Two months after the season’s conclusion, Carbondale Community High School welcomed a different type of basketball into its gym during the weekend.

Many area kids play on Amateur Athletic Union teams during gradeschool basketball’s offseason. The high school hosted a two-day tournament for the AAU, called the Carbondale Classic Championships. Joey Dunham, an eighth-grader from De Soto and member of the AAU’s Southern Illinois Select, said the additional season is benefiting his game.

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“We get to see a lot of talent out here,” he said. “I saw a 6’8″ kid, and playing against guys like that help you learn how to get your shot off right and to protect the ball. Coach teaches us more plays and stuff because (AAU) has more competition than school ball.”

Coach Riley Swinford, a Marion native and junior at Southern Illinois University, coaches Dunham and 15 other members of his Southern Illinois Select Basketball team. Swinford said the purpose of the AAU is more than just making them better players. It is also for recognition as talent at the higher levels, he said.

“The whole point of AAU basketball is to get these kids college scholarships,” Swinford said. “Over the summer, we will play at events where college coaches will come scout out at our games and it gives them a first look. It’s such an exclusive experience, so you have to get them in front of the coaches early so that the coaches know who they are as they go through high school.”

Swinford said his team began as just a Marion-based team, but it expanded to the surrounding area this past offseason to gather the best area talent on the same team.

“It’s kind of funny, during the regular season Marion and Carbondale are conference rivals but we mix some of those kids together to make this team,” Swinford said. “It gives them a chance to meet other kids from other towns, and they have really bonded as teammates. They all look at each other like brothers now, and it’s just great.”

The Select are now 17-2 on the season after winning the Carbondale Classic and outscoring their opponents by an average of 24.5 points in the weekend’s four games. Where the Select are some of the best players in the area, teams like the Wayne City Basket Brawlers use almost the same roster and coaches that Wayne uses.

Greenwaly said having their team face tougher competition in the offseason prepares his team for the regular season.

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“We don’t consider winning the game a victory,” Greenwaly said. “It’s competing and getting the guys experience against that top competition. We play such tough competition (against AAU) that once the regular season starts it tremendously helps our guys since they are used to playing a tougher team.”

Regardless of the reason for joining the AAU, two parents are happy just to see their kids playing on the team.

Cynthia Cole and Stephanie Dentmon, of Carbondale, both have sons on the Select and say that it is good to keep their children busy over break.

“Our kids don’t come from a bad community, but the surroundings of the community were really bad,” Cole said. “Here in Carbondale they don’t have anything for teenagers to do, and it’s like they have no other choice but to go out there and getting themselves into trouble, so I’m really thankful for these little teams.”

The AAU has provided success stories for some major athletes such as Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and recent WNBA No. 1 overall pick Brittney Griner. One of Dentmon’s sons, Justin, also found success following his AAU days and has worked his way into the NBA Developmental league.

She said she is happy her son is successful, and she owes a lot to the AAU.

“When they played against their teammates in school they probably didn’t get along with them, Dentmon said. “Now since they play on a team together. If can get some more communities to join in like Murphysboro, they could get out on the court together without having any issues.”