2007-08 OCAA TEAM PREVIEWS

The 2007-08 OCAA Men’s Basketball season will have a new look this season with a new league format. The teams have merged into two regions (East and West) and will play each team in their region in a home and away series. The top teams in each region will qualify for the OCAA Championship, with teams finishing third through six participating in crossover qualifying matches. The OCAA Championship is scheduled from February 28 – March 1 at Mohawk College in Hamilton. The all-star game will take place at Durham College in Oshawa on March 29.

2006-07 SEASON REVIEW

Central Region
Humber 13 - 2
Sheridan 12 - 3
Centennial 9 - 6
Seneca 7 - 8
Georgian 3 - 12
George Brown 1 - 14

East Region
Algonquin 15 - 3
St. Lawrence K 14 - 4
Cambrian 10 - 8
Loyalist 7 - 11
Durham 7 - 11
La Cite 5 - 13
Fleming P 5 - 13

West Region
Fanshawe 14 - 0
St. Clair 10 - 5
Niagara 8 - 6
Mohawk 7 - 7
Algoma 7 - 7
Lambton 7 - 7
Redeemer 2 - 12
Sault 1 - 13


POST SEASON RESULTS:

Qualifying Round
Mohawk 60 @ St. Lawrence 69
Loyalist 51 @ St. Clair 78
Centennial 73 @ Cambrian 79
Seneca 62 @ Niagara 75

OCAA CHAMPIONSHIP @ Durham College

Quarter-Finals
Niagara 69 @ Humber 85
St. Lawrence 76 @ St. Clair 70
Cambrian 49 @ Fanshawe 77
Sheridan 77 @ Algonquin 92

Semi-Finals
St. Lawrence 72 @ Humber 68
Algonquin 60 @ Fanshawe 77

Medal Round
St. Lawrence 65 @ Fanshawe 71
Algonquin 52 @ Humber 62

TEAM PREVIEWS

EAST REGION

Algonquin Thunder
2006-07 Record: 15-3
2006-07 Post Season Record: 1-2 (Fourth)

After the departure of 2006-07 CCAA All-Canadian Ahmed Eman, the Algonquin Thunder will turn to other key veterans to lead last season’s top offense. A 6’4 guard, Davidson Sanelus of Ottawa, returns to the lineup after averaging 17.7 PPG last season and looks to have picked up right where he left off in Algonquin’s opening game scoring 17 points in the 82-80 victory over the Cambrian Golden Shield. Veteran’s Diedier Doirin and Keville Olliveierre also had a great opening game scoring 16 and 14 points respectively.

The Thunder also have plenty of top recruits to fill the lineup with guards Jordan Monnink and Marlon Campbell expected to see a lot of playing time early in the season, as head coach Trevor Costello is confident the players can adjust to the college game with little friction. A newcomer to the Thunder this season is Brent Wennekes. The 6’7 forward joins the Thunder after spending four seasons in the CIS with Acadia. Look for Wennekes to make an immediate impact on the hard court. Algonquin looks like they will be a strong contender to win their third consecutive East Region title.

Cambrian Golden Shield
2006-07 Record: 10-8
2006-07 Post Season Record: 1-1

In just their second year of their return to men’s basketball, the Cambrian Golden Shield qualified for the OCAA Championship after defeating the Centennial Colts 79-73 in the qualifying round. Returning from last year’s squad is 2006-07 first team all-star Mitch Mallette. The third year point guard has looked unstoppable in three games this season averaging 27 PPG. Also rejoining the team will be shooting guard Jerome Bailey and small forward Ryan Deney.

Brad Hann has also had a busy off-season, adding some key freshmen to the lineup. Sudbury natives Riley Fortier and Joey Pelletier will join the team after having successful high school careers. Theo Plumstead of Kincardine also joins the team and will play the centre position. Hann hopes that Plumstead will be able to control the boards at both ends of the court. Cambrian’s goal for this season is to continue to improve and content for the provincial title.


Centennial Colts
2006-07 Record: 9-6
2006-07 Post Season Record: 0-1

After searching long and hard, the Colts have found who they think is right man for the men’s basketball head coaching job in Chris Smalling. Chris is a very experienced coach with lots of success and is looking to bring his winning ways to the collegiate level. Chris has spent the last three years as a high school coach with two of those years being the head coach at West Hill Collegiate in Scarborough.

Smalling’s start with the Colts has been nothing but success. The Colts have opened up with a 4-0 regular season record and were tournament champions at Durham’s David Stewart Annual Tip Off Invitational. Leading the Colts on the court in 2007-08 will be the duo of Aundre Rose and Raseedi McKenly, who are both 6’4 guards from Scarborough. The pair has averaged 20.3 and 18.3 PPG respectively in their first three games this season. Odane Harding rejoins the team after being named a 2006-07 first team all-star. Freshman Chris Hibbert made an exceptional debut at the Durham Invitational, being named to the tournament all-star team.

Centennial is considered by many to be the early favourite to win the East Region title.

Excerpt’s taken from the Centennial Colts website: http://www.centennialcollege.ca/future/ss_varsity_index.jsp


Durham Lords
2006-07 Record: 7-11
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

In his eighth season with Durham, head coach Peter Gordon thinks that this will be the year his team makes a run at the OCAA men’s basketball championship title. In 2006-07, Durham was faced with a lot of injury problems and did not have a lot of depth at the guard positions, resulting in inconsistent defense. Fans of the Lords believe that they have corrected these problems by adding several key recruits who will join the existing core of the team.

Returning to the team for his fourth season will be the 2006-07 league scoring champion Anthony Batchelor. The perennial all-star has recorded 1124 points in three seasons with the Lords and has moved into the top ten in scoring. Batchelor has a legitimate shot of becoming the all-time leading scoring in OCAA history, a mark Fanshawe’s Emilio Rocco established back in 1986 (1434 career points). Veteran guards Evan Brown and Vick Warya will be looked upon for veteran leadership.

Durham’s lineup will also feature a long list of freshmen including DJ Miller (guard), Courtney Small (guard), George Madden, (forward/swing), Tyler Wolff (forward), Jeremy St. Clair (forward) and Liam McMarrow (centre). McMarrow is a tower on the court at 7’1 and could become an impact player overtime. Tyler Pelley joins the Lords after graduating from St. Clair College. Pelley is an amazing defensive player who brings a lot of intensity to the court.


Fleming Knights
2006-07 Record: 5-13
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

After a disappointing season in 2006-07, the Fleming Knights look to have turned things around heading into this season and look to build on last season with the team’s leading scorers from a year ago, Neil O’Sullivan and Zeljko Vinkovich, rejoining the team. The all-stars combined to average 15.8 PPG last season, but it wasn’t enough as the team went on a nine game losing streak to close out the year and finish out of the playoffs.

Head coach and former OCAA standout, Bill Crowdis, has been busy during the off season bringing in a strong recruiting class. Jovain Wilson was one of the top scorers in OFSAA, averaging over 30 PPG in Ajax. Guard Tyler Coutney comes to the team after being a Guelph region all-star while Jeremie Kayeye and Tony Duran played for top 10 Ontario high school programs last year (Cathedral in Hamilton and D’Youville in Brampton). Shane O’Loughlin, a Peterbrough native is another strong shooter joining the team.

Head Coach Bill Crowdis will be looking to mesh a team together from a roster that includes ten new players.


George Brown Huskies
2006-07 Record: 1-14
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

The George Brown Huskies will make the move along with Georgian, Seneca and Centennial to the East Region. The Huskies are hoping to bounce back after an off year and return to the OCAA Championship tournament. The Huskies will have to shake off a disappointing exhibition season, going 0-2 at the Durham tournament and 1-2 at the St. Lawrence Invitational.

George Brown’s lineup will feature 13 freshmen and only two returning players (Emmanuel Kabongo & Joseph Silva). Teams in the East Region will have to scout the Huskies closely, in order to gain an advantage over the young guns.

Toronto native Collin Whitely joins the Huskies as the team’s starting forward. The 6’5 freshman made an immediate splash in just his second game during the regular season, scoring 41 points in George Brown’s 81-71 victory over the Georgian Grizzlies. George Brown is hoping they can use the element of the unknown to return back to the OCAA Championship tournament.


Georgian Grizzlies
2006-07 Record: 3-12
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

The Grizzlies struggled to a 3-12 record last season, but hope a new conference (moved from Central to East), a new head coach and the return of their top three scorers can lead to reversal of fortune.

Head coach Steve Porter can rely on the experience of the juniors to put up points this season. J.P. Amaral (16.7 PPG), an OCAA All-Star last year, should continue to lead the Grizzlies in the scoring department. Elvis Duah (15 PPG) will handle point guard duties once again, but will have competition from rookie Christian Lucas, a former teammate of Amaral’s in high school. Mychal Gillies (11.7 PPG) is the other junior who should enjoy playing out of the power forward spot this season with Canisius College (Buffalo, NY) transfer Steve Mclean taking over in the middle. Look for rookies Joe Kelman and Kevin Graf to fight for minutes at the off guard spot. Georgian had a solid exhibition season, winning the St. Lawrence Invitational consolation championship title.

Georgian Grizzlies Sports Information


La Cite Coyotes
2006-07 Record: 5-13
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

With a new coach at the helm (Dominic Charron), the Coyotes will be going through a few changes in 2007-08. Their focus will be on learning a new system in hopes to improve their defensive and offensive statistics, which will hopefully result in wins. With the strong second half they had last season, the returning players gained valuable experience that may be enough to earn this team their first .500 record. Starters Louis-Phillippe Gauthier (centre), Pascal Belony (guard) and Alexandre Brabant (guard/forward) all return to the Coyotes lineup. Gauthier scored a team high 26 points in the Coyotes debut against Cambrian in a four point loss. Matthew Matayo, an international student from Paris, France is also expected to make an impact for the Coyotes.

If the Coyotes hope to be improve in 07-08, they must tighten up their defense as they allowed the third most points scored against in the league last season (1369).


Loyalist Lancers
2006-07 Record: 7-11
2006-07 Post Season 0-1

Size is the biggest difference for the Loyalist Lancers Men’s Basketball team in 2007-08. The team has lost smaller players, like Ben Theophilus, and picked up a number of new big men. Most notably Calvin Wigley. Wigley brings not only size to this Lancer squad but also a great offensive presence to what has been, in recent years, a less than potent Lancer squad. Loyalist also receives size in Kurtis Barnett and newbie Trevor Mayer.

Size may be new but they’ll look to the old reliable as well. Guys like Jamaal Carter, Andrew DaCosta and Chris Douma will have to show their veteran leadership in order for this team to succeed. Coach Daryl McGrath will also be looking for a big sophomore performance from Josh Mitchell, who when he is on his game, is lights out from beyond the arc. Michele Ferrante along with newly added Scott Maycock and Joseph Chapman will be looked to for big points off the bench. Since the Lancers are a big team this year, you can expect some aggressive play tallying fouls, which means bench players will be key.

The final two pieces of the Lancer’s puzzle this year are Jamal Fletcher and as well as the Lancer fans. If Fletcher can stay healthy, his scoring touch and excellent passing are going to be huge for Loyalist and when it comes to the crowd, the men are just like the women. They’ll have to win off the top and build a reputation for themselves at home, to pack the Lancer Dome and get that all important sixth man.

Source: David Foot, Loyalist Lancers Beat Reporter


St. Lawrence Vikings
2006-07 Record: 14-4
2006-07 Post Season Record: 3-1 (Silver)

No one outside of Kingston expected the St. Lawrence Vikings to appear in the finals of the OCAA Championship last season. This year, teams will be on their “A-game” when facing the Vikings in 07-08. Milton Holness, a 06-07 all-star returns to the lineup for his third season. Holness, who sets the tempo of the game for the Vikings as the guard, scored a team high 22.6 PPG last season and was named to the championship all-star team. Kern Lewis and Andrew Robertson will be joining Holness from last year’s squad.

Head coach Barry Smith will also welcome some familiar faces as Ryan Cato and Ross Carter return to the court after taking a season off. In 05-06, Carter led the Vikings in scoring averaging 13.8 PPG. The Vikings will open their regular season up in Peterborough on Thursday night.


Seneca Sting
2006-07 Record: 7-8
2006-07 Post Season Record: 0-1

The Seneca Sting should be very competitive after moving over to the Eastern division after the Central was disbanded. Despite a sub .500 record last year, the team scored 80 more points than they gave up. Two narrow losses to Centennial made a big difference in their record.

Former leading scorer Sola Kolawole has departed, but six players remain, such as forward Steve Sirett and guards Ryan Carrafiello and Simo Grundberg First year players on the Sting include forward Paul Mendonca and guard/forwards Kadeem Willis and Jonathan Goulbourne. Head coach Warrick Manners is entering his ninth season and uses a deep bench, as 11 players last year appeared in all 15 games. Seneca were ousted by Niagara in the opening round of the playoffs last season and eye a return with a higher seed in 2007-08.


WEST REGION

Algoma Thunderbirds
2006-07 Record: 7-7
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

The Thunderbirds missed out of the postseason last year as they were in a three way tie with Mohawk and Lambton, as the Mountaineers advanced due to tie breaking procedures. The Thunderbirds hope to reverse their fortunes and make a splash in the highly competitive West Region.

Algoma is a team to watch out for in the West Region this season as head coach Thomas Cory has assembled a lineup that many predict could be the “St. Lawrence Vikings” of 07-08. Returning from last season will be guards Andrew Turgeon and Lloyd Coke along with forwards Zach Wright, and Pat Murray, who were the top four scorers in the Thunderbird’s lineup last season. Also returning to the team will be defensive specialist Peter Chapman.

Minnesota native Vyron Phillips has joined the Thunderbirds this season. Phillips averaged 26.3 PPG in his first three games with Algoma, to lead the team in scoring. Cory had a busy off season off season bringing in freshmen to add some depth to the lineup. Brad Young, Paul Whitman, Igor Vuckovic and Andy Haidar join the team after successful high school careers.


Fanshawe Falcons
2006-07 Record: 14-0
2006-07 Post Season Record: 3-0 (Gold)

Although they have two losses already this season, London’s Fanshawe Falcons prior 17-0 record speaks for itself as they brought home a gold medal in 2006-07, their second in four years. Pat Sewell and his 15.5 PPG are gone this year, but coach Glenn Johnston’s team offense is very deep, as six players scored over 100 points for them last year. They have lost two games by five points, and currently average 81 points per game. Guards Omar Sybbliss and London native Rustom Anary are two veterans that return with a host of rookies. They will field one of the tallest teams in the OCAA, with seven players standing at least 6-foot-4, and will be a force in the West Region.

Watch out for rookie sensation Matt Fennell. Fennell has made a smooth transition to the college game as he is averaging 22.7 PPG, while being named to the Durham and Sheridan Invitational All-Star teams.


Humber Hawks
2006-07 Record: 13-2
2006-07 Post Season Record: 2-1 (Bronze)

Humber returns a year after a bronze medal showing over Algonquin College to prove that they’re still one of the top teams in the province. They have a large roster, both in numbers and in size, with eight players 6-foot-4 or taller. With 10 point-per-game players Kerlon Cadougan and Chris Thompson returning, their offense should be similar to last season. The Hawks also bring back guard Paul Cade, and forwards Erik Schmidt and Swiss-born Sebastien Hunziker.

They will need a new 3-ball man, as Mackenzie Milmine’s 25 shots from the arc are now absent Head coach Darrell Glenn takes the helm for Humber and hopes his 11 rookies can compete in the OCAA and get them back to a top seed in the playoffs. The Hawks kicked off their season with a pair of wins in Sault Ste. Marie over the Algoma Thunderbirds and Sault Cougars.


Lambton Lions
2006-07 Record: 7-7
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

The Lions enter 2007-08 with a healthy mix of rookies and veterans and hope to improve on a .500 season with head coach Steve Pepper. They narrowly missed out on the playoffs, locked in a 3-way tie with Algoma and Mohawk, only to see the Thunderbirds advance due to a tie-break. Two of last year’s leading scorers, guards Chad Pereira and David Akelatis return, as well as Chris Harrison, Navado Hamilton and John Whitney. With one of the smallest college enrollments in the OCAA, they still field a competitive team in the West Region.

Seven rookies are set to make their debut for Lambton College. Gone however, is former leading scorer Cole Webster, who put up 204 points last season, averaging nearly 15 per game. Through four games currently, games have been close. They sit at 2-2, averaging 78 points per game, but allowing 80.


Mohawk Mountaineers
2006-07 Record: 7-7
2006-07 Post Season Record: 0-1

Mohawk College will be playing host to the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship February 28 to March 1, 2008 and the Mountaineers’ goal is to be there and compete for a championship.

If timing is the name of the game, Mohawk could be in good shape. “This is by far, the deepest and most talented team we have fielded in my three years,” says head coach Brian Jonker. For starters, three key contributors to last year’s team are back. They include centre Ray Downey (Waterdown) and two outstanding guards, Matt Bruyn (Brantford Assumption) and Marko Gacic (Hamilton Sir John A. MacDonald).

Other returning veterans are forwards Phil Bucknor (Hamilton Hill Park) and Matt Powless (Brantford Pauline Johnson). Also, coming back after a year’s absence is centre Alen Beader (Hamilton Glendale), arguably the top rebounder in the OCAA two years ago.

Jonker has managed to land two significant players from other colleges. Tyrone Berry was an NCAA Division One prospect in his final year of high school (London Beal), before hurting his knee. He played one year at Fanshawe before sitting out last season. Guard Mackenzie Milmine, was a second team All-Star for Humber last year and played for Jonker at Brantford Assumption.

The Mountaineers will also have two significant freshmen. “Ricky Heath (guard, Glendale) is as good a shooter as there will be in the league, says Jonker. “Jerome Smith (Hamilton St. Thomas More) will give us added depth at both guard spots.”

Courtesy of Al Craig, Mohawk Sports Information


Niagara Knights
2006-07 Record: 8-6
2006-07 Post Season Record: 1-1

The Niagara Knights rolled into 2007-08 with a bang, winning their first three games, including an upset over the defending OCAA Champion Fanshawe Falcons and pushing the Knights to second in the OCAA Top-Five rankings.

Things look very optimistic for head coach Mike Beccaria so far. They have the services of last year’s leading scorer Anthony McAleese, who finished first in West Region scoring in 2006-07. Also returning are veterans Ian Harriette, Vaughn Williams and Phil Ramirez.

The Knights could improve a ton over their 8-6 record last year, as the offense has exploded with 88 PPG thus far. In exhibition play, they won the championship game at the Ernie Armstrong Classic at Seneca, with an 80-74 over Sainte-Foy, Quebec. The Knights have dedicated their season to late head coach Ralph Nero, who passed away in April.

Submitted by Randy Conlon, Niagara Assistant Coach


Redeemer Royals
2006-07 Record: 2-12
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

Redeemer will need some major firepower from their nine rookies to make a splash in the West division this year. Only Jordan DeWeger, Dave Tum and Joel Sjaarda remain from last year’s squad and their four highest scorers have departed. The Royals have come up short in both their games so far this year, but DeWeger has emerged as a strong starter, putting up 48 points, including 20 free throws. Rookie Ian Klingenberg has shown he’s capable of the 3-point shot and has chipped in 23. Coach James Buhlman would like to put some pressure their rival teams and put some wins on the board.


St. Clair Saints
2006-07 Record: 10-5
2006-07 Post Season Record: 1-1

The Saints only have four players returning from last season, among them Bilal El-Haghassan, who has chipped in 25 points in two games thus far. A couple of rookies to watch out for will be Windsor native David Korenic and 6-foot-6 guard Tyler McGarrity. Both of them appear to be good marksmen in the OCAA and have put up a combined 66 points.

Their scoring touch makes up for departed Leng Yeang and Rohan Burrell, who each averaged over 15 PPG a year ago. Saints coach Rick Muldoon is eyeing a return to the post-season, coming off a solid 10-5 campaign. They were beaten by the silver medalist St. Lawrence Vikings last winter and hope to be the West Region team competing for the championship. St. Clair lost their only pre-season game to a Michigan college and the team is currently 1-1. They don’t see action again until November 9th against Niagara.


Sault Cougars
2006-07 Record: 1-13
2006-07 Post Season Record: N/A

It is a certainty that the men's basketball team at Sault College will play more games come the '07-08 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association regular season than in previous campaigns. It is also beyond doubt that the Cougars will display a lineup that affords opportunity to local talent, in keeping with the credo of second-year assistant athletic director Scott Gray and second-year head coach Willie Greco.

For starters, the Cougars will play 18 regular-season games as part of a revamped West Region. The eight teams that made up the West Region in '06-07 all played 14 games but the number of contests has been increased to 18 for '07-08 with the addition of Sheridan College and Humber College to the schedule.

Gray, who took over as Sault College's top athletic assistant to director of student services Rick Wark just prior to the '06-07 season, began rebuilding the basketball program from scratch, with Greco as the new coach. The Cougars won just one of 14 games in '06-07 but the solo victory was over Mohawk College -- which made the last playoff spot ahead of Algoma University with a 7-7 record.

"It's going to take time to get the program to where we want it to be but there were a lot of good signs last season, like the win over Mohawk and the way we ended the season by almost upsetting Algoma right in their own gym," said Gray.

One player who's a lock to return is shooting guard Aaron Richards, a former high school standout with the Korah Colts who averaged 8.2 PPG while suiting up for all 14 OCAA matches as a Cougar rookie in '06-07. A Computer Network Technology major, Richards is looking ahead to the '07-08 season.

Toronto native Hassan Sulley will also return for his second year with the Cougars. Fans of Sault basketball will hope he can increase his 7.29 PPG average from last season, and become one of the Cougars prominent scorers.

The lineup will also feature freshmen Jay Ripplinger, a former first-rate guard at Central Algoma Secondary School and Jake Doan, a standout forward at White Pines High School last season.

Excerpts from Randy Russon, RR Media Service


Sheridan Bruins
2006-07 Record: 12-3 (2)
2006-07 Post Season Record: 0-1

After an early exit from last year’s OCAA Championship, the Sheridan Bruins are looking to rebound in 2007-08. The combination of size, speed and experience should make them a formidable opponent for anyone and will give them the versatility to compete in every game. They will look to finish near the top end of the OCAA West, as well as the league overall.

They have a strong core of returning players as well as solid new recruits that should give them the depth necessary to survive the season. The coaching staff is hoping that their upperclassmen will provide the necessary leadership to make a run to the playoffs. After a year away, Nigel Johnson-Tyghter has returned to the Bruins and last year’s rookie standout, Sheldon Sinclair, is also back. New this year is the former Central Division scoring champion, Tab Donaldson, who has transferred to Sheridan from Georgian.

Source: Ryan Kelly, Sheridan Athletics