Canada Basketball's Hamilton-based NEDA program had outstanding success internationally in March and April. After a great fifth place finish at the Albert Schweitzer tournament in Germany in late March.

Coach Greg Francis took fifteen players with him and split the team into two squads. The U18 team won seven games in a row and won the gold Division. The U17 squad went 4 and 1 and reached the quarter-finals before losing to the eventual winner of their division. Rob Gagliardi, Manny Arop, Mike Allison, Roger Dugas and Evaldas Zabas played consistently well throughout the tournament. Coach Francis told me the two teams created quite a stir amongst the many Division I programs who attended the event. Look for a rush of Division I programs to make a trip north of the border to see NEDA practices next fall. Several of NEDA's players in the class of 2009 are already in heavy demand by schools in the United States.

The best OBA team in Ontario right now is the Hamilton Wildcats who have beaten almost all of the good teams in Ontario. Other teams out there who are very good are the Ottawa Guardsmen, Hamilton Blessed Sacrament, the Mississauga C-Karts and Waterloo Wildhawks. The tournament in Oshawa May 23-25 should be a barn burner with some great talents on hand.

The best juvenile team in the province appears to be the Scarborough Blues No. 1 team featuring Ashton Khan, Maurice Walker, Corey Joseph and Mitch Wiggins Jr. This team is coached by David Joseph and features very big athletic line up. They appear to be the best team by far at the juvenile category in the OBA.

Toronto's Grassroots Under 19 team won the Pittsburgh AAU tournament this past weekend. This is a very good team in turns of talent and athletic ability. They excel at this level because they have a high octane offense and all five starters run the floor well. The one threat they lack is a true big man clogging the middle. The acid test for this team will be how well they do at the King James tournament in Cleveland April 25-27 which attracts the best teams from the Northeast and the Mid Western United States. The competition there should be better than the teams they faced in Pittsburgh.

THE RECRUITING TRAIL

The CIS powerhouse Carleton Ravens have four commitments and will possibly have five early this month. Coach Dave Smart has locked up local blue chip prospects Kyle Smendziuk and Anthony Ash. He also has commitments from Manitoba's best forward in Dan Penner from Miles McDonnell H. S. in Winnipeg and Toronto forward Kevin Churchill.

Ottawa's best point guard Greg Carter from Ottawa St. Patrick's has committed to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

Alberta's best big man prospect Dominyc Coward will suit up for the Calgary Dino's next year. The 6'6" Coward had a great tournament at the national junior tournament last year. He spurned several scholarship overtures from south of the border to play for the University of Calgary.

Winnipeg point guard Steve Roper who is one of the best point guards in the country will move all the way across the country next year to the Cape Breton Capers with his older brother who played at Lakeland College in Manitoba next year.

Adam Dobriansky, a 6'10" centre in his sophomore year at Monmouth University in New Jersey will return to Winnipeg and suit up either for the University of Winnipeg or Manitoba. Dobriansky will sit out next year at either school as a transfer.

University of Toronto coach Mike Katz has a commitment from 2007 CCAA player of the year Pat Sewell 6'5" to attend U of T next year. Sewell is upgrading some academic courses to get into the faculty of Education at the University of Toronto.

Tallon Milne, a 6'8" centre from Nechako Valley H. S. in Vanderhoof B.C., recently committed to Simon Fraser University in BC. Milne was the second best big man in B.C. this past year behind Mark Trasollni.