With the financial vice grips tightening the strings on AAU programs nationwide -and Long Island's scattershot AAU climate in general- hoop fans can still get a foreshadowing of what a few programs will have to offer in 2009-10. Yes, the actual high school teams.

"We have 16 teams in the tournament", said coordinator Mike Jackson. "It's really just a preview of some of the high school teams and a few AAU on Long Island." Although the Bunky Reid Spring League -which is held at Westbury HS- doesn't have the stature or intensity level of iS8 or the Island Garden, teams on the peninsula get a chance to stay sharp and bolster their chemistry in the off season. "This tournament was originally the Westbury PAL, which started in 1989", said Coach Jackson of the league's history. It became the Bunky Reid tournament about ten years ago."

Although the tournament has been in gear since late March, the playoffs are set to kick off on Tuesday, June 2. Besides home team Westbury -whom many favor to clinch the Nassau 'A' Division in the 2009-10 season- the tournament features Copiague, Baldwin, Elmont, Brentwood, Floral Park, Herricks, Manhasset, Valley Stream Central, East Rockaway, Lynbrook, Upper Room and Holy Trinity. It also features three Long Island based AAU programs in the Shore Shots, Islip All-Stars and Valley Stream Warriors.

In Tuesday evening's night cap, Westbury's Paris Abrams' 27 points (including seven three pointers) lifted Westbury over East Rockaway in what became a three point shoot out.