When local 3-on-3 basketball tournaments hit the area and it is reported that team such-and such beat squad so-and-so, it is often with amusement the variation of names that players designate themselves. A couple of questions always tend to plague this viewer’s curiosity as one reads the results. First, might any of the players associated with said team be familiar? Secondly, what might lie behind the selection process behind some of those titles?

Some of the entries are pretty straight forward as to their geographic origin: Anaconda, Butte, Frenchtown, Florence Flames, Clark Fork Rams, Kalispell Explosion, Glacier Flight and the like. Others denote tribal affiliations: Blackfeet Xtreme, Nakota Ballerz, Pikuni Warriors, Rez Dawgs. Some denote more local proximity of former or current players: Arlee Has Beens (coed: Rebecca Whitesell, Pat BigSam, Zach F., Hank []), A-Town (M6-1U elite: Phillip Malatare, Tyler Tanner, Andrew HeavyRunner, Jerod Tanner). Some names contextualize with basketball imagery: Jey’s, Treys and Fadeaways, Team Swish, Pick n’ Roll.

Anything with “Zoo” associated with it tends to hail from Missoula: Zoo Crew, Zoola Flight, Zootown Dunk U Up, Zootown Dynamite. Others adopt their school mascots. Jackets tend to originate from Stevensville, while Maiden Ballerz (F9-10: Madeline McCrea, Kiana King, Jaeleigh Gatch, Madison Miller) for Ronan up-and comers.

Some teams solicit sponsors from area businesses: WBC, Napa. Multiple entries under Tire Depot or Les Schwab (M5-6: Brock Henricksen, Tias Fyant, Torrin Ellis, Roman Sherry; M7-8: Alex Muzquiz, Tyler Wenderoth, Karter Sherry, Joey Haggart) not only tend to be consistently competitive, but more often than not compete in the latter rounds. The arrangement seems to be mutually beneficial for both parties. The sponsor benefits by getting their name mentioned with greater frequency, while the players benefit from the association that opponents aren’t liable to tread on them and might just get run over.

Teams featured under the rubric Desert Horse have regularly competed over the course of multiple seasons, often with name variations to differentiate between those competing in different brackets. The men’s entry has always been competitive, usually featuring local standout and former Griz J.R. Camel with an entourage of other skilled players in tow. This year’s entry included Tisen Fryberg, Les Fisher, Mark (surname indecipherable).

At least three teams competing at the Flathead Lake 3-on-3 this time around entered the competition having won their respective brackets at the Spokane 3-on-3 a few weeks prior: Desert Horse Elite (JR Camel, Zach Camel, Dane Fisher, Matt Luedtke), B.C. (Derrick Peel, Jaydon Bautista, Payton Lefthand, Julian Jones) in 6-1 and over open and A-Town Boys (Stu Grant, Tyler Tanner, Will Mesteth, Phillip Malatare) in the Men 6-1 & under open bracket. Neither team succeeded in reduplicating that same level of success with modifications to their roster this time around. Desert Horse would finish second, B.C. went 4-2 () and A-Town dropped their first two before reversing that outcome.

Example of a classic basketball matchup under Female high school grades 11-12:

Boolin 21, Saucy 19

Boolin roster (Alyssia Vanderburg and Laurencia Starblanket of Arlee, Alex Pierre of Polson, Veyanna Curley of Ronan)

Saucy roster (Kianna Finley and Jaylynn Askan of Ronan, Keyentai LilSun, Sunny Ellenwood)

Below are a sampling of other name designations in attendance at the tournament:

Sweet Bliss – (M9-10: Trevor Lake, Daniel Kelsch, Zarec Couture) may initially perplex as to why a group of teenage boys might opt for such a not quite macho moniker until the association is made that one of the new coffee establishments has a family member among the roster. Time did not permit sussing out the rationale behind Fluffy Bunnies as a designation for another team under the same age bracket.

Furious Four – (F5-6: Samantha Rensvold, Olivia Jore, Sasha McCoy, Fayrene Pierre) this age designation seldom fits

the ferocious category, but fast and focused both lie in their future of these young players.

B.C. – does not denote a team of players from British Columbia, nor the old school historical designation “before Christ,” nor does it seem to allude to the comic strip about cavemen set in prehistoric times. Rather, the team is comprised of former or current Polson Pirate players (Derrick Peel, Payton Lefthand, Jaydon Bautista, Shade Main). BC went 4-2 in the Flathead Lake tournament with wins over Purple People Eaters (21-18), Yahtzee (21-18) Flyin Leap (21-15) as well as Soldiers, while coming up short against Smokin Joes (13-21 and Hoop There It Is.

KMTV – at first glance, one might think this team entry might promote music videos, either is sponsored by a radio or television station. However, the letters are an acronym for first initials for a trio players from Ronan and one from Polson (F11-12: Kieauna Deroche, Mahala Buffalo, Tiana Ulutoa, Veyanna Curley).

Skoden – last season this viewer was informed that the name constitutes a phonetic conflation of an oft cited directive heard on the court, “Let’s go then.” The phrase sounds something like that when it is said really fast. This year’s rendition of Skoden (Open Male Rec: Josiah Whitworth, Charles T., Chasen Curley, Xavier Matt).

Hoopatitis – initially sounds like a medical condition somewhere between a respiratory ailment and inflammation of the liver. If it were an ailment, many players at the tournament should have already been inoculated from any ill effects on account of primary means of treatment involves extensive handling of a basketball for blocks of time.