With the season winding down, it unfortunately means that the careers of some top-flight CWOSSA players have also come to a close.
With that in mind, I'm going to take a look at my "elite 8" CWOSSA recruits --- grade 12 or 5th year players that are currently on the radar of NCAA, CIS, and OCAA programs. I'll also throw in a few more names for good measure.
Keep in mind that this is just my opinion, and I'm not looking at "who the best player is right now" --- there's an element of how they will project at "the next level" involved, as well.
Keep in mind that this is just my opinion, and I'm not looking at "who the best player is right now" --- there's an element of how they will project at "the next level" involved, as well.
I've also included their "tentative" plans for next year.
1. Adam Voll, 6'7" PF - St. Mary's (4th Year)
2012-13: Returning to SMHS for 5th Year
Voll looks like he's returning to St. Mary's for a 5th year, but his life is going to get crazy in the meantime with numerous NCAA programs having started to show interest. His length, athleticism, and range out to the three-point line are already drawing the attention of NCAA coaches.
Teams already confirmed with having interest in Voll include South Dakota and Oakland University from the Summit League; Bucknell, Lehigh and Lafayette from the Patriot League, as well as Davidson and James Madison, among others.
2. Javon Masters, 6'0" G - Forest Heights (4th Year)
2012-13: Returning to FHCI for 5th Year
The fourth-year guard, a first-team WCSSAA all-star and thus a finalist for the Mike Moser (WCSSAA MVP) award, had a tremendous season with the Trojans. He's got nice shooting ability, is solid on the defensive side of the floor, and can finish at the rim ---- as evidenced by the clip below.
Masters' recruiting interest is sure to rise this coming club season, but current NCAA schools with interest include Cornell, Bucknell, Lehigh and Lafayette. Of course, many CIS schools are eager and hoping that they can lure him into staying on this side of the border as well.
3. Shamlo Saeed, 5'10" PG, JF Ross (5th Year)
2012-13: Committed to McMaster University (CIS)
Word is out that this quick-as-lightning PG has committed to the OUA's McMaster University, which would be another huge CWOSSA pick-up for the Marauders (in addition to 6'6" JHSS forward Jason Quiring, who committed prior to Christmas).
Saeed is an absolute gym-rat --- and I can confirm this based upon my brief coaching experience a few years' ago at Ross with their junior girls program. He would always be looking to get some extra shots up after school. That practice has paid off, as he's made tremendous strides from beyond the three-point arc (about 43% in the CWOSSA tournament). By the way, he's also one of the quickest players in CWOSSA and can get into the lane and do some damage there, either finishing with contact or dropping dimes to his teammates.
Saeed finished with a near triple-double in the CWOSSA final below, going for 30 points while adding 8 rebounds and 9 assists!
4. Alex Thompson, 6'1" G, St. Mary's (5th Year)
2012-13: Uncommitted
Thompson is probably the top CWOSSA unsigned talent that is graduating this year. The 5th year guard isn't
afraid of the spotlight, as evidenced by his game-winning shot at OFSAA against Hamilton Westmount.
With one of the best first-steps in the region, and the unique ability to create space to get his shot off, he's drawn the attention of all kinds of coaches (one recruiting website had him listed as a top-35 Canadian talent in this year's class).
It appears that Thompson will take his game south of the border next year, either via the Prep route or at one of his potential suitors. The most recent school to express interest in Thompson was Hartford University, out of the America East conference.
He's featured above in the CWOSSA finals video, but here's a look at the damage he did last year (2010-11 season) at the Hoopdome tournament:
5. Jacob Ranton, 6'7" SF - Waterloo CI (4th Year)
2012-13: Returning to WCI for 5th Year
A 6'7" guy that can shoot the three, isn't afraid to work on the inside and has great length --- not to mention a solid fundamental base. What's not to like?
Despite his squad coming up short, Ranton did everything he could in the WCSSAA semifinals against SJAM, pouring in 21 points (7-14 from the floor; 2-2 from three) and adding in 12 rebounds in the 41-40 contest.
With another year to go at WCI, he could be downright scary next season. In the meantime, he's on the radar of virtually every CIS school (Windsor, Laurier, Guelph, York, Queen's, Western, etc.) and has attracted interest south of the border (James Madison) as well.
6. Dani Elgadi, 6'6" SF-PF, Waterloo CI (4th Year)
2012-13: Returning to WCI for 5th Year
Nobody --- and I mean nobody --- has shot up the CWOSSA recruiting list faster than Dani Elgadi.
He's only been playing organized basketball for a few years now, and has gone from a 7th man on WCI's junior team to a WCSSAA all-star in the matter of 2 years. Oh yeah, he poured in 33 points in a game against CWOSSA champion St. Mary's earlier this season, too.
Sure, Elgadi is still working on some consistent habits that will make him very successful at the next level, but it goes without saying that the sky is the limit for this kid. He's got a nice mid-range game, and his length causes havoc on defense --- I've seen him block many three point attempts when opponents think that they're "open" (he closes quickly + tremendous wingspan).
Western, York, Queen's (CIS) and James Madison (NCAA) are among the schools that have expressed legitimate interest in Elgadi at this point.
7. Jason Quiring, 6'6" PF, Jacob Hespeler (4th Year)
2012-13: Committed to McMaster University
Returning to Jacob Hespeler after a stint at REDA, Quiring was instrumental in leading the Hawks to their first-ever OFSAA berth.
He can do things inside and out, as evidenced by a great stretch during JHSS' second OFSAA game against Windsor Herman (three-pointer, defensive rebound, offensive rebound and put-back in the matter of about :30 of game clock).
With good strength inside, he's a regular double-double threat (24 and 11 in the WCSSAA semis against Forest Heights), and his ability to his the three is big as a CIS-level forward. Sure, I would have loved to see him on the CWOSSA courts next season, but I look forward to continuing to see good things in the future from this (now) Marauder!
8. Mike Friesen, 6'3" SG, JF Ross (4th Year)
2012-13: TBD
At this point, despite a flurry of interest from CIS coaches, it looks as though Friesen will be returning to JF Ross for a 5th season.
A tremendous shooter, Friesen isn't afraid to get dirty either (great post-up skills for a guard) and already has a "next level body" with great strength and springs --- this is further evidenced by the fact that Ross enjoyed running a set play for him (alley-oop from Saeed to Friesen) several times during this past season. He nearly cocked one down one-handed against St. Mary's, which surely would have brought the house down!
After a great performance at the CWOSSA championships, look for the interest in Friesen to continue to grow!
Other CWOSSA Prospects
Here's a brief look at some other 4th and 5th year CWOSSA prospects that are drawing attention from coaches in the CIS, OCAA and even NCAA. A "*" means that the individual is in 5th year, all other players are in 4th year and are eligible to return next season.
Filip Cvrkalj, Grand River - 6'4" G/F with the type of game that CIS schools covet. Only in grade 12, he was drawing significant CIS interest last season.
Vedran Dmitrovic, Cameron Heights - 6'0" G who is slightly undersized but makes up for it with a tremendous work ethic --- and is arguably one of the smartest players on the court in CWOSSA!
Jack Simmons, Galt - 6'7" F with strong CIS interest from Western and Laurier, but may return for a 5th year at GCI.
*Mike Pereira, Rez - 6'4/6'5" F with tremendous length and ability to finish at the rim. Memorial University (NF) was involved early, while other CIS programs quickly followed suit.
Cory Kenning, Rez - 6'7" F that will be returning for a 5th year of high school. Hard not to like his size; good mid-range game as well.
Malcolm Piazza, Waterloo CI - 6'6" F, and as we all know, you can't teach size. He's a very good passer for a big man, and WCI wasn't shy to put him out on the perimeter on offense either. Already with CIS interest from U of T and York and has a few OCAA schools in the mix as well (Lambton College).
*Mike Finoro, Lourdes - 6'0" sharpshooting guard that can go off ---- just ask Stratford St. Mike's after he hit double-digit points in the last 4:00 of the game to help force overtime.
*Evan Karl, JF Ross - 6'4" forward that has tremendous fundamentals, as well as the ability to step out and hit from three. Underrated but certainly would make for a good CIS pick-up.
Marco & Carlo Zanette, Centre Dufferin - 6'3"/6'4" forwards that will be returning for a 5th year at CDDHS. Keep an eye on these guys next year; they have a tremendous understanding of the game and use their bodies well inside. Underrated abilities to hit shots out to the three-point line. Some coaches will have to put "Shelburne" in their GPS next season, for sure.
Josh Johnson, Holy Trinity - Speaking of players from the "exterior" regions of CWOSSA, Johnson is a Waterloo Wildhawk player that has some CIS interest, as well as interest from at least one school south of the border at this time. He's back for a 5th year next season.
*Reid Goindi, Centre Wellington - Heady player, great passer, great shooter. CIS potential, certainly, for this 6'0" guard.
*Ben Reyhani, SJAM - 6'0" guard who has had injury issues, but you have to admire his determination to move forward while basically playing on "one good leg" the latter part of the season. "In the gym range"; deferred his admission to UW for one year to return to SJAM, so that's likely where he'll end up.
*John Moi, Rez - 5'9" guard, so undersized, but I can see him making serious contributions on an OCAA squad. Vastly improved three-point shooter and has a motor that just doesn't stop. I'd be surprised if he's not named as a D8 first-team all-star, based upon what he did for Rez this year.
*Serge Khayipangi, Centennial - This athletic combo guard suffered an early-season knee injury which put a wrinkle in his season this year. Still a tremendous talent and can score in a variety of ways.
Sean Samuel, Huron Heights - You can't stop him, you can just slow him down. Since his days at junior, he's always been a threat to put up 30, even 40 points any time he steps on the court.
Marcus Hamilton, North Park - This fifth year guard had an unbelievable run in BCSSAA play, going undefeated and winning three consecutive championships as a senior. Talented on both ends of the floor, he's signed with Lambton College (OCAA).
Perrin Smith, Bluevale - The 6'6" forward can play inside and out and is generally considered one of the top perimeter big-men in the region. He recently committed to the University of Guelph.
Stay tuned as we're going to do up a girls' post at sometime in the next few days, too!
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