Isaiah, Brad, and special guest Mountain City Christian Academy Girls Basketball Head Coach Lonnie Ridgeway, dive into a full preview of the Mountain City Tournament, tipping off New Year’s Day and running through Saturday. With varsity and JV teams, packed gyms during the holiday break, and matchups that bring communities together, this tournament has become a must-watch on the Alaska hoops calendar. Lonnie recalls last year’s thriller against Barrow that came down to the final shot!

Beyond the brackets, the conversation turns thoughtful as the group tackles player development in Alaska. Lonnie and Isaiah discuss the rise of individual skill training and the downside of losing team concepts, situational awareness, and real practice time.

The episode also highlights the importance of strong coaching programs, from junior high through varsity, with shoutouts to coaches who truly study the game and build long-term systems—not just rely on playing experience. Chuck Martin, Jason Berger, and others get nods for doing it the right way.

The show wraps with where to find Mountain City brackets and schedules on social media, some classic tournament road-trip memories from Ketchikan and Juneau, a quick look ahead at upcoming University of Alaska Anchorage conference games, and a friendly reminder to celebrate New Year’s safely.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9gnEcmypV_A

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