Players who will participate in this weekend’s District 2 basketball championships gather at Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday for a media conference.
                                 John Erzar | Times Leader

Players who will participate in this weekend’s District 2 basketball championships gather at Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday for a media conference.

John Erzar | Times Leader

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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The basketball teams were there. So were the baskets.

The court, though, wasn’t down for the competitors in this weekend’s District 2 High School Basketball Championships presented by Allied Services at Mohegan Sun Arena to see.

“With our Jeff Dunham show last night and Penguins hockey on Wednesday, unfortunately we were not able to put the entire floor down and get to see how the process goes,” said Stephen Poremba, ASM Global Director of Marketing/Mohegan Sun Arena. “I want to take this opportunities to thank our operations staff here. They work tireless hours overnight to make sure this building is transformed from one event to another.”

Poremba also took the opportunity to announce a just-added show. Tool will play at the arena on May 1, with tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Tickets for basketball will be cheaper at $8 for adults and $5 for students, although exiting the arena will require buying another ticket. They are also available at the box office and only cash payments will be accepted.

The basketball court pieces together much like laminate flooring that would be put in a home, only in bigger and thicker sections. So the overnight switch from hockey to basketball shouldn’t be an issue.

The teams and coaches for most of teams involved in 11 title games got a chance to get a feel for the arena at Monday’s media event. Some teams have played there previously; others haven’t. And for a few, it was a totally new experience.

“I have some guys who’ve never even been in the arena before,” Wilkes-Barre Area boys coach Pat Toole said.

Proceeds from program ad sales will benefit the rehabilitation of pediatric patients at Allied Services. There will be a Miracle $1,000 shot for one fan from midcourt at halftime of each game.

This weekend will be the fifth consecutive year the District 2 basketball championships are at the arena.

“You walk in and they give you everything and anything you want,” District 2 chairman Frank Majikes said. “We ask and it’s done. It’s just phenomenal cooperation.”

One thing the arena hopes to fix is lower scoring games. No team scored 50 points in any of the 10 games last year.

“We have brand-new LED lights in the ceiling that are going to be set on a basketball setting,” Poremba said. “Hopefully, the shooting will improve and we’ll see some shoot past 60 points this season. I don’t think anybody got past 50 last year.”

Sunday is reserved for inclement weather. The forecast looks promising, although there is a possibility of snow overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning in some areas.