Kansas City Pump N Run coach L.J. Goolsby isn’t guaranteeing a repeat championship at this weekend’s 17-and-under Jayhawk Invitational basketball tournament.

“Hopefully we’ll play well, but it’s going to be a challenge. There are some tough teams entered,” said Goolsby, whose fan favorites will meet Oklahoma City Athletes First at 8:45 tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.

“I’m just excited people are going to see some good games at the fieldhouse. It’ll be good, grassroots ball,” Goolsby added of play at the eighth-annual Invitational.

Pump N Run will open defense of its title against former Kansas University player Carl Henry’s Athletes First team. Athletes First is led by Xavier Henry, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from Putnam City High, and Kyle Hardrick, 6-8 from Norman High. Hardrick has orally committed to Oklahoma, while Henry has KU, North Carolina, Memphis, Texas and Ohio State on his list of schools.

“Carl and his Athletes First players do a great job,” Goolsby said.

His Pump N Run squad, which placed second at an AAU tournament last weekend in Dallas, is led by Travis Releford, a 6-4 junior from Roeland Park Miege, who is questionable for tonight. Releford, who is considering KU, North Carolina and Texas, is trying to fit one Jayhawk Invitational game in his schedule before heading to San Francisco to practice with the Adidas Nation team.

Other Pump N Run players: Steve Moore, a 6-9, 235-pound junior from Truman High in Independence, Mo., who is considering KU, Iowa, Missouri, Virginia, St. Louis and others; Marcus Denmon, a 6-1 junior from K.C. Hogan Prep who is hearing from many Big 12 schools including KU; Denver Holmes, a 6-3 junior from Olathe South; and Johnny Coy, a 6-7 junior from St. Joseph (Mo.) Benton High, who has committed to Arizona State.

Fort Sooy No Limit – the runner-up to Pump N Run at the 2006 Jayhawk Invitational – returns and will open against Howard Pulley Panthers at 7:30 tonight in the fieldhouse.

Fort Sooy is led by Verdell Jones, a 6-4 junior from Central High in Champaign, Ill., who is considering KU, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida and others.

Three of Howard Pulley’s players already have committed to schools. Headed to the University of Wisconsin from Fort Sooy are Jordan Taylor, a 6-1 junior from Benilde-St. Margaret’s High in Bloomington, Minn., and Jared Berggren, a 6-10 junior from Princeton (Minn.) High. Angelo Johnson, a 5-10 junior from Stoneridge Prep in Minneapolis, has committed to Southern Cal. Two standout sophomores – Royce White, 6-5 from DeLaSalle High in Minneapolis, and Rodney Williams, 6-6 from Cooper High in Robbinsdale, Minn. – are considered high major college prospects.

The St. Louis Eagles, who have a pair of KU prospects in juniors John Brandenburg (6-10, St. Louis DeSmet High) and Scott Suggs (6-6, Washington High, Augusta, Mo.) will meet the Las Vegas Prospects at 10 p.m. today in the fieldhouse. Luke Babbitt, a 6-8 junior forward from Galena High in Reno, Nev., who has committed to Ohio State, is the headliner for the Prospects.

Tonight’s first 17-and-under game will match Minnesota Magic Elite against Arizona Premiere at 6:15 p.m. in the fieldhouse. Matt Carlino, a 6-2 eighth-grader from Phoenix, already is drawing interest from major colleges.

The M33M Magic, who will open at 8 a.m. Saturday in Horejsi Center, are led by juniors Elliott Williams, 6-4 from St. George’s Independent School in Memphis and Sampson Carter, 6-5, from Istrouma High in New Orleans. Williams has heard from KU, Duke, North Carolina and others.

Minnesota’s 43 Hoops, which opens at 7:30 tonight in Horejsi, boasts Anthony Tucker, a 6-3 junior from Minnetonka High, and Andrew Brommer, 6-8 from Rosemount High. Tucker has heard from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and others. Brommer has committed to Minnesota.

The Compton (Calif.) Magic, who will open at 8 a.m. Saturday in Allen, are led by super sophomores Xavier Thames (6-1, Pleasant Grove High, Elk Grove, Calif.) and Rome Draper (6-5, Etiwanda, Calif. High).

A top player in the 16-and-under field is K.C. Pump N Run’s Michael Dixon, a 5-11 sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Mo.

The teams will play full-court in Allen Fieldhouse at the ’07 Invitational. In the past, two courts have been set up side by side.

“It will be nice to see the kids run the floor,” meet director Roger Morningstar said. “The East bleachers will be pulled out so fans can get close to the action. It’s our best tournament in eight years by far.”

Cost of admission is $5 for tonight, $7 for Saturday and $7 for Sunday. A weekend pass is $12. Seniors and students will pay $4 per day or $7 for a weekend pass.