INDIANAPOLIS — The iconic Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is returning to central Indiana this fall with a new purpose: advancing cancer research at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Open to players of all abilities, the inaugural 3-on-3 tournament will take place Oct. 3-4 at the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Ind. Republic Airways is helping the event take flight as the official tournament sponsor. The event is open to players ages 8 and up; each team consists of four players. Entry fees are $200 per team, with registration currently open to the first 100 teams.
Leading the effort is thoracic oncologist and cancer center researcher Greg Durm, MD, who grew up in small-town Indiana where Friday night basketball helped define community.
"The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament gives the community a chance to directly contribute to the advancement of cancer research while hooping it up on the hardwood alongside friends and neighbors," said Durm, an associate professor of clinical medicine at IU School of Medicine and honorary "head coach" for the cancer center’s tournament.
Registration for the tournament is open until Sept. 14. In addition to supporting cancer research by registering, players can create a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to benefit IU research. Whether you're a former high school standout, a weekend warrior or someone whose family has been touched by cancer, there's a place on the court to help advance the next breakthrough.
Proceeds from the tournament will benefit research, education and clinical trials at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana's only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Basketball and the cancer center’s more than 370 researchers and physician-scientists share the same playbook: teamwork and determination. That teamwork and determination have changed our understanding of cancer and advanced breakthroughs for patients across Indiana and beyond.
More than 100 volunteers are also needed to help run the tournament with opportunities such as scorekeeping and event setup. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Register now to play, volunteer or sponsor
Learn more about registering a team, volunteering or sponsoring the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament benefiting cancer research at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center on the cancer center’s event website. The page also includes frequently asked questions and tournament rules and regulations.
Meet honorary “head coach” Greg Durm, MD
Since he was a kid in Elwood, Ind. Greg Durm, MD, knew there was something special about basketball as a Hoosier.
“Growing up in small-town Indiana, I always felt supported by the people and community around me. One of my fondest memories was playing high school basketball on Friday nights in front of thousands of people in a tiny gym — family, friends and strangers packed into one place in support of their community,” he said. “I came to realize basketball means more in Indiana than it does anywhere else in the world, and I wanted to devote my life to giving back to my fellow Hoosiers just like they did for me.”
Durm now is a cancer center researcher and thoracic oncologist, specializing in non-small cell lung cancer. He joined the cancer center and IU faculty in 2016 after completing his fellowship at the IU School of Medicine.
“I joined IU faculty so I could provide fellow Hoosiers with top-notch care, train the next generation of physicians, and provide cutting edge research to reduce the burden of cancer in Indiana and across the globe,” he said.
About Gus Macker
Founded in 1974, Gus Macker is a celebration of basketball, community and the spirit of competition. Since its start in Michigan, the organization has grown to host tournaments across the country, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together through the love of basketball.
About the Indiana University School of Medicine
The IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 15 in 2025 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.
Writer: Candace Gwaltney, cmgwaltn@iu.edu
For more news, visit the IU School of Medicine Newsroom: medicine.iu.edu/news