COMMUNITY JOURNALISM: Local basketball league gets great support

CEDAR RAPIDS - Shoes are squeaking on the hardwood, long-range 3-pointers are shot and high-flying above the rim action is played.

Basketball is in full swing this summer in Cedar Rapids with the beginning of the C.R. Summer College Hoops League.

The league will be made up of former and current talent primarily from the surrounding small colleges. Players from Kirkwood, Coe and Mount Mercy are prominent fixtures on the team rosters.

The league will be structured and organized with officials, statisticians and a game clock. League Director Jason Pershing said the goal is to achieve and maintain a high level of competition.

“We wanted something that was going to be very competitive and go beyond the open gym concept,” he said. “This will be a chance for these guys to showcase their skills while playing against very good competition.”

Pershing, an academic adviser and activities director at Coe College, is a former basketball player at Cedar Rapids Washington and Mount Mercy, where he graduated in 2003. He got the idea for the league a few years ago, but never got it off the ground. This year, Pershing spoke with the area college coaches and received a lot of support.

“That was big from a commitment standpoint,” he said. “I even had a call from Upper Iowa so they're sending a few players down. The area coaches have been on board and that's why we have a lot of players from the area schools involved.”

The league will consist of five teams of eight to nine players apiece. Each team has a sponsor and an individual who will serve as a player/coach. The league was inspired and fashioned in part by the Prime Team League in North Liberty, which showcases talent from the University of Iowa and various other colleges.

“It's exactly like (Prime Time) in its ability to be a constructive outlet for players to work on their skills while competing against different levels of competition,” Pershing said.

The league plays Sundays, with games at 4 and 5 p.m. Coe's Eby Fieldhouse will be the primary site with some games possibly being played at Mount Mercy. The league draft was held on May 31 and competition started June 3. A championship game is scheduled for July 29.