Region XIV

Basketball fans are in for a treat this week as the annual Region XIV Tournament unfolds at historic Wagstaff Gymnasium on the Tyler Junior College campus.

It is the place to be to catch a rising star who many eventually star at the next level or in some cases become an All-Star in the NBA.

Just ask TJC basketball coach Mike Marquis.

“I have fans come up to me and say they were on the front row and saw Jimmy Butler (before he went on to star at Marquette University and then become an NBA All-Star) and about seeing Shahada (Wells), who is having an All-America season at McNeese,” said Marquis of his former Apaches.

Fans get to see perhaps a rising star as the Region XIV Men’s tournament gets underway on Tuesday, while the women start play on Wednesday.

Twelve men’s squads will compete for the conference’s automatic bid to the NJCAA Men’s Division I National Basketball Tournament, which is scheduled for March 24-30 at Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Kansas.

The tournament begins on Tuesday with four first round matchups — No. 8 Paris Junior College Dragons (17-13, 9-10) vs. No. 9 Tyler Junior College Apaches (16-14, 7-12), 1 p.m.; No. 5 Kilgore College Rangers (22-8, 12-7) vs. No. 12 Bossier Parish Community College Cavaliers (12-18, 5-14), 3 p.m.; No. 7 Navarro College Bulldogs (17-12, 10-9) vs. No. 10 Lamar State-Port Arthur Seahawks (14-15, 6-13), 6 p.m.; and No. 6 Angelina College Roadrunners (20-10, 11-8) vs. No. 11 Coastal Bend College Cougars (15-15, 6-13), 8 p.m.

Eight women’s teams will tangle for the conference’s automatic bid to the NJCAA Women’s National Basketball Tournament, which is scheduled for March 26 through April 1 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming.

It will be Ladies Day on Wednesday with four quarterfinals matchup — No. 1 Angelina (21-9, 13-3) meeting No. 8 Coastal Bend (8-22, 3-13) at 1 p.m.; No. 4 Blinn (21-9, 11-5) vs. No. 5 TJC (18-12, 9-7), 3 p.m.; No. 2 Trinity Valley (23-5, 13-3) vs. No. 7 Paris (9-21, 5-11), 6 p.m.; and No. 3 Kilgore (18-12, 11-5) vs. Panola (14-15, 7-9), 8 p.m.

The men return to play on Thursday with their quarterfinals — No. 1 Lee College Navigators (26-3, 17-2) vs. winner of Paris/Tyler, 1 p.m.; No. 4 Blinn College Buccaneers (23-7, 14-5) vs. winner of Kilgore/Bossier Parish, 3 p.m.; No. 2 Panola College Ponies (25-5, 16-3) vs. winner of Navarro/Lamar State, 6 p.m.; and No. 3 Trinity Valley (23-7, 14-5) vs. winner of Angelina/Coastal Bend, 8 p.m.

The women’s semifinals are at 1 and 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by the men at 6 and 8 p.m.

Championship Saturday has the women tipping off at 4 p.m., followed by the men at 7 p.m.

Ticket prices for each session will be $8 for adults, $5 for students (must present a student ID) and children under 12, and free for children under 5.

A tournament pass will be available for $40.

A session is two games. The gym will be cleared after each session.

Tournament parking will be in the lots north of the Pat Hartley Field Complex located on the corner of Palmer Avenue and Fifth Street.