Sports

LakePoint Sports prepared to host basketball showcase with COVID-19 precautions

More than 50 elite basketball teams from all over the country will compete in a showcase event at LakePoint Sports Complex.

But unlike previous years, hundreds of coaches will not be there in person to recruit.

Channel 2′s Alison Mastrangelo visited the complex in Emerson to find out how state-of-the-art technology will still keep coaches connected to potential recruits.

After nearly four months of being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, LakePoint Sports is back open and will host the LakePoint Hoops Live Showcase this weekend.

“All the games this weekend will be live-streamed for college coaches, fans and others who would like to watch,” said Dave Keener, LakePoint’s senior vice president.

LakePoint will allow limited fans in the stands and it will only use six of the 12 basketball court to ensure social distancing is followed.

Keener told Mastrangelo that all coaches and players will have their temperatures checked. Masks will also be required until the games they participate in.

The facility does have about 80 different cameras with multiple views of the games. So fans, coaches and players can watch the games through a different perspective.

Could this be the future of recruiting? Keener says due to restrictions put in place due to COVID-19, they have seen a high demand for the event.

But Keener believes coaches will always prefer to see players in person -- whenever that is allowed again.

“Coaches really like to sit in a gym by nature regardless of the sport,” he said. “Right now, it’s the only way for college coaches at any level to be able to get eyes on any prospects.”

LakePoint Sports will have a busy weekend with the basketball tournament going on inside and the 16U baseball national championship going on outside.