BSM’s intramural basketball league, the IBA, is back in action this year. This program has been at BSM for many years and players are excited to start up the season again. Games are held in the Haben after school, with the finals starting in late February. 

IBA provides an opportunity for students to have fun with friends while still playing competitive basketball. The IBA program allows players to have time to do other extracurriculars while playing basketball one to two times a week. 

The league is a three-on-three league, with anywhere from 3-7 people on each team and 16-20 teams participating in the league. The small number of players allows for more playing time and more exposure to the sport. 

The league was started to give students and teachers who love basketball an opportunity to get out on the court, even if they don’t have a lot of experience with the sport. Another key reason why students enjoy the IBA league is because it is a much calmer environment than the highschool league. “I like that there are only three people on the court at a time, and it is a lot more relaxed than high school basketball,” senior Christian Lerch said.   

A big asset to the program is that games involve teachers and students. The student teams are paired in games to play against teacher teams along with other student teams. Seeing teachers in a different environment can make it an even better time. “I really like that the students play the teachers because it makes it more fun than just plain basketball,” Lerch said. 

There are two different leagues as part of the program, the NBA league and the CBA league. The NBA league is for those who may be a little more developed in the sport and want to be paired with more competitive teams. The CBA league is the league for those who want to play for fun. “Because we have two different leagues with different skill level, it allows more people to play,” Assistant Athletic Director Mark Snell said. 

Every year, there are quite of few people who participate in the IBA. Although teams have many goals for the season, the main goal for teams all around is to win the league. “We gotta win it all. Watch out for team Stir Fry this year,” Lerch said.

In the NBA Gold league is where the best of the best play. The only undefeated team left is full of men. The OG’s, 3-0, is lead by gym teacher Casey Hansen and the rest of the team consists of other teachers. Team YBA, 2-1,  lead by captain Jack Vanoverbeke is a fast playing group of ballers whose only loss is to the teachers. In third place we have team Wet like water, 2-1, whose only loss is to YBA. They have yet to play the teachers who should be their toughest match. 

The NBA Silver league is where the up and coming, young guns play as well as the teams who didn’t get the gold league bid. The only undefeated team is lead by the IBA vet CJ Lerch. Their team name is stir fry and they dominate their division. In second place, we have The Ringer’s, 2-1, captained by Myles Wahliquist. And finally in 3rd place, we have Big Fellas, 2-1, lead by sharpshooter, William Valley.

The CBA league, also known as the less competitive league, has 10 teams. There are two undefeated teams left, Team Curtsten lead by Charlie Pihart, and Team Kids Who Got Cut captained by Patrick Mullin. The Patriot’s, 2-1, led by Sam Pikul, has a chance of taking the first place in the weeks to come.