Hi Baker...


I would stick with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II and possibly the 300 2.8. The 300 2.8 would be great at framing those facial *dunk* shots! At one of these games, I bumped into *pro* shooter and had the Canon 300 2.8 mounted on his 1DMIII (if I recall) and a monopod.Wow, those photos were crisp to say the least, however that camera has a1.3x FOVCF


I used the Canon 70-200 2.8 IS II lens here, though I could have used more ISO, my Xsi is limited in this range. These photos were taken from the fourth rowat the local ice rink. As you can see, @200 you still get a decent shot. Sorry no basketball - YET!





The above photo was taken directly in front of me from the stands (4th row).





The above photo was taken from the far side of the rink.


You may want to plant yourself somewhere in the middle, however with courtside access, you may find yourself running back and forth! Just watch your step and keep an eye on the play as you don't want to end up *kissing* the court! LOL


As for those wide shots, the Tokina 11-16 2.8 may be your best bet or the Canon 17-55 2.8. I would try to limit your lenses to only two, as *swapping* lenses on the fly can get annoying, unless you decide to go with multiple bodies so that you can flip between them. Mount a telephoto on one and the wide on the second.


Planning is key!


My next sports photography attempt will be an NBA game, as the lighting is so much better!


Hope this helps.