Turiaf headlines 2005 Barnstormin’ Tour

West Coast Conference Player of the Year Ronny Turiaf, fellow Gonzaga University senior Brian Michaelson and Eastern Washington standout Marc Axton will headline this year’s Barnstormin’ Tour 2005 all-star men’s basketball game that will be played on Saturday, April 23, at Spokane Falls Community College.

Turiaf, Michaelson and Axton will help make up a team comprised of players who have recently used up their eligibility at four-year colleges. They will play against a team of junior college and high school stars from the region, including former Community Colleges of Spokane standouts Jeremy Mangum and Kyle Janke.

General admission tickets for the second-annual event, which tips off at 7 p.m., have been priced at $15 for lower-level seats and $10 for upper-level seats, with a portion of the proceeds once again benefiting the local chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer. They can be purchased, starting today, at Spokane Athletic Supply, 307 E. Sprague; Jack & Dan’s Bar and Grill, 1226 N. Hamilton, and all area Les Schwab Tires outlets. The Les Schwab outlets will have only upper level tickets available.

“The feedback we got from last year’s event was great,” event organizer Jerid Keefer said in reference to the inaugural Barnstormin’ Tour all-star game, which featured Gonzaga’s 2003-04 senior quintet of Blake Stepp, Corey Violette, Kyle Bankhead, Tony Skinner and Richard Fox. “When Brian and Ronny approached me about doing the game again this year, it was a no-brainer.

“Even though we opened the new McCarthey Athletic Center, there were a lot of people who still couldn’t get in to see these Gonzaga seniors play. So we see this as another great opportunity for those people to do just that, meet the players and get some autographs, too.”

According to Keefer, last year’s game raised $9,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer.

“Blake and his fellow seniors were able to make a very generous donation to our Coaches vs. Cancer program,” added Keefer, who is also the director of the charity’s local chapter. “Ronny and Brian are committed to do that as well.”

Keefer is still working on finalizing the rosters of the two teams, but said he hopes to add a couple of players from the University of Washington and, perhaps, one or two from Washington State to the team of four-year college seniors.