It's only been a few days since the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments wrapped up, but the tournaments' popularity will likely mean some busy days await at Legacy Hoops in Hopkins and Woodbury as young basketball players work on skills they hope to one day display at a bigger level.
Demondi Johnson, the general manager at Legacy Hoops, says he believes the tournaments will have a major impact on basketball participation, especially for young girls.
"I think it's really increasing the general interest in basketball for kids," Johnson said. "I know the women's college basketball tournament was phenomenal and viewership was very high. I think a lot of people are tuning into the game a lot more. It's a good way to get kids involved with the game. It's one thing to experience it as a player, but it's another thing from a fan to get that other perspective as well."
While viewership for the NCAA men's title game hit record lows on Monday, it was the complete opposite for the women's title game on Sunday. The game averaged 9.9 million viewers, making it the most viewed NCAA women's basketball final in television history.
The women's basketball scene has also been put front in center in the Twin Cities the past couple of year. Minneapolis hosted to the Women's Final Four in 2022 and then hosted the 2023 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament.
"For so long I feel like the women's game is progressing and it gets better every year. It's an exciting game and it's very skilled. From strategy, to coaching, to the skill level. Now you're getting to see the passion and the love of the game that many of these women play with. I think that's really important for our young girls to see. These college players love the game, they put a lot of work into it, and it's a long season. To see the tournament and these players put everything on the line, it's exciting for young kids to see and not take game for granted."
Johnson, originally from Upstate New York, admits that he didn't know much about Minnesota's basketball landscape before arriving in the state. He says players like Paige Bueckers and Amaya Battle are making others realize that dreams could be reality.
"Kids growing up get a chance to see people just like them that come from their backyard," he said. "That's what makes it even more inspiring for young kids in Minnesota to play because now people they may have seen at a high school game, a traveling game, or at a basketball camp they now have access to them and they're seeing them frontline on their televisions."
Despite ratings for both the NCAA women's basketball tournament and WNBA on the rise, girls basketball has lost 19 percent of its players since 2002 according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Track and field was the most participatory sport, followed by volleyball, and then soccer, which moved ahead of basketball.
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Johnson, who is also the girls' AAU director, believes basketball participation is on the rise.
"Now when you're seeing the NCAA tournament and so many successful kids who are inspiring kids on and off the court, with NIL deals and all these different ways to have an influence, I think the game is growing even more because of that. Basketball right now continues to grow, the game is changing, it's more exciting from an offensive standpoint, and kids are more skilled. We do see a lot more drive to be a part of basketball especially in our company. Our numbers continue to grow whether it's AAU or training."