East Valley hoops trio hoping to get to Hungary for Worlds competition

Chandler Tri-City Christian's Brock Gardner, Gilbert Williams Field's Wyatt Lowell and Phoenix Country Day's Andrew Ekmark will team up next week in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the USA Basketball 3-on-3 Under-18 national tournament.

They played in it last year, pulling an upset of a team that featured Chicago's 6-foot-5 Charles Matthews, who will play at Kentucky next season.

The tournament runs April 30 to May 3.

The champion will represent USA at the FIBA 3x3 U18 Worlds in Hungary this summer.

Last year, at the USA Basketball headquarters, Lowell and Gardner won a skills competition, the "hot shot partner." All three players play for the club team the Arizona Warriors.