pass, just say you are there for the Baha’i Ballers tournament. They will give you a wristband to wear all day. Players - wear it on your ankles for safety.
• Drinks/Snacks: We cannot sell concessions at the gym but there is a food/snack/drink store and a Smoothie King on site. You cannot bring any food or beverages into the gym other than water.
• Lockers: There are lockers next to the courts with electronic keypad locks to store your bags, but still try to avoid bringing valuables with you.
• Friday Night: Informal hanging out at CityCentre (outdoor entertainment/dining complex). Hanging out in the general lawn square area in front of Red Mango/Ruggles at CityCentre, around 9PM.
• Saturday Night: Official after game day event 8PM - please attend. Goode Co. BBQ on Kirby.

Click to enlarge.

The tournament will be held at the University of Houston Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The address is:

4500 University Dr.
Houston, TX 77204

http://www.uh.edu/campus_map/buildings/CRWC.php

All 8 teams for the 2011 Classic have been registered and assigned. This year we are doing something different: one team is a “Free Agent” team where individual players could sign up on their own and play on that team.

Also, the way the teams are grouped (into the two “conferences”) was also done differently this year. Rather than try to make a subjective estimation of teach team’s skill level and then group accordingly for balance, the grouping was done entirely randomly this year. I used Random.org’s List Randomizer to conduct the grouping. I do not feel that I’m able to accurately estimate team skills, so random grouping is the only way to do this. It also means you can’t blame anybody for the groupings!

Group A

Bi-Winning (GM: Nader M.) [white]
Decipher (GM: Eyman E.) [black]
Persian Conversion (GM: Kory P.) [red]
Shamim E.’s Team (To be named) [tbd]

Group B

Vahof & the Mustangs (GM: Abbas M.) [royal]
BAA (GM: Shaheen A.) [purple]
Free Agents (GM: Shaheen K.) [navy]
Chewy G.’s Team (Team Mingori!) [gray]

The Baha’i Ballers Classic is a 5-on-5 basketball tournament held annually in Austin, TX. We are proud to announce that, after a highly successful inaugural tournament, the Baha’i Ballers Classic will return in July 2009. The tournament is open to all people of all ages, with the goal of raising money for the Baha’i Fund, having fun, bringing new people together, and promoting fellowship through athletic competition.

This year we have made a few changes to the event. The biggest change is that the tournament will now be held over two days - Saturday & Sunday, instead of all in one day. This change was made by popular demand in order to limit the amount of basketball played in one day, contributing to better quality play with more energy, and an extra day of fun.

This is an exciting, organized, and well-structured tournament. There are referees, scoreboards, a seeded bracket, a draft, and prizes for the winning team. Register as a player today and support this event!

Register as a player today. The deadline to register is June 28, 2009. The registration fee is $20 per player (Note: this year, the fee applies to all players, no exemptions). These dues pay for tournament expenses. Any leftover money is donated to the National Baha’i Fund. You do not have to register or pay any dues if you are just coming to watch and hang out (which we also encourage).

Promo video by Bayan Rabbani

The Draft will be happening on June 29, 2009 at 7:30PM CST in our live chatroom. All players will be drafted by GMs, like last year. We considered a number of changes to this format, but in the end decided the best way to keep teams fair and to facilitate new friendships was through a draft. A note: we really want this event to be open to anybody from any background, religion, age, etc. If you are bringing a friend, please understand that they can be drafted onto any team, and they may not be on your team. Please do not make promises to anyone that they will be on a certain team with certain people.

Check the “About the Tournament” page for more detailed information about the Classic.

Vital Info:

When:
July 25, 2009 12PM-5PM
July 26, 2009 12PM-3PM
Friday Night Social / Dinner, July 24 (Details to be announced, check back often)

Where:
Hoop Zone
526 Rutland Dr.
Austin, TX (More info including map on the About page)

How to Play:
Register as a player and you will be drafted by a General Manager (GM).

How Much?
The registration fee is $20 per player. Note: It is free to come and watch. The fee is only for players.

What’s Changed?
-Two-day Format: The tournament will be played over two days, rather than one, as was the case last year.
-The $20 registration fee now applies to all players (no exemptions)
-Longer games: because of the new 2-day format, you’ll get to play more basketball. The clock will no longer run through free throws, and the late round games won’t be shortened to 10-minute halves.
-Referees: We’re going to hire referees to handle officiating, instead of asking players to ref.
-Friday Night Event: We’re working on a Friday night dinner so everyone can get together and socialize before all the basketball begins.

Note about accomodations: A number of people will be coming from out of town, either to play, or just to watch and hang out. If there’s enough demand, we can get a group rate at a hotel so everyone can stay in the same area and pay a lower nightly rate. If you’re intersted in this, please e-mail Sherwin at sherwin@bahaiballers.org.

The first ever Baha’i Ballers Classic took place on July 19, 2008. It was a successful event, and a lot of fun. We had an estimated 150 people in attendance, with 8 teams battling it out for nine straight hours on the courts. In the final game, The Bowelers defeated the Ruff Ryders in a double overtime thriller. We couldn’t have asked for a better final.