CWOSSA "AAAA" All-Star Teams, News, Notes

Here's a few "items of note" from the CWOSSA "AAAA" basketball tournament at RCSS & SMHS this past weekend......

1. All-Star Teams

If I had to announce tournament all-stars, here they are......

(Note: First-Team All-Stars from Semifinalist teams; all teams have minimum one representative)

SENIOR

Co-MVPs: Andrew Beney & Stefan Cvrkalj (Bluevale)

First Team All-Stars

Andrew Beney, BCI (Co-MVP) --- Grade 12/5th Year, 6'6" C

Stefan Cvrkalj, BCI (Co-MVP) --- Grade 12, 6'4" G

Ryan Cook, JF Ross --- Grade 12/5th Year, 6'4" G

Shamlo Saeed, JF Ross --- Grade 11, 5'10" G

Rob House, Centennial --- Grade 12/5th Year, 6'5" F

Jake Robinet, SJAM --- Grade 12/5th Year, 6'7" F

Second Team All-Stars

Tyler Schneider, Resurrection --- Grade 11, 6'2" G

Jay Francis, Centennial --- Grade 12/5th Year, 6'3" G/F

Edem Ame, SJAM --- Grade 11, 6'0" G

JR Gallarza, St. John's --- Grade 12, 6'3" F

John Moi, Resurrection --- Grade 11, 5'9" G

JUNIOR

MVP: Alphonso Ellis, Resurrection

First Team All-Stars

Alphonso Ellis, Resurrection --- Grade 10, 5'10" G

Cory Kenning, Resurrection --- Grade 10, 6'4" C

Jacob Ranton, Waterloo CI --- Grade 10, 6'3" G/F

Zach Totzke, Waterloo CI --- Grade 10, 5'11" G

Filip Cvrkalj, Grand River --- Grade 10, 6'3" G/F

Second Team All-Stars

Mike Friesen, JF Ross --- Grade 10, 6'2" G/F

Tyler Van Leeuwen, St. John's --- Grade 10, 5'7" G

Malcolm Piazza, Waterloo CI --- Grade 10, 6'6" C

Tyler Bartley, Resurrection --- Grade 10, 6'1" F

Erik Sterne, Centennial --- Grade 10, 6'0" G

2. Youngsters Step Up

Both junior finalists (WCI & Resurrection) had a couple of grade nine guards at the helm. Rez's Adam Schneider and WCI's Adam Anagnostopoulos could both play senior next year while in grade 10. WCI hasn't gone that route before, but they may wish to move up Anagnostopoulos up early with the rest of their starting 5 from this year's club.

The Rez seniors, with 8 players just in grade 11 this year, have significant backcourt depth and are less likely to bring Schneider up early. He looked extremely poised out there this past weekend, and actually played all 32 minutes of the championship game (also played all 32 minutes in the pool game against JF Ross, and 30 minutes against Grand River).

Still on the subject of grade nines, Grand River's grade 9 guard Chuder Teny was a solid performer this year for the Rens. Look out for him next year as GRCI's star attraction.

Here's a quick breakdown of the number of returning grade nines among junior teams, with top potential returnee listed (if significant contributor this year):

Resurrection (4) - Adam Schneider

Waterloo CI (5) - Adam Anagnostopoulos

Centennial (5)

St. John's (7)

Grand River (6) - Chuder Teny

JF Ross (6) - Alex Turvey/Nolan Ireland

3. Royals Keep Trend Alive

With the JF Ross Royals qualifying for OFSAA, the trend of schools that win junior "AAAA" championships qualifying for OFSAA within 3 years (i.e. those juniors as 5th years) continues.

Here's a look (excluding this year) at recent junior champs, with OFSAA qualification year(s):

2002 - Waterloo CI (OFSAA: 2004, 2005)

2003 - Kitchener CI (OFSAA: 2004, 2005, 2006)

2004 - Kitchener CI (OFSAA: 2005, 2006)

2005 - Forest Heights CI (OFSAA: 2008)

2006 - Centennial CVI (OFSAA: 2007, 2008, 2009)

2007 - JF Ross (OFSAA: 2010)

2008 - St. Mary's HS (TBD)

2009 - Resurrection CSS (TBD)

4. Tiebreaker Turmoil

Since switching to the current championship pool format in 2007, the schedule has not been without its share of critics.

WCSSAA #1 and D10 #1 have to this point received the benefit of the "first and last" games, while the D5 and D8 champs play the "back to back" games --- although D8 gets D10 #2 on a back-to-back and D5 gets WCSSAA #2 on a back-to-back.

As for all teams playing "back to back" --- in senior they went 0-for-4 on Friday.

.....this leads into another issue: current tiebreak format. All 6 senior teams finished 1-1 in pool play. The current tiebreak format eliminates the worst plus minus, while the "other two" move on.

Perhaps this could be amended to the current "WCSSAA tiebreak" format (i.e. find the "first place team" and then break remaining ties head-to-head). So, take the "best" plus minus and then break the 2nd/3rd place tie on the head-to-head. In this manner, the team(s) playing the quick turnarounds are not penalized for their tired legs (Ross ran away from St. John's in the second half).

Two things are sure: (1) The best team in senior won and (2) there's not one method that's going to make everyone happy.

5. A Look to the Future

How I would "power rank" this year's 6 CWOSSA participants heading into next year:

1. JF Ross

2. Resurrection

3. Bluevale/SJAM

4. Bluevale/SJAM

5. Centennial/St. John's

6. Centennial/St. John's

.....Ross & Rez each have 8 returning grade 11s and some good juniors moving up to bolster the bench. Bluevale and SJAM will lose a couple key guys (Cvrkalj may stay but Andrew Beney leaves for BCI; Robinet for SJAM) while CCVI will have 3 key 5th years graduate (Rob House/Adrian Varilla/Jay Francis).

CWOSSA possibles for Heinbuch 2010:

WCSSAA: 3 of: Cameron Heights, SJAM, Bluevale, Southwood, Grand River

D8: Resurrection and/or St. Mary's (may be a year for 2 D8 teams)

D10: JF Ross

D5: North Park or St. John's