KINGSTON — For the 13th year in a row, Kingston will follow up the ball dropping of the new year with hundreds of basketballs bouncing inside the local junior high school gym.

The annual 3-on-3 Hip Hop Hoop Shoot will take over the Little City by the Sea Saturday, and organizers are once again expecting record-high draws from area youth.

“Basketball is just growing in this area,” said event director Joe Schiel. “So there’s no telling what we’ll get this year.”

Last year, the event reached an unprecedented 80-team capacity with players coming from all over the Puget Sound area, and games that ran late into the evening of the one-day competition.

The day begins with free-throw, “bump” and “hot-shot” shooting contests from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the gym. Then at noon, the floors will be cleared and the 3-on-3 event for both girls and boys ages third through 12th grade will begin.

The tournament’s rules are also unique. Players call their own fouls and a volunteer scorer is only on hand to keep score and settle disputes. Coaching is also not allowed.

Registration prior to the event will guarantee playing time for participants, but three- to five-player teams can register at the gym Saturday as well, on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost is $10 per player and Schiel said the costs have been kept low thanks to support from businesses Northstars Sportswear, Kingston Pizza Factory and Par Awards.

Schiel said volunteers are still sought for the event. Anyone interested can call Poulsbo Parks and Recreation at (360) 697-8315.