Two former Hamilton St. Jean de Brebeuf H.S. players Sam Hattin and Tyrell Edwards are freshmen at Erie Community College in Buffalo and Vincennes Junior College in Indiana respectively. Erie J.C. is a power at the Division II level and Vincennes is a perennial top twenty program at the Junior College Division I level. Hattin and Edwards attended prep schools in the United States last year. Former Burlington Assumption H.S. big man Chadrack Lufile was attending Vincennes as well but may be in the process of transferring. He attended a high profile junior college in Florida last year but sat out most of the season because of injuries. As a high school senior, Lufile was on the radar screen of many high-major programs south of the border.

CIS NEWS & VIEWS

Eyebrows of coaches and CIS fans around the country had to be raised early in October when the Carleton Ravens stomped the Bishop's Gaiters 85-25. There are always rumours early in the season that Carleton may be vulnerable but like rumours that Santa Claus does exist, they are highly suspect. The Ravens have roared out of the gate undefeated and have played one of the top pre-season schedules in the country. If the Ravens stay healthy and motivated through the long season, they may be again hoisting a CIS championship trophy at Halifax in March.

Some pundits have been predicting a down year for the Toronto Varsity Blues who graduated four starters last year. The huge victory over a smoking hot St. Francis Xavier team proves that veteran coach Mike Katz still has some good talent in his stable. Cornell transfer Alex Hill looks like a great find for the Blues and Hamilton freshmen Matt Savel has been excellent. Look for the Blues to be a major factor in the OUA East race this year which is wide open after you concede first place to Carleton.

The OUA coaching carousel has lost another veteran coach in Rob Smart who called it quits this past week in Kingston. Without the graduated Mitch Leger in the lineup this season it was going to be tough for the Gaels to make the playoffs in a very competitive OUA East. With the high academic standards at Queen's and only being a part-time coach with less financial support than most other OUA programs, it is hard to compete with programs like Carleton, Ottawa and Toronto for the best basketball talent in the province. If Queen's ever gets serious about any other sport besides football then they may be able to retain good coaches and be competitive in the increasingly tough OUA.

HIGH SCHOOL SCENE

My pick for the OFSAA Quad "A" gold medal this year is the Whitby J.Clark Richardson Storm who were 49-5 last year and won six tournaments. They lost a barn burner quarterfinal game to eventual champions the Oakwood Barons. Coach Mike McFetters has four starters back from last year including three Durham Region all-stars. Guard Aaron Redpath and 6'4" forward Leon Alexander are ranked in the Top Thirty Senior Players in Canada as well as ultra-quick PG Tyrell Samuels 6'1". Both Redpath and Alexander are on the radar screens of school's on both sides of the border. The Storm have a stacked tournament schedule including the Pinky Lewis Tournament in Hamilton where they may meet the Loyola Hawks from Oakville in the finals, who are another serious OFSAA contender.

Despite heavy graduation loses including star off-guard Julian Clarke, the defending OFSAA champions Oakwood Barons will again be strong contenders for a gold medal next March in London. They have rising grade twelve star guard Kenny Blake 6'1" to anchor the back court and two quality big men patrolling the front court in 6'6" grade ten phenom Tyrell Green and 6'7" Isiah Watkins, who both played for Ontario's provincial team this past summer. With some excellent junior talent joining the senior squad, the Barons will be in the thick of things all year. Hamilton fans will see them at the Silver Fox tournament in January.

My sleeper team in the GTA this year are the Brampton Fletcher's Meadow Arrows. Long time coach Jonathan Graham has three Peel region all-stars from last year back plus five juniors from the Region of Peel junior finalists last season. Sweet shooting Richard Iheadindu 6'1" leads the Arrows but is pushed hard in practice by athletic swingman Cudjoe Masuka 6'3" and man-child Shaquille Keith 6'3". Grade 11 post Denzell Taylor 6'6" brings size and athletic ability to the front line. The Arrows are skilled, athletic and big. They could win the always tough Peel Region League and advance to OFSAA in London next March. Hamilton fans will see them at the Silver Fox tournament as well.

THE RECRUITING TRAIL

The best group of big men in Ontario this year reside in the Capital City Region. This plays right into the hand of uber-recruiter Dave Smart of the Carleton Ravens. Top Ten ranked forward nationally Justin Shaver from John McCrae H.S. is already committed to the Ravens program for next year. 6'11" centre Ryan Evans from Earl of March H.S. and 6'7" forward Jean-Pierre Charles from Ashbury College play for the Ottawa guardsmen which is of course Carleton's OBA farm team. Both young men are ranked high on national recruiting services. Other bigmen with upside in the area include Vule Grajic 6'8" from Holy Trinity H.S. in Ottawa who was a final cut from the Ontario U17 team and 6'9" Grant Konink from Tagwi H.S. from Berwich, Ontairo - a small town just outside of Ottawa.

A number of American Division I schools have been through Ontario this year to see Hamilton REDA swingman Brian Rouse 6'3" and Whitby Anderson combo guard Justin Edwards 6'2" who both may be off the recruiting board by November. Both are excellent students and should qualify easily through the clearing house.

Three Ontario shooting guards are big targets for CIS schools this year. They are Adam Pressuti 6'2" from Oakville Loyola, Aaron Redpath from Ajax J.C. Richardson and Joe Rocca from Sarnia St. Christopher's. All could be immediate contributors as freshmen at any CIS program in the country. Look for a dogfight amongst Canadian schools for their allegiance this winter.

Three point guards who will be heavily recruited from the GTA this winter are Grant Mullins 6'1" from REDA, Mike L'Africain 5'11" from Oakville Loyola and Scott Morrison 6'0" from Richview H.S. in Toronto. All are good students and could step in and help many CIS programs next year.

A rising big man in the GTA is Collin Holder from the Y.A.A.A.C.E prep program in Toronto. The ultra-athletic Holder 6'9" has exploded on the scene within the last five months and has begun to get major interest from Division I programs. Holder needs to improve his academics so he may have to go the JuCo route for school next year.

Congratulations to Waterloo Bluevale swingman Stefan Cvrklj and Newmarket Dr. Dennison H.S. point guard Kevin Pangos for scoring scholarships to Lehigh and Gonzaga. Well done gentlemen.

Yours in basketball,

Jim Thomas

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