Video: Exclusive Footage of Duke Commit Frank Jackson from CourtCredOREM, Utah – Going out of state is the usual route for Utah basketball teams to step into the spotlight. These teams participate in major tournaments before region play and use them as a stage for gaining national exposure for their teams and players.
Orem coach Golden Holt took the opposite approach. He decided to bring the nation to Utah.
Holt started the FreeTaxUSA Shootout in 2011. In just five years, the tournament has grown into a prestigious event inside and outside of Utah. The 12-team field in this year's tournament, for example, was headlined by national powers like
Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) and
Lone Peak (Highland, Utah).
"I don't think you can gauge yourself unless you go up against the best," Holt said. "Utah basketball is very good and that was the motivation: Let's show how good Utah basketball is against national competition."
Holt decided to start his own event after taking Orem to a tournament in St. George that proved to be a bad experience for the entire team. He got an assist from former Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis in giving the tournament some legs from the start.
Lewis had relationships with many coaches around the nation. He committed the Knights to participating in the FreeTaxUSA Shootout and gave Holt contacts for teams that might be interested in coming to Utah. Lone Peak's star power helped sell the tournament to many out-of-state teams in the beginning. They wanted a chance to face a national power like the Knights.
"The Lone Peak success was obviously important to take this from a local normal tournament to something I think is greater and national in its exposure," Holt said. "That's how it got started and one year has built into another."
In the last two seasons alone, the FreeTaxUSA Shootout has drawn top teams from Georgia, North Carolina, California, Arizona, Washington, Hawaii, Nevada and Colorado. Games have been streamed online, with the final two games each night of the three-day tournament being broadcast on local TV.
Top players like Duke signee
Frank Jackson and UConn signee
Alterique Gilbert (Miller Grove) headline this season's tournament. Going up against such good competition is appealing to local players who get to play against these athletes.
Alterique Gilbert, Miller Grove
File photo by David Hood
"It definitely prepares us for games we're going to play in tournaments down the road like down in Las Vegas and when we go to Oregon," said
Timpview (Provo) forward
Gavin Baxter, who is a BYU signee. "This is just a good experience for us to prepare for what's down the road."
Participating in the tournament isn't just limited to good basketball. Visiting teams also get paired with host families that give them a chance to experience a slice of life in Utah during their visit to the state. One team, for example, was taken to a Utah Jazz game. Another team got to ride the zip lines at Sundance Resort.
It isn't cheap putting it all together. Although Holt holds the tournament at Orem High, it is a private tournament. Holt must sign a contract with the school district, rent the gym, take out liability insurance and hire scorekeepers and referees. Tournament operations rely heavily on volunteer efforts and the generosity of community businesses.
"Our gate only gives about 20 percent of the money we spend," Holt said. "You have to go knock on doors and get sponsors. FreeTaxUSA has been great. They've stepped up."
All of the time and effort put into the FreeTaxUSA Shootout is paying off for Holt. It has reached the point where teams call him now asking to participate. College coaches also routinely show up in the stands to scout the talent on hand.
"It's great for our kids,"
Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant) coach Curtis Condie said. "There's been college coaches here every day. It's been a good opportunity for them (to be seen). It's run by good people and they do a good job."
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
