Canada Elite in Los Angeles, CA

The Canada Elite 16U & 17U teams travelled to Los Angeles, California with an aim to advance to the finals in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The 16U team fell short against DC Premier with a score of 64 - 77. Top scorers included:

Jayden Coke: 13pts & 4 rebounds.

Jahbril Price-Noel: 11 points, 2 rebounds & 3 assist

Daniel Sackey: 11 points, 1 rebound & 5 assists

Unfortunately Washington Supreme took the lead in the first half & finished strong to beat the 16U team, 51 - 62. Top scorers of this game:

Gareth Anstess: 7 points 5 rebounds, 1 assist

Jahbril Price-Noel: 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Raheim Sullivan: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

With an outstanding performance from Raheim Sullivan, he paved the way with a score of 22 points, alongside a total of 4 rebounds & 4 assists to take the win against Beast Mode. Overall, the team played with great chemistry & in addition to Sullivan's performance, heavy efforts came from:

Atik Gilao: 10 points, 2 rebounds

Jahbril Price-Noel: 12 points, 6 rebounds & 2 assists

Daniel Sackey: 18 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists

Finally, to end the weekend, a very close game took place against New Heights. Canada Elite - 66 & New Heights - 69.

Gareth Anstess: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Jayden Coke: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Atik Gilao: 9 points, 4 rebounds

Jahbril Price-Noel: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Daniel Sackey: 20 points, 3 rebounds 2 assists

With heavy efforts, the Canada Elite 17U team also went 1 - 3 over the weekend. To start, they had fallen short against SportsU 51 - 57. Top scorers:

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Mattia Colangelo: 9 points, 2 rebounds

A tight game between 1Nation, Canada Elite 17U took the win with a score of 61 - 60. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists

Prince Oduro: 8 points, 3 rebounds

Josip Vrankic: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Josip Vrankic shot well from the field as well as the line allowing him to put 21 points on the scoreboard (also achieved 8 rebounds) but they had fallen to Splash City 83-78. Outstanding efforts also came from:

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Jordan Henry: 18 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists

Lastly, in a close game vs. Houston Defenders, Canada Elite fell short 68-71.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists

Jordan Henry: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists

Prince Oduro: 10 points

Josip Vrankic: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Check out the video below for some brief highlights from the weekend!

Canada Elite in Indianapolis, IN

The Canada Elite teams had a week to recover from UAA Session 1 to come back even harder at UAA Session 2 in Indianapolis, Indiana. All the games took place at Best Choice Fieldhouse.

Canada Elite 17U. Photographed by Meliza Hernandez.

Canada Elite 17U went 2 - 2 for the weekend defeating Illinois Wolves & Showtime Hoops but fell to Philly Pride & KC Run GMC.

Canada Elite 16U. Photographed by Meliza Hernandez.

Canada Elite 16U went 1 - 3 taking the W with a clutch layup from Daniel Sackey to get the team up by 1 vs. Indy Hoosiers on their home court. Unfortunately they had fallen to Illinois Wolves, Team Rio and SportsU.

Canada Elite 15U continued to stay strong in the second session of the circuit by going 3 - 1 for the weekend. Unfortunately they fell to Indy Hoosiers but they fought hard and finished strong vs. Philly Pride, Team Charlotte and Atlanta Xpress.

What a coincidence that the Indiana Pacers were the team that the Toronto Raptors would face in the first round of the NBA Playoffs! Yes, I got a chance to check out the fourth game of the first round, LIVE in Indiana. They defeated us but heck, my seats were great and the price was nothing compared to ACC pricing so I'm satisfied!

Canada Elite in New York City, NY

After a long 8-9 hours of driving. We finally made it! Upon arrival in New York City, we checked into our hotel, and off we went to Pier 36. 

Pier 36 is also known as "Basketball City," if you're from Toronto, it was like a HoopDome but larger, and I wasn't whipped away with the smell of sweat upon entering!

Saturday morning arrived, and to start it off, the 15U team won their first game. They faced We R1, Connecticut Basketball Club, DC Blue Devils, and New Heights. Canada Elite 15U went 2-2 during their first session.

Canada Elite 16U Team. Photographed by Meliza Hernandez.

Canada Elite 16U also went 2-2. They faced Team Charlotte, Louisiana Elite, Baltimore United, and 1Nation. They are looking forward to their next upcoming challenges in the next couple sessions.

Canada Elite 17U Team. Photographed by Meliza Hernandez.

The 17U team (1-3) fought hard throughout all four games this past weekend. The teams they faced were Indy Hoosiers, DC Premier, Team Thad, and Team Felton. They hustled, did their best, and are looking to come back even stronger throughout the rest of this circuit. 

Canada Elite 16U & 17U. Photographed by Meliza Hernandez.

The 16U & 17U team along with coaches, and managers shared a team dinner on Friday Night at Local located at 1 Penn Plaza.

Canada Elite 14U were at Proving Ground Session 4, which also took place in New York, and they made a success of it.

I'm looking forward to witnessing more basketball talent throughout the next few sessions. This including the Canadian Youth Basketball League sessions, which take place in Toronto. It was amazing to see the amount of College and University coaches there who are looking for future prospects. That tells me that talent can be found anywhere despite the circuit.

Be sure to check out the highlights from the 16U team in the video below.

2nd Annual BioSteel All Canadian Basketball Game

The BioSteel All Canadian Game features the top 24 male athletes born in 1997 or later who are either Canadian-born or enrolled in a Canadian institution. All provinces and territories are represented with a seat on the selection committee or through athlete, coach and high performance staff participation.(BioSteelAllCanadian.com)

Shortly after my competitive playing career, I realized how vital high school years are to playing the game. Not only physically, but mentally as well.

"It's not about hard work, it's about working hard." - Kathleen Westmaas

My high school principal said it best. Thinking about it isn't going to get you anywhere, doing what you got to do to get it done is what will get you there. These young male athletes displayed that last night. First thing's first, being selected to be a part of the All Canadian team is already an impressive accomplishment but proving why you're a part of it on the court is another thing. 

I witnessed some great high school talent at this game. Highlights included the first half, where Team Red worked to maintain the double-digit lead. Throughout the second half of the game, the determination and fight to comeback by Team White, prospered. With less than a minute on the clock in the fourth, Team White was able to take the lead by two, and such an exciting series of events began! With two chances at the line to tie the game, Team Red wasn't able to finish, and Team White took the W (120 - 118).

Definitely looking forward to the future of Canada Basketball, and a huge congratulations to the BioSteel All Canadian athletes, coaches, and staff for another successful event!

via @BioSteelAllCdn Twitter.

Put me in, coach!

Photo created with MyIdol App.

Player, Team Manager, Scorekeeper, On-Court Assistant, you name it. A game I played competitively for over six years, and a game I continue to play recreationally when I can. I developed a love for this game at a young age, and do what I can to keep myself involved with it.

Whether it is on the court, on the sidelines, in the bleachers, or warming the bench, basketball will always be a part of me. The game has taught me to work hard, learn to accept, and become a better person every day. 

I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with basketball that are upcoming, as well as some from the past!