THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Players, spectators and fans of the annual Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in downtown Spokane have been well aware of just how big the tournament has grown to be since its inception in 1990.

Now, the rest of the nation will get that chance thanks to the "worldwide leader in sports."

ESPN WILL broadcast its Sunday morning SportsCenter from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. PDT from the annual event, the first of six scheduled events on the SportsCenter on the Road series this summer.

"One of the things that (producer) Rob King and a lot of the management wanted to do was be out with the fans," said ESPN personality Matt Barrie, one of two anchors ESPN will send to Spokane. "They wanted us to be out and about at events that are fun. This summer, we're going to these fun events that are the fabric of the nation to one of the biggest 3-on-3 tournaments. Our goal was to go to somewhere that's an organic spot for that, and Hoopfest is a perfect spot for it."

Barrie is the host of College Gameday on ESPN Radio with Trevor Matich and Brad Edwards. Prior to coming to ESPN, Barrie - a 2001 graduate of Arizona State - was an anchor/reporter in Dallas, where he hosted weekend sportscasts and anchored live coverage of the Cowboys, Rangers and Mavericks.

"I've definitely heard of Hoopfest, being a West Coast guy," Barrie said.

Planning by the network to come to Hoopfest began in late May.

"Our organizers began getting an idea of what's going on around the country this summer," Barrie said. "But we've never been to an event like this with this big of a reach of participants."

The SportsCenter set will be located on Spokane Falls Boulevard and Stevens Avenue.

"All I've been told is we will be smack dab in the middle of it all," Barrie said. "We take SportsCenter on the road for college football games and the NBA Finals. Just the sheer magnitude of this, you won't find anywhere else."

SportsCenter will also broadcast this summer from Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, The World Championships of Cornhole on July 11, the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Tournament on July 18 and finish with broadcasts from the WNBA All-Star Game and Saratoga Race Course on July 25.

"We knew that if and when the summer series kicked off, Hoopfest would be the perfect event to start with," Barrie said. "The events are all major events for those communities."

BARRIE WILL be joined for the broadcast by Jaymee Sire, a Washington State graduate and native of Great Falls, Mont.

"We talked about it in some production meetings and our normal Sunday anchor, Sara Walsh, was going to be unavailable," Barrie said. "Jaymee's from that area and can't wait to get back home. She knows the area really well and loves it there, and can't wait to get back to it."

During Sunday's live show, Jordan Kilganon, a 6-foot-1 "professional dunker," will unveil a new dunk.

The Canadian's "Scorpion" dunk video has more than three million views on YouTube.

"I can't wait for this weekend," Barrie said. "I looked at the weather and it's supposed to be in the 100s. One of the best parts about this job is going to sporting events. There's such an additional layer of events that exists that deserve the national attention. People in those areas understand what a big deal these events are. Now, everyone will get a chance to see how big it is."

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JEPressSports.