This weekend New Haven will transform Church Street into several basketball courts for the fourth annual 3-on-3 youth tournament.
At this year’s tournament, the city plans to honor one of its own who is preparing to start his college basketball career.
Tremont Waters is one of the nation’s top rated point guards from the Class of 2017.
"Growing up in New Haven, it humbles you because you don’t have everything so that means you have to work to get everything that you want," Waters told NBC Connecticut.
After playing his senior season in high school at Notre Dame-West Haven, Waters is taking his basketball talents to the SEC where he’ll play for the LSU Tigers. He originally committed to play for Georgetown University.
"It’s just southern hospitality that I’ve never been around it," Waters said of the time he’s spent so far in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "The whole environment’s different."
But before his college hoops career begins, his hometown is honoring him with Tremont Waters Day in the city of New Haven.
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"Words can’t explain how it feels to be able to come back and be in my hometown to give back to the youth," Waters said.
Waters and his dad Ed will lead a training clinic at the CT Big3 Ball Out.
"It’s exciting to know that there’s going to be an abundance of young boys and girls here that are going to get the opportunity to talk to Tremont," Ed said.
The three-on-three youth tournament is formerly known as Hoop It Up (http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Youth-From-Connecticuts-Three-Biggest-Cities-to-Hoop-It-Up-387548091.html).
"We started this four years ago because of the violence in our city," New Haven Youth Services Director Jason Bartlett said. "We wanted to have a citywide event where we brought young people together."
New this year, young people from Waterbury are joining in the competition against teams from New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.
"It’s so many young people get involved, it’s a great activity," Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim said. "It’s become a statewide event here."
There will be sixteen basketball hoops set up on Church Street outside City Hall Saturday morning. Tournament games begin at 11 a.m.
Teams can still sign up to play in the free tournament. Championship rounds will be played on Sunday.
