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THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: After two straight years without, North Idaho players enjoy return of Hoopfest

| June 26, 2022 1:30 AM

It was a family tradition that took a two-year break.

Of course, so did everybody else.

Hoopfest returned to the streets — more or less — of downtown Spokane for the first time since 2019, as COVID-19 wiped out the last two years of the annual hoops reunion that started in 1990.

Center Court, moved to under the tent in the U.S. Pavilion at Riverfront Park, was a big hit, with fans sprawled on the grassy hillside, in the bleachers and on the walkways above.

On Saturday morning, on a Main Street court, Talon Twoteeth, his dad James, and Talon’s cousins Jonathan Nomee and Emmitt White, won its first game 20-14, mostly on the shooting of Talon, who played on Lakeside High’s 2020 state 1A Division II champions.

“I’ve definitely gotten better at shooting, better than I was in high school,” Talon Twoteeth said. “Looking at old tapes … man, I’m way better than what I was.”

White was also on that 2020 state title team, coached by James, who has been the Knights coach for the past five years. Nomee played at Lakeside, graduating in 2013.

After graduation, Talon Twoteeth redshirted one year at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, then returned hom to Plummer, where he works in maintenance for the Coeur d’Alene Casino.

He said he hasn’t ruled out a return to playing college hoops.

I’m just going to keep working … I’m definitely going to keep my options open,” Talon said. “I’m definitely going to give it some thought.”

Many players in the area gather at the Wellness Center in Plummer to play hoops over lunchtime — hence, the name Noonball Hoopers.

James Twoteeth played on the only other Lakeside team to win a state boys basketball title, in 1997.

“It means a lot to me,” Talon said of being able to play hoops with his dad. “He’s taught me everything. Everything I know is because of him. It’s definitely fun playing with him.”

The Noonball Hoopers lost their second game of the tourney later Saturday morning, then won twice in the afternoon in the losers bracket and will resume play this morning.

LATER ON Saturday morning, on a court on Spokane Falls Boulevard, former Post Falls High star Marcus Colbert drove to the basket, went up for a shot … and hurt his left ankle when he came down on the defender.

He watched the final minutes from the sidelines, holding on to his ailing ankle, as his Magic City team eked out a 20-17 victory.

“Who … takes a charge on the street?” said teammate Aaron McQuaid, who played basketball at Chelan High and at Central Washington.

“I’m done,” Colber said. “I’ve had surgery on this ankle, that’s why I stopped playing basketball.”

Colbert, who helped Post Falls win a state title as a sophomore in 2010, went on to play at Montana State. He played professionally for one season in Belgium before eventually returning home, where he works in property management.

“I came home (from Belgium) and went back to Montana State to work out (while he mulled other professional offers) and the first run, I blew my ankle out, and that’s when I had surgery. I never played again.”

But for the return of Hoopfest, Colbert was looking to play again.

So was Deon Watson, who played AAU ball with Colbert growing up, and later played against him at Coeur d’Alene High, where he was a two-sport standout.

So the friends from AAU ball joined forces, then added McQuaid and another player who was a teammate of Colbert’s at Montana State. But when he couldn’t make it, they were able to find another guy who had played JC ball in California.

“We’ve been doing this since we were kids, why not put a team together?” Deon Watson said. “He’s got a family, I’m starting mine, it’s great to get out in this atmosphere with somebody you know.”

Watson, a pharmaceutical sales rep living in Spokane, who says he tries to play 2-3 times a week, ended up sinking the game-winning basket as Magic City defeated Game Six Klay.

Magic City then lost its next game Saturday afternoon to Coookies and Kareem, and is scheduled to return to action this morning with an 8:30 a.m. game.

When not working and hooping it up, Deon Watson is the proud brother of Anton, who has carved out a nice career as a forward at Gonzaga.

“I love watching my family succeed, and pursue their dreams,” Deon said. “It’s definitely a blessing. From him watching me grow up, to now me watching him, is a great sight to see. I love it. It’s one of the few times I love being on the sidelines.”

Deon went on to play football at Idaho, catching a touchdown pass as the Vandals won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2016.

Two years later, Idaho had dropped to FCS, and returned to the Big Sky Conference.

“You see a lot of teams like Eastern … North Dakota State, succeed, and you look at Idaho as maybe being one of those teams,” Watson said. “So I have no problem with the switch; as a competitor, you always want to compete against the big dogs, and some of the biggest competitors. There’s nothing like being able to compete (for) a bowl game, like we did our last years.”

“I always want to go for FBS, but if you can compete at a high level at FCS, that’s just as good in my opinion.

Selfishly, yeah, I want to go to a bowl game and be on TV, but I understand why they made the change.”

SHORTLY AFTER 1 p.m., on a court on Broadway just up the hill from Anthony’s restaurant, Daffy Duck, Lola, Bugs and Taz took to the court and quickly notched a 20-5 victory.

The Tune Squad at Hoopfest, with uniforms like the ones used in the LeBron James movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy”, featured fraternal twins Riply Luna (Daffy Duck) and Kolby Luna (Lola) of Kellogg High, and Lake City High standouts Kolton Mitchell (Bugs) and Nathan Hocking (Taz).

The Luna twins and Mitchell have played AAU ball together for years, as well as at Hoopfest.

“We’ve played with him in Silver Hoops, Coeur d’Alene Shootout, everything. Won it with him before too.” Riply said.

“Thought it’d be fun to get back together.”

While Mitchell and Hocking have been playing AAU basketball all over the country this spring, the Luna twins have been busy with a ball of a different shape — attending college camps and other football showcases.

They’ve been to three in Portland, as well as camps at Oregon, Idaho State and Montana. They just returned from the camp in Missoula on Friday night.

“I haven’t touched a (basketball) in a couple of months; I’ve just been focusing on football,” said Riply, a left-handed quarterback.

Ditto Kolby, a wide receiver who shoots right-handed.

“Just getting the exposure, just getting challenged by some players,” Kolby said of the benefits of attending all those football camps. “It’s nice to be challenged and play some good competition.”

Both are excited for the upcoming football — and basketball — season, which will see Kellogg drop to 2A from 3A, for at least the next two years. And the Wildcats were already a pretty good team in 3A in both sports.

Though they haven’t played much hoops recently, they’re looking forward to playing for Mike Martin, in his third season as Kellogg boys basketball coach.

“I love Mike,” Riply said. “I love his energy, I love his tempo, I love being coached by Mike. He’s really knowledgeable about the game. He’s very invested in the program; setting us up for summer league stuff; really wants his players to develop and get better.”

On Saturday, the Luna twins had to be ready for no-look passes from Mitchell, who will be Lake City’s starting point guard for a fourth season this coming year.

“He’s the greatest player I’ve ever played with,” Kolby said. “He can shoot it, he can score it; his court vision is next level … he’s an incredible player.”

“He really doesn’t have any weaknesses,” Riply added. “He can go right and left, he can pass, he can shoot it, he can score from every level. Plays good defense, gets his teammates involved.”

Officially dubbed Da Squad on the bracket, the team won twice on Saturday and resumes play this morning at 8.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.

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MARK NELKE/Press Emmett White of Noonball Hoopers drives to the basket at Hoopfest on Saturday in Spokane.

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MARK NELKE/Press Former Post Falls High star Marcus Colbert of Magic City goes up for a layup on Saturday during Hoopfest in Spokane.

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MARK NELKE/Press Former Coeur d'Alene High standout Deon Watson of Magic City goes up for a shot on Saturday at Hoopfest in Spokane.

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MARK NELKE/Press Rising Lake City High senior Kolton Mitchell of Da Squad dishes off Saturday at Hoopfest in Spokane.

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MARK NELKE/Press Rising Kellogg High senior Kolby Luna of Da Squad drives to the basket as teammate and rising Lake City High senior Nathan Hocking looks on Saturday at Hoopfest in Spokane.

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MARK NELKE/Press Rising Kellogg High senior Riply Luna, left, of Da Squad, shoots during Hoopfest on Saturday in Spokane.