Luther Invitational Tournament back for 70th edition

The annual Luther Invitational Tournament has reached a major milestone in 2024.

One of the longest-running high school basketball tournaments in the country is holding its 70th edition of the contest from Thursday through Saturday.

“It’s huge. When you talk about old tournaments in Canada, there’s one out east that has (been around) a little bit longer but it’s more of a club tournament; it’s not really a high school one. A high school tournament being 70 years old, it’s kind of iconic,” tournament director Troy Casper said Wednesday.

“You think about those students in ’53, they aren’t thinking about 70 years later – they are thinking about the moment and the time. I think that our students are that way too.

“Trying to give them some representation of the past with our ’84 team and the ’53 team … they get an understanding of how iconic it is for this tournament. Even though we are a really small school, you can do some big things and that is really fun for our students to see.”

There was a major hurdle the school had to overcome to reach this point and that was the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the school to cancel the 2021 event and pivot from a full tournament to a one-day affair in 2022. It returned in full in 2023.

“You realize what you lost in 2021 when you couldn’t have it,” Casper said. “We went through that game in 2020 – a great finish to the game and great moments and then it’s nothing. You really realize what it means to the school, and really the community. When they start reaching out, you start seeing how important it is and it’s hard.”

Grade 12 Luther student Lucas Stasuik is excited to participate in this year’s event as a member of the Lions, who haven’t won the tournament since 2006.

“I’m excited just because of the history behind this tournament,” Stasuik said. “It’s going to be nice my senior year to play in this tournament and represent the school.

“Last year, I was still a starter and it was a great experience but I’m excited to finish off my last LIT this year.”

Stasuik and the Lions won’t have to look far for motivation, as the year’s special guests for the tournament are the ’84 Luther Lions team that won the tournament.

“It’s pretty inspiring. We have a chance this year to win it and seeing a team who has done it before, it gives us some hope and how strong the Luther basketball program can be,” Stasuik said.

The tournament gets underway Thursday with a champion in both the boys and girls sides being crowned on Saturday.

(Luther College High School)