High school basketball fans interested in watching any of the OFSAA tournaments this year will have to do a lot of traveling with tournament sites in Windsor, Ottawa, Cornwall and Timmons. Anyone in the GTA who follows the high school game is going to have to fork over a lot of money for gas, hotels, meals etc for the privilege of following the action. Over the past several years basketball fans in the GTA have been spoiled by having all the tournaments within an hours drive of Toronto. With the closest site a four hour drive away in Windsor, I think a lot of local fans will stay home this year. College and University coaches will have to run all over the province in March to see as many prospects as they can. Given the time and distances involved this year, getting there will be a logistical nightmare for coaching staffs in the OCAA and OUA. I for one will be staying home due to work considerations, distance and time constraints.

I don't see anyone in the OUA West upsetting the University of Western Mustangs this year. They are home and cooled out with a first round bye and will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. This is a very mature team which always finds a way to win and should do well at the national tournament in March.

Likewise in the OUA East. Ottawa and Carleton should easily qualify for the final eight. When the tournament is in your hometown, that is a huge advantage with fan support and no travel involved. With three excellent Ontario teams in the final eight, the trophy looks like it again will stay in Ontario. The main threats nationally should come from a very good UBC team and Calgary from Canada West and St. Francis Xavier from the AUS.

The parity in the GHAC between Hamilton Catholic and the Halton teams this year is very interesting. Usually the OFSAA Quad "A" rep is the entry from the Hamilton Catholic League but maybe not this year. Current tournament results suggest that Halton League basketball is very strong this year. Assumption, Nelson, Holy Trinity, Loyola and St. Thomas Aquinas have all done well on the provincial scene over the past few months. There is going to be some outstanding playoff action in the Western part of the GTA. GHAC teams will compete very well in March at the various OFSAA sites around the province.

The OCAA races are in their final stages and the hot teams right now are Humber College in the West and Sir Sandford Fleming in the East. Humber College has set a torrid pace in the Western Conference and look like they will finish first. In the East, Algonquin is in a very tight race with Sir Sandford Fleming. Nationally, Humber, Fanshawe and Algonquin are ranked in the middle of the pack and Ontario will probably get two spots at the national tournament in British Columbia this March.

Congratulations to NEDA coach Greg Francis who was recently hired to replace coaching legend Dan Horwood at the University of Alberta. Greg is one of the good guys in the coaching game. He takes over a program with great tradition and excellent financial support. He also gets a nice pay raise and will use his many contacts across the country to lure some excellent talent to Edmonton. With the reputed financial problems at Canada Basketball and the uncertainty of the financial commitment to the NEDA program, this is a timely move for Greg. Look for some current NEDA players to follow him to Edmonton next year.

THE RECRUITING TRAIL

Kelly Olynyk, the 6'10" forward from South Kamloops H. S. recently gave Gonzaga a commitment. Kelly is quite possibly the best high school player currently performing in Canada. He recently posted a 54-point game in a tournament in Kelowana, BC. Kelly follows a long line of great western Canadian high school players like Mangisto Arop, Bol King and Robert Sacre to play for the west coast power. Kelly is the odds on favorite for our Player of the Year award which will be on this web site towards the end of March when the high school season ends across the country.

Jonathon Tull, the outstanding Pickering H. S. guard has given the Central Connecticut University Blue Devils a verbal commitment for next year. The Blue Devils also have a signed letter of intent from London Beal H. S. guard Enrico DiLoreto.

Burlington Nelson H. S. guard Brady Heslip 6'1", perhaps the best perimeter shooter in Ontario, has applied to Guelph, McMaster and Toronto and is highly coveted by all three. He has also drawn interest from low Division I school UNC-Greensboro as well.

London Regina Mundi swing man Clinton Springer-Williams will visit Brock this month with London Montcolm big man Brian Nahimana. After that the pair will then move on to visit the University of Guelph. Springer-Williams also has interest from Sacred Heart and St. Francis University in the United States.

York University is making a determined bid to pry 6'9" forward Dejan Kravic of London Westminster H. S. school but are facing heavy opposition from Western and Windsor who are heavily involved as well. Kravic has a huge upside and is an excellent student.

The University of Pittsburgh was up to see Burlington Assumption forward Chadrack Lufile, the top ranked big man in Canada recently. There has been a parade of high profile Division I programs through Burlington over the past few months. They are all fascinated by Lufile size, skills, athleticism and upside.

Burlington Assumption power forward Matt Howlett 6'7" stock continues to rise over the winter. He wants environmental engineering as a major and has applied to Guelph, Western, Windsor and McMaster.

Thornhill Vaughn H. S. point guard Josh Collins 6'0" is one of the most highly coveted point guards in Ontario and is being recruited heavily by Carleton, Western, Toronto and Windsor.

Thomas Scrubb, a Top Five prospect in the B.C. high school ranks, has verbally committed to Carleton University. The 6'5" Scrubb was heavily recruited by all the Canada West schools. Carleton, over the past two years, has gotten the best players from New Brunswick and Manitoba and now have extended their reach into B.C. for one of that provinces best players.

Owen Klassen, 6'8" from Kingston Bayridge H. S. is being heavily recruited by Northeastern University, an emerging power in the Colonial Conference south of the border.

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