The hopes of more than 30 secondary school basketball teams of progressing to the national stage rest on the courts of Mount Maunganui's ASB Arena.

From Sunday teams from as far as Auckland, Taupo and Gisborne will flood into town to compete in one of three separate Basketball New Zealand secondary school tournaments.

Photo: File.

Hosted by Tauranga City Basketball the week-long abundance of basketball begins with the Junior Secondary Schools Premiership Zone 1 and 2 tournament – from August 31 to September 3.

Restricted to Year 9 and 10 teams the tournament sees Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga Girls' College, Katikati High School and Aquinas College in pool play.

Next up are the A Secondary Schools Premiership Zone 1 and 2 tournament, and the AA Secondary Schools Premiership Zone 2 tournament – both from September 3 to 6.

Tauranga City Basketball development director Rachel Gwerder says A secondary schools are classified as schools consisting of less than 600 students if co-educational and 300 if a single-sex school.

AA secondary schools consist of a school population larger than the above.

Tauranga Boys' and Girls' colleges, Otumoetai College and Tident High School are part of the Bay of Plenty contingent, joined by Auckland's St Kentigern College and St Peters Cambridge.

'They flow into one another so there is a bit of overlap [the three tournaments].

'It's a huge undertaking but it's neat to have this quality of basketball in Tauranga.”

Rachel thinks hosting three overlapping tournaments hasn't been done before but is excited as there will be a vast range of skills and talent on show throughout the week.

'It's going to be very hard fought because they are trying to qualify for the national tournaments – excluding the junior division. '

Following the tournament the top six boys and girls teams from the AA division, three boys teams and four girls teams from the A division will qualify for the national championships in Palmerston North at the end of September.

The matches begin at 9am at ASB Arena on Sunday going right through to finals at 7.30pm the following Saturday.