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The Slam ‘N Jam AAU basketball program returns to Berkeley with the Elite 8 Tournament this weekend, welcoming teams from all over North America to Cal’s Recreation Sports Facility and fans to watch five courts of high-flying action. 

While the hype may not live up to last year, when future NBA superstar LeBron James played with the Slam ‘N Jam Soldiers and wowed coaches and fans alike, the overall field should be just as good. All-star teams from Michigan, Houston and Baltimore should bring superb talent to the tournament, while the Canada Kings will be the first team from north of the border to participate. 

“Teams are just dying to get into our tournament,” said Slam ‘N Jam organizer and coach Mark Olivier. “It’s becoming like Las Vegas (where the top West Coast tournament is held each year). A lot of people want to see how basketball is played in other areas, and they can see teams from all over the country.” 

Several teams from Northern California will also take part, including Bay Area Ballers, SSA and Inland. 

Cal fans can get a glimpse of one possible future just by watching the Soldiers. Marquis Kately has committed to the Golden Bears but will spend next year at a prep school to get his academics straight, and point guard Ayinde Ubaka is one of Cal’s top recruiting targets. Throw in Leon Powe, the Oakland Tech star who verbally committed to Cal this week, sitting on the sidelines while he recovers from knee surgery, and three possible future Bears will be on or around the court when the Soldiers play their first game at 6 p.m. on Saturday. 

Part of the excitement attached to any AAU tournament is checking out which college coaches come calling. But new NCAA rules on college coach interaction with players and their families and coaches has created an atmosphere of hesitance. At the Elite 8, college coaches will be seated in a separate area from the rest of the fans as organizers try to avoid any violations, mirroring the arrangements at most of this summer’s tournaments. 

“We have to partition off the coaches from the public,” Olivier said. “As a fan, you can’t sit next to (Kentucky coach) Tubby Smith this year like you could in the past. We don’t want anybody getting in trouble.” 

A new wrinkle this year is the inclusion of an eighth-grade bracket, mostly to give Slam ‘N Jam’s new developmental squad some tough games. 

The Slam ‘N Jam Elite 8 Tournament will be held Saturday through Monday at Cal’s Recreation Sports Facility, with games running from early afternoon until approximately 10 p.m. Admission is $5.