State B action kicks off Thursday, March 1, 2012, in the Spokane Arena.

Scott Isaak, Almira/Coulee- Hartline basketball coach, third-generation farmer and raconteur, likes to tell this story about his then-fourth-grade son, Derek. “He eventually wandered up to this thing called Hoopfest,” Scott said. “He was playing in a coed league with his niece. It was 98 and 96 degrees with no shade. They get to the semifinals and lo and behold we look at this team with the local name, ‘Stockton.’ ”