The be all and end all for Canadian hoops news, the best in Canadian High School Basketball, Toronto Raptors, sports, entertainment, commentary and opinion...not really...
Just somewhere for hoopheads,sports fanatics and entertainment lovers to get together and talk about the games, athletes and stars that affect our daily lives. Straight talk...and we dont pull any punches!
Join us here for a live WEBCAST of the HUNTINGTON PREP EXPRESS as they take
on NEXT LEVEL PREP at the University of Toronto, Missisauga Campus.
Should be a great game as top Canadian ballers battle in an exhibition matchup.
(#14)Negus Webster-Chan, (#22)Andrew Wiggins, (#12)Tanveer Bhullar, (#33)Stephan Jankovic, (#2)Xavier Rathan Mayes and (#4)Nevell Provo all return to the GTA to play in front of friends and family! (#21)Manroop Clair, a fast-rising B.C. native is also on the Express roster.
Carlan Gay, a super-talented and fast-rising broadcaster/reporter and Drew Ebanks with the Play-by-Play and Colour Commentary respectively. Sase Narayan is the webcast's producer.
Sim with his CIA Bounce teammate Anthony Bennett
Photo by Drew Ebanks
Nice piece by Daily Press reporter Dave Fairbank...on Canadian giant Sim Bhullar...playing down at the EYBL in Hampton, Virginia this past weekend...Some nice quote's from Negus Webster-Chan as well! It's 2 pages long so click on "2" when done reading the first page...
Andrew Wiggins getting U.S. attention now.
Photo by Drew Ebanks
After a pretty successful weekend at the first EYBL stop at the Boo Williams Complex in Hampton, Virginia, Vaughan's Andrew Wiggins(playing for CIA Bounce who went 3-2 in games) getting kudos for being the man-child he is...
"Andrew Wiggins, SF, CIA Bounce- It's hard to believe that the wiry, near 6-foot-7 wing is only a member of the class of 2014. He's a rim seeking missile who navigates traffic with the speed of a whippet. Quick off the floor and blessed with great instincts, the Canadian is obviously an elite level prospect."
I love the "RIM SEEKING MISSLE" comment!
Hoopmixtape has Wiggins slamming down the middle as well...watch the defender duck for cover...
Kevin Zabo making his mark Stateside as well
Photo Courtest of CROWNmagonline.com
They also like Montreal native, Kevin Zabo...
"Speaking of point guards, 2014's Kevin Zabo is definitely one to keep an eye on. The 6-foot-1 Canadian is strong, has speed and already plays with confidence against older players."
If you want to see Kevin Pangos' last 3 high school games for Denison here they are. We at CROWN live streamed the OFSAA AAA boy's basketball Day 2 and Day 3 in Niagara Falls.
Gold Medal Final
Kevin Pangos 26pts against the Dynamic Duo of Dyshawn Pierre(26pts) and Justin Edwards(19pts while in foul trouble most of the game). Several D1 coaches were on hand including Georgia Tech to check out Edwards. Pierre is a straight up stud and was kinda under the radar before OFSAA but is now clearly gonna be in the sights of mid to high-major D1 schools! He may be running and gunning with TTC(Team Takeover Canada) this summer on the AAU circuit from what I hear!
GOLD MEDAL GAME -8:00pm Anderson Whitby(69) vs. Denison(64) St Paul HS, Niagara Falls, Ont.
Final
Anderson 20 38 52 69 69
Dension 19 35 45 64 64
Individual Player Scoring
Anderson:
D. Pierre - 26pts
J. Edwards - 19pts
J. Hutchcroft - 12pts
Denison:
K. Pangos - 26pts
B. Gohn - 12 pts
B. Zufelt - 11pts
Also, check out Denison's OFSAA AAA Quarter Final game against Governor Simcoe...live streamed by CROWN
Kevin Pangos scored 31pts in the game and 26pts in the first half. He pretty much
shut it down after the first half. It was interesting talking to a few of the spectators including coaches and referees who had not seen Kevin play before and wanted to know if all the hype was warranted or not. There were a lot of doubters before the game tipped off...but after the 1st half in which Kevin gave the business to the opposing PG from Governor Simcoe...there was a whole gym full of Pangos' converts and believers. He showed that he was a couple notches above the competition. He used his hesitation, stutter moves as well as crossovers, floaters and pull-up threes to get anything he wanted on the court. He left the crowd wanting more and all were satisfied that they had seen one of the best PG's out of Canada put on an amazing display of basketball!
Final
Denison 27 53 73 88 88
Governor Simcoe 11 25 44 53 53
Individual Player Scoring
Denison:
K. Pangos - 31pts
B. Zufelt - 27pts
Governor Simcoe:
M. Poirier - 22pts
N. Awram - 14pts
Also check CROWN...www.crownmagonline.com for your latest in Canadian H.S. Hoops.
Plus recaps of All days at OFSAA AAAA and AAA including thorough breakdowns of Semis and Finals of both tournaments.
Congrats to Vaughan(AAAA) and Anderson(AAA) for capturing gold medals!
Sr. Night, Steve Williams, Head Coach Roy Rana, Ryan McNeilly
Photo: Drew Ebanks
Ryerson University's Kerr Hall Gymnasium was the site for a very important OUA east match up between the host Ryerson Rams and the visiting Ottawa Gee Gees.
Before the game tipped-off there were some formalities as it was Senior Night and Ryan McNeilly and Steve Williams were bestowed plaques to thank them for their commitment as student athletes by Head Coach Roy Rana. The 5 year players have seen some lean times at the university in downtown Toronto but see a bright future for the program due to the talent on the squad and Rana's reputation as a quality coach and great all-round mentor to the players on the team.
The gym was packed with friends, family and supporters of Ryerson basketball, which seem to be growing with each week and game that goes by. There is a buzz now that surrounds the basketball program which hasn't been there for years.
Coach Rana brings discipline and a seriousness to Ryerson and is raising the profile of this historically underachieving program. The team is on the rise and if Rana continues to get quality recruits like Jordon Gautier, Jahmal Jones and Jelane Price the sky's the limit for the Rams going forward.
The player introductions
Photo: Drew Ebanks
GAME TIME
1st qtr.
The game started off a pretty close affair...with Ryerson taking control at the 3:35 mark as Ola Adegboruwa stole the ball and scored putting the Rams up 18-12. Jordon Gauthier was on fire in the qtr pouring in 7 points including a long three with 25 seconds left to put the Rams up 7(they then went up 9 on two Jelane Pryce FT's). But Ryerson had a lapse on defence as the clock ran down and Gee Gees forward Warren Ward took advantage by burying a three at the buzzer to make it a 6 point deficit. Coach Rana wasn't pleased with the coverage by Pryce and let him know it in the huddle!
Rana in control in the huddle
Photo: Drew Ebanks
2nd qtr.
The Rams started the quarter playing great defence forcing a shot clock violation on the Gee Gees while holding a 5 point lead. They continued to hold things down defensively as Adegboruwa got up to block an Ottawa shot to preserve a 4 point Ryerson lead. Later, Adegboruwa got caught up with a Gee Gee player throwing an elbow and earning an offensive foul but the Rams still led by 6. Gauthier continued to play well scoring a layup at the buzzer as the Rams went into the locker room ahead 44-37 on the scoreboard. Gauthier continued his stellar play scoring 9 in the quarter to lead all scorers with 16 points. Louis Gauthier(no relation to Jordon) was a handful inside for the Rams. The Gee Gee big man scored 14 points and pulled in 6 rebounds in the first half, mostly on post-ups and short jumpers.
Nice Crowd at Kerr Hall
Photo: Drew Ebanks
3rd qtr.
The Gee Gees started the 3rd firing on all cylinders, as Gauthier scored a layup and a runner and then John Berhanemeskel, a sharpshooter, buried a corner three to cut the Rams lead to 2. Ottawa then took their first lead at the 7:10 mark on a layup by Berhanemeskel. A big play for Ryerson came at 3:41 left as McNeilly converted a layup with the harm as Yacob Issayas had no choice but to foul the senior from Toronto.
Gauthier then slammed home a sweet dunk as Adegboruwa fouled him to give the Gee Gees a 5 point lead.
The game was knotted at 62 after three qtrs as Afeworki Gebrekerestos converted 3 big free throws as Dimitrios Seymour fouled him behind the arc.
Gauthier continued to lead the Rams in scoring with 22 points and 7 rebounds after 3. His opponent and namesake Louis Gauthier had 25 points and 8 rebounds going into the 4th.
Rams' players Jahmal Jones and Afeworki Gebrekerestos ready for action
Photo: Drew Ebanks
4th qtr.
Gauthier buried a long jumper for the Rams to put them up 69-66. At the 5:12 mark a little skirmish took place as Ottawa's Akeem Gardner fouled Gauthier hard going in for a score, but both guys ended up with unsportsmanlike fouls with a barrage of trash talk going back and forth. The Rams got two free throws and the ball to go up 73-67 on the Gee Gees. Ward took the reigns for Ottawa down the stretch scoring on a couple free throws and then a layup with 2:33 left to tie the game at 75.
Key play with 1:38 left and the Rams up 2, Ottawa's Gauthier lost the ball in the post to the Rams' Gauthier who had to foul him. Gauthier hit one FT to make it a three point game. Later, on a great feed from Jones, Adegboruwa finished a sweet layup to put the Rams up 5, forcing the Gee Gees to call a timeout.
McNeilly then iced the game for the rams hitting 3 out of 4 free throws as the Rams improved to 10-10 on the season and in a tie for third place with the Gee Gees in the OUA East with a 85-76 victory.
The win was a well-deserved hard fought battle for the Rams, and a very important one in the standings.
For the Rams, Gauthier collected a game-high 27 points and corralled 11 rebounds. McNeilly added 20 points and 4 rebounds and Adegboruwa scored 14 points and added a game-high 5 assists.
For the Gee Gees, their Gauthier dropped 25 points and 11 rebounds(6 offensive) in 31 minutes. Berhanemeskel knocked down 3 threes to finish with 19 points and 5 rebounds.
Rams finally down the Gee Gees
Photo: Drew Ebanks
Observations
The speed and pace of the CIS game has improved dramatically over the last dozen or so years. The athleticism is also improving as guys like Adegboruwa, Jones and Gauthier got out on the fast break several times and pulled down rebounds in traffic. Pryce has an unorthodox game but he gets the most out of his abilities.
Steve Williams' value to this Ryerson squad may not always show up on a score sheet but his tenacity and heady play defensively bailed out several of his Rams' teammates, especially while hedging and protecting the basket for the Rams guards.
The seniors Williams and McNeilly after the game.
Photo: Drew Ebanks
Loved to see the fan and student support at Kerr Hall. The Ryerson athletic department put on a great event with dancers and giveaways to make the game experience top notch.
The Rams athletic department seems serious in their game ops and organization this season and I can see a clear difference from years past.
Tons of former Rana players and friends were on hand including Tyrone Mattison(former Easter Commerce PG) and Sheldon Benoit(former CFL player). Ontario Basketball's Fred Grannum also on hand to see the Rams take down the Gee Gees.
Overall the support and positivity around the Rams basketball team seems to be growing and the atmosphere at Kerr Hall is the best I've seen in years.
Hats off to them as they make Ryerson Basketball a viable entertainment option in Toronto, especially since there's so much to do in the big city.
Jahmal Jones is a freshman with big game skills
Photo: Drew Ebanks
After the game I had a chance to speak to the two seniors, Steve Williams and Ryan McNeilly who had a lot to say about the game, the season and their careers playing for the Ryerson Rams...check it out!
To check out live streams of Ryerson basketball games go to:
Kyle Wiltjer...joins Myck Kabongo and Khem Birch on the 2011 McDonald's All-American roster!
The 6'9" Kentucky committ can play for Canada internationally because his father Greg, a former national team member, is Canadian.
Watch a video of the presentation of Kyle Wiltjer being selected to the McDonald's All-American high school basketball all-star game and listen in to an interview with Wiltjer as he talks about making the game, his ankle injury and when he plans on returning to the court. Video by Tim Brown, OregonLive.com
Findlay Prep...featuring Canadians Myck Kabongo, Anthony Bennett and Naz Long took on Bishop Gorman Saturday January 22nd and the game was a dandy...Finlay Prep takes it 89-86 in a thriller as Kabongo found Kevin Kasper alone up top and he buried the game winning three at the buzzer...
Kabongo led Findlay with 26 points!
Gorman junior Shabazz Muhammad had a game-high 33 points, including a pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to even the game at 71 and force overtime.
Also a nice article by Ray Brewer in the Las Vegas Sun on the game...Several big name coaches and scouts were in the gym according to the article:
"UCLA’s Ben Howland, Washington's Lorenzo Romar and UNLV’s Lon Kruger were three of an estimated 15 to 20 college coaches in attendance."
Recently I got to see Tyler Ennis perform up here in Canada during the Canada Basketball scrimmages over the Christmas holidays and I must say I was truly impressed with his maturation as a PG since I last saw him play at the B-Game camp at HoopDome in the summer. There's something truly different about the brother of Dylan Ennis, a rising PG as well who plies his trade for Lake Forest Academy in Chicago, Illinois. In fact Tyler was also at Lake Forest playing alongside his brother but decided to transfer to the former school of fellow Canadians Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo! From what I have read on the blogosphere new coach Roshown McLeod's team desperately needed a true passing/distributing PG...and that's what Ellis is! He distributes with above average efficiency, can get to the hoop pretty much when he wants and he is just several solid practice hours away from becoming a true threat outside as well.
The 6'2", 185lb'er was impressive in his first game for St. Benedict's notching 14 assists. Why that's significant besides the fact that he tallied double digit assists is because the team itself was averaging about 14 assists per game coming into that contest!
Then against St. Patrick, who are the number 2 team in the nation and feature sensational baller Michael Gilchrist, Ennis notched 13 points and 4 assists in an 8 point loss. Ennis did commit 6 turnovers in the game but that could be attributed to the fact that he's still learning about his teammates and it was a super strong opponent they were facing in St. Patrick.
Ennis gives them a player who will get the ball to players like Tyler Harris and Mike Young in their "sweet spots". He will find out by studying game tape, which he has been according to coach McCleod, where each player on his team likes to get the ball so that each teammate will get the most out of their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
The coach team is really high on Ennis and rightly so, since he's now out of brother Dylan's shadow and forging a future and name for himself on the East coast!
Check out these two articles on another rising Canadian Tyler Ennis:
Well the news has been out now for a few days...and I must say it is very shocking to hear that Pickering's Devoe Joseph is leaving the Golden Gophers after 2 1/2 years. He was suspended earlier on this season for 6 games for conduct detrimental to the team...something about off-court issues according to coach Smith.
I've heard he wasn't happy with being demoted to the first off the bench as Smith said he would benefit the team better to be the main scorer on the 2nd unit instead of starting.
There's a lot of reasons why student/athletes transfer; grades, criminal charges, playing time, coach/player conflicts etc, but the real reason for Joseph's departure is still a mystery. Apparently Joseph's mother Connie Joseph confirmed with a Minnesota Star-Tribune reporter that Joseph is indeed transferring, although where he's going is still a mystery.
Let's hope the talented, but seemingly misunderstood guard lands on his feet where ever he ends up...because no matter what the cause is, it's certainly not a positive incident w.r.t. his reputation.
Here's an article below from the Star-Tribune about his Mom and her feelings about Devoe's departure from Minnesota.
Devoe Joseph's mom: "I don't expect anything to change"
Posted by Myron P. Medcalf
Last update: January 4, 2011 - 12:27 PM
When you get an email at 3:49 a.m., you know you're dealing with a serious situation.
Connie Joseph, the mother of Gophers combo guard Devoe Joseph, reached out to me Tuesday morning.
She's traveled here from Canada to be with her son, who's preparing to transfer. She said she's convinced that her son will not change his mind.
"The decision to transfer, it’s a difficult decision," she said during a phone call Tuesday. "It’s not a good situation. … It’s not something that’s taken lightly and it’s a difficult thing to do. Having said that, it’s something that Devoe has [decided to do]."
Her view of the events leading up to Monday's news varies from what sources close to the team told the Star Tribune Monday.
Connie Joseph said her son has pondered his decision for a long time. But after the team's loss at Michigan State Friday, he told his mother that he felt like it was time to go.
Connie Joseph would not discuss the reasons behind her son's decision.
She said Devoe Joseph called Tubby Smith before the team's next practice and informed him of his decision to leave the program. Connie Joseph said her son skipped practice over the weekend because "once you've made this difficult decision, the best thing is just to move forward."
She said her son isn't suspended, as some outlets reported, but has decided to leave the team.
"No, there’s [no turning back]," she said Tuesday. "I'm going with him [Tuesday] morning to pick up his release papers. He wishes the team well. It’s a tough thing."
She added: "I don’t expect anything to change."
Connie Joseph said her son doesn't know where he's going yet. But she supports him, although she's shocked by the recent sequence of events. Just three years ago, Devoe Joseph was the top recruit in Smith's first recruiting class with the Gophers.
"I’m extremely, extremely surprised … really disappointed," said a sobbing Connie Joseph. "Devoe had dreams of playing for the Gophers."
Hey folks...check out this piece by The Score's Jason Thom on Texas Freshman and Canadian native Tristan Thompson...
Tristan was in town over the holidays and visited HoopDome at Downsview Park in support of the Canada Basketball scrimmage for 1992 and up players. Also passing through to show love and unity were Khem Birch(PITT bound) and Myck Kabongo(Texas bound)! It was a great day. I was there as well and will have lots of footage plus a recap of the day's action very soon. Stay tuned.
Great job on the feature by Jason.
Vaughan: Champs at the Vaughan Classic.
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
Day 1
The Vaughan Classic took place this past weekend and the Vaughan Voyageurs of Thornhill, and the #1 team in the GTA and possibly the province took the chip in a blowout win over the surprise finalists, the Pickering Trojans! The tournament was a two-day event(Thurs-Friday) that saw the hosts dismantle an over matched West Humber squad 82-50 with ease. Andrew Wiggins pretty much coasted in the game...had a couple impressive plays but basically rested for the upcoming games on Friday.
Most impressive was Vaughan reserve guard Brenden Clarke who tied for game and team-high 18 points.
Clarke was efficient, draining outside shots and also taking it to the bucket for points in the paint.
Game two featured Westview, from North West Toronto vs. Mississauga's St. Joan of Arc. Interesting game as Westview held on for the 70-64 victory, but not before dead-eye shooter Muzher Mirza dropped in a tournament-high 29 points on an array of pull up j's and three point bombs. It was my first time seeing him and this dude is simply sensational from beyond the three-point arc and is one of the best shooters in the GTA!
In game three, one of my favourite GTA players took the court...Asher Lewis. This 2011 baller can do it inside and outside and has an engine that never stops! He's a marksman from outside, and you don't want to leave him open, as Eastern Commerce can attest to; they let him get off a game-winning three to capture the Bronze Medal at the season opening Henry Carr Classic. Lewis' defence is also underrated as he has the lateral quicks to stay with most guards he's defending.
Pickering easily handled one of the better teams from the Ottawa area, Hillcrest, 71-53.
The last game of day one featured star Duane Notice and St. Mikes going up against St. Anne's(Tecumseh).
This one was never in doubt as Notice paced the Blue Raiders dropping 27 points in a 62-39 victory.
Top PG Malcolm Duvivier, Joey Clemenzi, Jelani Daniel and Daniel Pinero all had solid games for St. Mikes. Zachary Hicks was impressive for St. Anne's pouring in 15 points for the losers.
Pickering: Very worthy runner-ups!
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
Check out Pickering's Asher Lewis and Nevell Provo as they talk about their performance at the tournament and what they will work on going forward...
DAY 2
Day two, the semi-finals match up would be Vaughan vs. Westview and Pickering vs. St. Mike's.
Vaughan went into the Westview game pretty confident and that confidence was evident in at 72-49 drubbing in the game. Henry Tan and Andrew Wiggins notched 17 each for the Voyageurs while Matthew Almufa added 10 for the losing squad.
St. Mike's was looking to get to the final and face off with Vaughan...as Notice mentioned to me in an interview after the tournament. So maybe they were looking a bit ahead and past a young but dangerous Pickering squad in the other semi. Pickering took the game though, 85-76 behind Damian Rashford's 21 points. Duvivier paced the Blue Raiders with a game-high 25 points.
Notice talks about anticipating reaching the finals against Vaughan below...
CHAMPIONSHIIP
So on to the Championship final...where the Vaughan Voyageurs faced off against the Pickering Trojans.
Now...I thought going in, that Vaughan could easily have lost this game due to two factors. Key reserve Clarke got hurt in the semi-final, limping around with a sprained ankle afterwards and starter Roshane Roberts was out of the country with family. But the Voyageurs were simply too talented for the Trojans to handle. The game was close for the 1st quarter and into the 2nd. But the 2nd half was where the #1 team in the province took control, especially defensively. Vaughan continually got out on the break due to tremendous inside presence and rebounding by Wiggins and Cy Richards-Samuels. Wiggins was all over the paint, swatting shots and layups and simply changing and altering shot attempts by Pickering. While Richards-Samuels cleaned up on the glass. When the Trojans tried to drive...players like Troy Knight and Tan were there to slide and recover into position forcing tons of missed shots by Pickering.
Trojans head coach Mike Gordensky had an issue with some Vaughan players undercutting his players on drives. He had a point on a few plays as the Vaughan defenders, as well as Pickering got away with a lot of physicality in the game especially when players turned the corner and went baseline. Vaughan is a very good defensive team so it shouldn't be surprising that other teams would have an issue with how much the refs let them get away with.
In the end...the Vaughan squad was too much going on to take the title...78-48. Asher Lewis led Pickering with 13 points in a game who's outcome was determined very early in the 2nd half.
Here I talk to Tan and Samuels about Vaughan's 3rd tournament victory this season...
Sights and Sounds
In the crowd was Northwestern assistant coach Ivan Vujic(pronounced VOO-itch) who came up from Chicago to check out Andrew Wiggins and the other top players in the tournament. He left impressed by Wiggins' athleticism but also noted he needed to tighten up his shot form, consistent effort and body language. I think with Wiggins that he's so young and extremely talented that he loses a bit of focus at times. But with age and maturity and increased fundamentals he will be a supreme force going forward. Coach Vujic was also highly impressed with Henry Tan and his ability to get to the rack at will and his court presence. He and Vlad Matevski(Stefan Nastic' trainer and friend) who also sat court side says Tan needs to improve his decision making and his outside shot as well and wants him to add a pull-up mid-range jumper and a floater to his repertoire. They both feel that Tan is surely a mid-major Division 1 player Stateside and will definitely be keeping an eye on the rising PG. Duane Notice, is a man amongst boys physically on the court. He has a Division 1 college/pro-body structure already and is supremely talented. He was a bit out of control at times and while trying to be too flashy made some unforced and unnecessary turnovers. He's a player that seems to have a long leash with his coaches and that sometimes leads to him making harder plays than is truly necessary; but his talent is undeniable. If he can clean up his handle and us a jab step and go or crossover move he will be very effective. He also shines on the break where his physicality is just too much for most high-school level defenders. I would like to see Notice really work on his outside shot as it's very loose and his form a bit creaky. But it's scary to think what he will become if he develops a consistent outside game to go with his slashing, penetrating and finishing ability.
St. Mike's forward #24 Daniel Pinero was a surprise revelation at the tournament. He's very long...looks to be about 6'4" to 6'5". He was really aggressive, especially from the free-throw line in...and had a couple dunks as well. As teams focused on Notice and Duvivier a lot, Pinero used his freedom to his advantage and put up some really decent numbers over the two days. But he's not only a pretty good basketball player; apparently he's also an aspiring baseball player as well. Jelani Daniel impressed me as well. Especially his lateral quicks on defence. He was an integral part in the pressing defence that St. Mike's employs throughout their games. He also handled well and found open guys in the open court while scoring several nice buckets as well. Nevell Provo is a player to look out for over the next few years in the GTA ball scene. The young prodigy and Grade 9 student, makes solid decisions on the court and plays within the system the Pickering coaches employ. He's adept at using the pick and roll and is highly coachable. Talking to Pickering assistant coach and former Pickering standout Kirk Salesman, he says Provo is the next great one out of Pickering and will be personally working and training with him to get the most out of his potential.
Overall, the Vaughan Classic was a pretty good tournament. The staff and volunteer crew were amazing and I'd like to especially thank Vaughan Head Coach Gus Gymnopoulos for putting on a nice event and making the media welcome as he always is at Vaughan. Congrats to the Pickering Trojans for making the final and to Vaughan for winning the championship.
Can Carr and Coach Melnik capture the title?
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
By Eastern Basketball Holiday Classic 2010-11
Eastern Commerce Basketball is proud to announce this year’s teams for the upcoming Holiday Classic. The Holiday Classic is one of the Canada’s premiere tournaments and will have most of the provinces top teams. Ten of the top 13 in the GTA teams will be there plus a few surprises from outside the GTA. This years tournament will feature some outstanding talent including Denison’s Gonzaga bound Kevin Pangos and Vaughan's outstanding phenom Andrew Wiggins. This year’s tournament will take place at Jarvis Collegiate and Downsview Secondary on December 9, 10 and 11.. The teams participating and the draw are listed below:
Eastern
Pickering
Oakville Loyola
J. Clarke Richardson
Henry Carr
Vaughan
Denison
Mother Teresa
Downsview
Jarvis
D’Youville
Edward Mont-Petit (Montreal)
Sacred Heart Huskies (Ottawa)
Emery
West Humber
Pope John Paul II
Or will Andrew Wiggins and Vaughan win their 4th straight big showdown?
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
Thursday, December 9, 2010
@Downsview
3:30 pm Downsview vs Pickering (Game 1)
5:00pm Mother Teresa vs D’Youville (Game 2)
6:30pm Loyola (Oakville) vs Pope John Paull II (Game 3)
8:00pm J.Clarke Richardson vs Edward Mont-Petit (Game 4)
@ Jarvis
3:30pm Jarvis vs Denison (Game 5)
5:00pm Vaughan vs West Humber (Game 6)
6:30pm Eastern vs Emery (Game 7)
8:00pm Henry Carr vs Sacred Heart (Game 8)
Pickering will have something to say at the Holiday Classic.
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions.
Friday, December 10, 2010
@Downsview
3:30 pm Downsview vs (Game 8 Winner or Loser) – (Game 9)
In a report dated December 2nd, 2010, Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Kiski school in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania is losing Sim and Tanveer Bhullar and Stefan Jankovic effective immediately. Apparently it has something to do with "AAU stuff" according to head coach Daryn Freedman.
In the shocking news, Sim Bhullar and Jankovic are transferring to Huntington Prep(W.V.) while Tanveer is Maryland bound...apparently at Naz Long's old school Montrose Christian! Huntington would have taken him but they didn't have the room on the roster.
Sim's choices for college have apparently been narrowed down to Syracuse, PITT and West Virginia, all of the Big East, so it seems that heading to Huntington may be in direct correlation to West Virginia being one of the teams that he will be attending for college.
Also some blog commenters say and it's not my opinion :
That Huntington is basically a travelling team and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins territory. So this could be a way for Huggins and West V to get Sim prepared for college by getting him in shape and improving his game skill-wise.
Yet another blog commenter says that Team Takeover Canada's Mike George was behind the boys leaving Kiski due to a lack of skill development at the school and the final straw was a not-so-great showing by them at the National Prep Showcase just before U.S. Thanksgiving.
We will keep our eyes and ears open for future developments from these three Canadian ballers.
I will also attempt to get a hold of George to see if he can shed some light into the shocking transfers.
HERE's the story...check out the comments below as well.
Negus Webster-Chan, a Top 75 prospect originally from Ontario, Canada, was the highest-rated of three 2011 Huntington (WV) Prep prospects who made unofficial visits to Louisville Saturday for the Cardinals game against South Alabama at the KFC Yum! Center.
Negus Webster-Chan, a Top 75 prospect originally from Ontario, Canada, was the highest-rated of three 2011 Huntington (WV) Prep prospects who made unofficial visits to Louisville Saturday for the Cardinals game against South Alabama at the KFC Yum! Center.
Webster-Chan, a four-star prospect rated the No. 19 small forward in his class nationally, tripped to Louisville for the first time with Huntington coach Rob Fulford and teammates Stefan Jankovic, a 6-foot-8 power forward, and Darrick Wood, an athletic 6-foot-3 guard.
“It was real good,” Webster-Chan said. “I liked the atmosphere of the game. We got to go into the locker room and talk to Coach [Rick] Pitino [briefly].”
Chan, a skilled 6-foot-7 forward, reports offers from Marquette, UNLV, Iowa State, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State. Louisville, Clemson, West Virginia and Kentucky are also involved.
“Louisville is a great program and they have a great coach in Coach Pitino,” Webster-Chan said. “It looked like Coach Pitino has a great connection with his players on the court. And their new arena is amazing.”
Though Uof L hasn't offered a scholarship, the Cardinals stand out on Webster-Chan's list of favorites.
“Louisville is definitely at the top right now, even my mom likes them,” Webster-Chan. “I don't have a Top 5 or anything because I've still got two years left. So I'm open right now.”
Mark Lieberman is the point-man in Webster-Chan's recruitment. Webster-Chan said he speaks “often” with Louisville's assistant coach. “He's been recruiting the most out of all the coaches,” Webster-Chan said. “He's calls me whenever he can.” Webster-Chan, who averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as a sophomore at Pope John Paul II in Scarborough, Ontario, attends the same prep school as Louisville freshman center Gorgui Dieng. “I knew him from last year,” Webster-Chan said. “He said it's great there. He really likes it. He loves the coaching staff because he gets better every day.”
Chan's visit to Louisville isn't the only unofficial he's made recently. The talented forward also checked out Kentucky and West Virginia.
“I never got to see a game at Kentucky's main gym that they play in, but I got to see West Virginia's,” Webster-Chan said. “I liked Louisville's better than West Virginia. I saw Kentucky's practice facility and that was amazing, too.”
Webster-Chan emerged this summer after helping lead Team Canada to the Bronze Medal in the World Championship. He averaged 7 points and four rebounds in the event.
“When he’s playing well and aggressive he could potentially be a pro,” Fulford recently told Scout.com. “But sometimes he goes through the motions a little bit.
“He’s a skill guy. He’s 6’7. He can shoot. He can dribble. He’s comfortable with the ball in his hands. He can come off screens and he likes to play with the ball in his hands. We can use him at the point.”
Birdman, Jeff Green, Amare Stoudamire, Rudy Gay, Derrick Rose, Derrick Rose and more DR, De Andre Jordan, Marvin Williams, Charles Outlaw and Russell Westbrook dunking over everyone on the Houston Rockets! Enjoy!
Medicine Hat College(MHC) in Alberta's Nairen Duncan got the game off to a shattering start this past Saturday against the SAIT Trojans. First play of the game he goes up for a two-hand cram and brings the backboard down as it crumbles into pieces with only 14 seconds played in the game...
The game had could not continued and is rescheduled for this coming Friday December 3rd.
It's a 3 minute clip that starts with a scoreboard shot while the Canadian National Anthem is being sung.
So you can forward it to the tip off at the 2 minute mark and watch from there!
Check out the video evidence below:
Here's the story from the Medicine Hat News...Click HERE.
Looks like Duncan is a transfer from Saskatchewan...Check out his bio HERE.
Head Coach Ben Julius is the younger brother of my good friend Kyle Julius of A-Game Hoops
here in Ontario. So the family has a great basketball pedigree including father Stu Julius a long
time women's basketball coach in the OUA! Coach Julius even had a stint with the Orlando Magic
a couple of years ago when they went to the NBA Finals against the Lakers!
Rattlers Head Coach Ben Julius' Bio
Coach Ben Julius is entering his first season with the Rattlers program. He is extremely excited to be the bench boss for the 2010 – 2011 campaign. Ben has been coaching at various levels for the past 9 years.
Julius started coaching high school then quickly moved to an assistant position with Wilfred Laurier University. From there he went south to become a member of the coaching staff with Canisius College, a division 1 program. Ben continued his education as a coach by working with the NBA’s Orlando Magic for the 2008 – 2009 season. His travels brought him back to Canada and the University of Manitoba, where he spent last season as the lead assistant for the women’s program.
Ben’s mix of experiences has created a coaching philosophy that is combined with education, community outreach, and hard working basketball. Coach Julius believes that hard work is the key to success and is excited to instill that philosophy within the Rattlers program.
Champions: Vaughan Voyageurs
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
The 30th Annual Humber College Classic went off without a hitch as some of the top high school players from the GTA and beyond took the court at the top notch Humber Athletics Center at Highway 27 south of Finch in the west end of Toronto.
The tournament included the Henry Carr Classic Champions Vaughan and star Andrew Wiggins along with Henry Tan, Troy Reid Knight and Roshane Roberts. Also participating were the Henry Carr Crusaders featuring Richard Adu, Tevin Messam and Kenrick Lewis who went down to Vaughan in their tournament final. Eastern Commerce was back in the fold after losing the Bronze medal game at the Carr Classic with a line up that is bolstered by Aaron Best, Kevin Kamba and streaky shooter Tyrone Arriri. The field also included more star power as the Anderson Raiders were looking to make a name for themselves among the giants in the GTA hoops scene. They are led by rising star Dyshawn Pierre fresh off a bronze medal at the FIBA World U17’s and Justin Edwards who enhanced his status as a baller to watch this season with a sensational performance in the Bronze medal game against Carr. More star power needed?...well how about future Gonzaga Bulldog Kevin Pangos and his scrappy bunch of ballers from Denison in Newmarket. Rounding out the talented draw were the Ascension Eagles featuring emerging star Camall Brown But without the injured Bikram Gill; Oakwood with Kevin Blake, Isaiah Watkins and Tyrell Bell Green; and Windsor Holy Names led by Chance Hallas their leading scorer in the team’s 2 losses.
Interview with Vaughan forward Andrew Wiggins
DAY 1
The first day went pretty much as expected as Vaughan, behind 25 points from Roshane Roberts easily downed Ascension 84-57. Brown dropping 29 for the losers. In the next game Anderson barely squeaked by Oakwood 50-48 as Pierre and Edwards notched 20 points each and Tyrone Bellot-Green poured in 18 for the Barons in the loss. The thing I got out of this game was the ability of Pierre to affect the play in several ways, including His unyielding motor, ability to cover ground all over the court, blocked shots and altered shots and moves in the post. Despite having a slightly awkward release on his shot, Pierre showed that you can’t leave him open outside either burying several threes as well. In the 3rd game, the depth of the Carr team was too much for super PG Pangos as his Denison team hung tough early with Carr but Kenrick Lewis’ 15 points helped the Crusaders advance in the pool.Holy Names also held tough in the first quarter and a half but Eastern’s relentless defence and pressure was too much for the Windsor squad. Aaron Best was flying all over the court for dunks and blocks scoring 16 while Holy Names’ Chance Hallas scored 10 in a losing effort.
Interview with Eastern Commerce Forward Kevin Kamba
Day 2
This was the day everyone was looking forward to as the Championship semis featured Vaughan against Anderson and Eastern versus Carr in a rematch of the Carr Classic semis in which Carr defeated the Saints. Revenge was on the mind of Eastern Commerce while the Vaughan/Anderson tilt would feature a match up with FIBA World U17 bronze medal teammates Wiggins and Pierre!
Back to that in a minute...as Denison looked to rebound against defending OFSAA Champions in the Consolation final. They both got thereby beating Holy Names and Ascension respectively and Pangos needed to rebound from a tough loss to Henry Carr the night before; and rebound he did! It seemed that the Barons were at the mercy of the 6’1” pg as he showed an array of skills and moves to either get to the rim or drain outside shots. His step back three was insane as he buried 5 trifectas in the game, 25 first half points en route to a 33 point performance that had many in the crowd, obviously watching Pangos for the first time, extremely impressed. “oohs and aahs" could be heard several times Pangos lit up defenders and their outstretched arms. Combine that with several tasty no-look dimes and feeds to open shooters and it was one of the most complete games I’ve seen in a while at the high school level. I’ll tell you, I’ve covered "KP" as I call him since May of this year and his attention to detail, fundamentals, and work ethic are unparalleled amongst his peers. Folks, Mr. Pangos is the real deal.
Interview with Vaughan guard Troy Reid-Knight
Back to the semis; despite a fast start for Pierre and Anderson, Vaughan was just too deep and talented for the Durham region power. Wiggins and Tan led Vaughan with 13 apiece while Pierre poured in 21 in an array of shots, including threes, and some impressive post moves with Wiggins guarding him down low and trying to make his life miserable. Anderson went down but look for them to be in the mix come OFSAA time with Pierre and Edwards who dropped 35 in the bronze medal game leading the charge.The other semi was a tight one for much of it as Carr looked like they would take it over Eastern again but fell apart in the 2nd half. Streaky shooter and one of the best scorers and one-on-one players in the GTA, Tyrone Arriri was unstoppable scoring 24 points in a 72-62 OT win. Kenrick Lewis led Carr with 19 points. So the final was set as Vaughan would take on Eastern Commerce who were looking to avenge two previous losses earlier in the season to the Voyageurs!
Henry Carr Coach Paul Melnik always teaching.
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
The Final
Eastern came out flying out the gate and led it 17-6 after 1 quarter. But the Voyageurs, led primarily by some great defence by Roshane Roberts, came back to make it a game in the 2nd quarter. Roberts read passing lanes for steals that enabled he and his squad to run out on the fast break and close the deficit. A disturbing trend for Vaughan has been slow starts in big games, including last year’s OFSAA semis against Hamilton's St. Thomas More where they get down by double digits(26 points) and had to climb back in it by putting on mad full court pressure for the rest of the game. Their starting game intensity will have to improve going forward.
Interview with Eastern guard Ammanuel Diressa
But in the 2nd half Vaughan was flying on all cylinders pulling to within 7 after three and then their frenetic defence allowed them to finally take the lead late in the fourth for the first time in the game(61-59) with a minute left. Throughout the fourth it was a tight affair and it was Best and James Sylvester who paced the Saints. Best led his team with a game-high 17 points using his frenetic full-court game to keep his team in it. While Sylvester nailed several tough jump shots, contested or not, for Eastern.
Down the stretch the game was really intense as either team could have won it and then Reid Knight decided to make his mark taking and making two cold blooded threes to give Vaughan the victory. Roberts was also clutch hitting pull-ups and spinning drives until an ankle injury forced him out of the game midway through the last frame.
Captain Sy Samuels receiving the Humber Hardware
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
Wiggins, who was coming of an MVP at the Carr Classic wasn’t super spectacular like at the Carr Classic but he was more than solid notching a few nice rim rockers as well as tremendous defence and rebounding inside for the Voyageurs while finishing with a game-high 22 points. Wiggins also showed an outside prowess knocking down some three pointers as well. He’s so long and athletic, that even at 15 years old he is miles and miles ahead physically than 98% of the players playing SENIOR ball! This young man is a special talent and if he improves his shot mechanics a bit, including at the free throw line and develops a mid range game, he will be pretty much unstoppable in the future!
Vaughan celebrating with Champions Hats
Photo Courtesy of Spud Light Productions
Conclusion
So the Voyageurs won their 2nd tournament 69-65 in a thriller and lay claim as the pretty much undisputed number 1 team in the GTA if not the province! They will have to stay humble and remain focused though because the rest of the elite have taken notice and all teams will be gunning for them over the next several weeks. They host their own tournament December 2-3rd so there’s no time for the team to rest on their laurels. An even-keel attitude and the ability to not let early season success cloud their end of season goals will be paramount for their continued success. Great tournament...I was disappointed by the lack of big crowds but kudos to the Humber College staff and volunteers for a job well done!
Hooptown GTA has the rankings after the tournament . Check them out HERE!
There's nothing like Sports...The thrill of U know what and the agony of....blah blah blah!
Join me...Drew Ebanks, a former Global TV(Sports) reporter as I delve deep INSIDE the world of Dunks, Goals and Touchdowns!
TIME TO RISE UP!
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