This year 16 teams - next year at least 36 and maybe 48.
That's the expectation of the organisers of Wanganui's resurrected Labour Weekend basketball tournament, Paul Berridge and KJ Allen, after their first effort was received so well over the past two days.
Players are here from all over the country, several of them NBL players, although giant drawcard, 2.13m tall Steve Adams, could only sit on the Wellington benches and not strip because of the danger of losing his status if his side won prize money. Adams is off to play NCAA first division for the University of Pittsburgh later this year.
No matter, the fans turned out in high numbers, and the feedback to Allen and Berridge is such that they are looking at up to 48 teams in a vastly larger tournament on Labour Weekend in 2012.
"The feedback has just been tremendous," said Allen. "They love the layout, they love the feel, they love the whole thing."
Berridge: "The Labour Weekend tournament has not been around for some time, maybe one or two decades. It went to Palmerston North and they grew it because they had the resources with the multiple venues.
"Next year I don't think we will have a problem getting 36 teams, with probably a new women's A division - so that'll be four divisions."
Allen suggests there will be 12 teams in each division, leading to the projected 48.
"Sponsors have been very impressed and there'll be a lot of debriefing going on after this event to see what the infrastructure will be for the next five to 10 years," said Berridge.
Available results:
Men's premier: That's Us 58 Battle Cats 49, All Stars 67 Massey 43, All Stars 64 That's Us 57, Massey 58 Battle Cats 56.
Men's A: Trentham 64 Naki Money 36, Heat 38 Vogue 37, That's Us 55 Massey 37, Kings 63 Five Star 36, Heat 60 Naki Money 49, Ruffnecks 49 Franklin 42, Trentham 45 Vogue 29, Franklin 45 Five Star 41, Ruffnecks 46 Kings 27, Trentham 60 Heat 36, Naki Money 43 Vogue 37, Kings 62 Franklin 51, Five Star 55 Ruffnecks 43.
Women: Hawkes 61 Jazz 45, Franklin 55 Five Star 41, Hawkes 53 Panthers 34, All Stars 63 Jazz 38, All Stars 57 Hawkes 37.
Full remaining results will be published tomorrow.