Tri-City Top 40 Camp -- Junior Edition -- Tips Off in Waterloo

Another year, another talented group.

The annual Junior Boys' Tri-City Top 40 Camp is underway at the University of Waterloo, and this year's talent pool is extremely deep.

It's no surprise that five of the top junior programs from this past season -- St. Mary's, Huron Heights, Resurrection, St. Benedict and Brantford Collegiate -- are well represented, with about 15 campers combined representing those schools.

Of course, the talent pool goes much deeper than that.

Here's a quick look at each of the teams; full rosters are below.

Team Wiggins
This guard-heavy group should have no problem scoring the basketball, led by four players that were regular double-digit (and 20+) scorers in the WCSSAA Junior league -- Aman Saleh (GRCI), Tomison Banjoko (WCI), Justice McKenzie (JHSS) and Josh Carere (EDSS).  

Brantford is well represented in this group, led by Aidan Vachon (Brantford CI), Ronan Vezsenyi (SJC) and Tariq Hamed (NPC).

Bradley Stephen of Resurrection, who had a nice performance in a losing effort in the D8 Junior Final, is also on the squad, alongside out-of-town talent Aaron Laranang (Milton) and Kyle Fazekas (Windsor).

Team Lillard
Team Lillard features one of the best junior-aged big-men around, in 6'7" Stefan Djukic from Huron Heights in Kitchener.  He'll be joined by his fellow Husky teammate (and CWOSSA silver-medalist), Riyad Khan.  One of the players who opposed them in that CWOSSA championship game, 6'0" guard Tyshawn Brown from St. Mary's, will join forces with those two this time around.

Kevin Martinez from Lourdes is a 5'9" guard that can fill it up in a hurry -- in fact, he averaged 25+ PPG in the D10 playoffs in helping his 3rd seeded Crusaders to the league championship this past season.

You'd think that would be a solid group, but -- as I mentioned -- the talent pool is deep with this group.  Grade 9 PG Marcus Barnes, who was a terrific performer all season for Cameron Heights, while D5 champion Brantford Collegiate guards Marcus Cohoon and Richard Spencer-Raymond will bring their winning pedigree to camp.

Assumption guards Jabari Ampadu and Nicholas Anthony, along with Alex Naovarath out of Woodstock, round out the squad.

Team Harden
6'4" Guard Trent Johnson is expected to be among the key performers for this group; Johnson played up for St. Benedict this past season at the senior ranks, and was an all-star at the annual Saints Invitational -- scoring 23 points in the championship final against eventual OFSAA Bronze Medalist Cathedral HS of Hamilton.

Johnson will be joined by a couple of D8 Junior stalwarts -- Ryan Weiss (SDCSS) and Aaron Brush (SMHS) -- as well as some notable WCSSAA talent, including 6'5" F Milos Nenadic, SJAM scoring star Tanner Eden, Cameron's Julian Fordyce, and Eastwood's Julian Eichler.

Aiden Davy (CWDHS) and Milton's Mathew Oliver balance out a team that should make some noise during the games this weekend.

Team Murray
6'5" Brock Newton, a grade 10 guard who did not look out of place at all playing up for the CWOSSA champion CWDHS Senior Falcons, headlines a crew that also features some of District 8's top junior talent -- Ethan Izzard and Ozay Davis (SMHS), Shiloh Worthy (RCSS), and Jaxon Butler-Davis (SBCSS).

Team Murray is further strengthened by a strong quartet of WCSSAA guards -- Evan Roth (GRCI), Ron Vishal (HHSS), Theo Dan (SJAM) and Ethan Hamel (KCI); Jackson Wallace, a 6'4" guard from Guelph Centennial -- who had a strong D10 campaign -- rounds out the roster.

Full rosters are as follows:

TEAM WIGGINS– RED -10
#2 Aaron Laranang – 6’0” Guard, Jean Vanier Catholic, Milton, ON
#28 Aidan Vachon – 5’10” Guard, Brantford C.I, Brantford, ON
#34 Kyle Fazekas -  5’10” Guard, St. Annes Catholic, Windsor, ON
#7 Aman Saleh – 6’0” Guard, Grand River C.I, Kitchener, ON
#26 Josh Carere – 6’2” Guard, Elmira District, St. Clements, ON
#32 Justice Mackenzie – 6’0” Guard, Jacob Hespeler HS,  Cambridge, ON
#22 Ronan Vezsenyi – 6’1” Guard, St. Johns College, Brantford, ON
#23 Tariq Hamed – 5’11” Guard, North Park C.I, Brantford, ON
#12 Tomison Banjoko – 6’3” G/F, Waterloo C.I, Waterloo, ON
#10 Bradley Stephen – 6’2” Guard, Resurrection Catholic, Kitchener, ON

TEAM LILLARD – BLUE -10
#17 Alex Naovarath – 6’1” Guard, St. Marys Catholic, Woodstock, ON
#15 Jabari Ampadu – 5’7” Guard, Assumption College, Brantford, ON
#5 Kevin Martinez – 5’9” Guard, Our Lady Lourdes, Guelph, ON
#38 Marcus Barnes – 6’1” Guard, Cameron Heights C.I, Kitchener, ON
#31 Marcus Cahoon – 6’0” Guard,  Brantford C.I, Brantford, ON
#29 Nicholas Anthony – 5’9” Guard, Assumption College, Brantford, ON
#33 Richard Spencer-Raymond -6’1” Guard, Brantford C.I Brantford, ON
#40 Riyad Khan – 6’0” Guard, Huron Heights C.I, Kitchener, ON
#21 Stefan Djukic  - 6’7” Center, Huron Heights C.I, Kitchener, ON
#1 Tyshawn Brown – 6’0” Guard, St. Marys Catholic, Kitchener, ON

TEAM MURRAY– BLACK - 10
#13 Brock Newton – 6’5” Guard, Centre Wellington, Fergus, ON
#24 Ethan Hamel – 6’1” Guard, Kitchener C.I, Kitchener, ON
#11 Ethan Izzard – 6’1” Guard, St. Marys Catholic, Kitchener, ON 
#39 Evan Roth – 6’0” Guard, Grand River C.I, Kitchener, ON  
#35 Jackson Wallace – 6’4” G/F Centennial C.I, Guelph, ON 
#18 Jaxon Butler-Davis – 6’4” St. Benedicts, Cambridge, ON
#4 Ozay Davis – 5’9” Guard, St. Marys Catholic, Kitchener, ON
#20 Ron Vishal  - 6’2” Guard, Huron Heights C.I, Kitchener, ON
#6 Shiloh Worthy – 6’3” Guard, Resurrection Catholic, Kitchener, ON 

TEAM HARDEN– GREY - 10
#9 Aaron Brush – 6’0” Guard, St. Marys Catholic, Kitchener, ON
#3 Aiden Davy- 6’3” G/F Centre Wellington HS, Fergus, ON
#30 Connor Oliver – 6’2” Guard, North Park C.I, Brantford, ON
#14 Julian Eichler – 6’0” Guard, Eastwood C.I, Kitchener, ON
#36 Julian Fordyce – 6’0” Guard, Cameron Heights, Kitchener, ON
#8 Mathew Oliver – 5’10” Guard, Milton District HS, Milton, ON
#19 Milos Nenadic – 6’5” Forward, Cameron Heights, Kitchener, ON
#37 Ryan Weiss – 6’0” Guard, St. Davids Catholic, Waterloo, ON
#25 Tanner Eden – 6’1”Guard, Sir John A MacDonald, Waterloo, ON
#16 Trent Johnson – 6’4” Guard, St. Benedicts, Cambridge, ON

Adidas Tri-City Senior Boys Top 40 Camp: Camp Recap & All-Star Selections

An excellent weekend of basketball concluded on Sunday at RIM Park in Waterloo, as the Tri-City Senior Boys’ Top 40 Camp wound to a close.  The camp provided a valuable development platform for those in attendance, while several post-secondary coaches were able to provide feedback and tips on specific things they look for when recruiting a student-athlete. 

Some of the Coaches in Attendance -- in total, there were 13 programs represented this weekend.

With many excellent players from the region in attendance, including some uncommitted prospects still looking for post-secondary opportunities, the information was invaluable.

For the camp staff, being able to select six student-athletes for the All-Star and MVP awards was certainly a difficult task, but they did an admirable job recognizing those who “brought their game”.  Here’s a look at each, along with their plans for next year:

Michael Allen, 6’0” PG – Bluevale

Allen exemplifies the point guard that you want to have on your team.  Heady, intelligent, and unselfish – he makes those around him better.  

He formed half of one of the big highlights from the weekend, setting up Eman Otong with a nice alley-oop:

Michael Allen with the dime, Eman with the flush! pic.twitter.com/Z34bpPpZWD

— Rodger Allen (@rallenwildhawk) May 12, 2018

Next year, Allen plans on returning to Bluevale for a 5^th year of High School.

Hendrik Stam, 6’8" F – Thunder Bay

Formerly out of Windsor, Stam played this past season in Thunder Bay for Winston Churchill CVS, a school that is set to close at the end of this year (merging with Westgate CVS).  As of right now, he’s planning on being back there for a 5^th year of high school, but will likely explore some Prep School options.

At a mobile 6’8”, he will fit nicely on to a U-Sports roster.  Really came into his own on Saturday, riding a wave of confidence to an all-star nod.  He displayed good instincts, racking up the rebound and blocked shots totals – including this one:

Henrik Stam with the emphatic volleyball block; protecting the paint inside for Providence. pic.twitter.com/BQq5mCnjEm

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Although you see his “big man traits”, he has a very respectable mid-range game with the ability to knock down the 12-15 foot jumper with regularity.

Ethan Passley, 5’9” PG – St. Mary’s

You can call him a spark-plug with a tremendous motor.  His shooting ability is on point (even with defenders in his face) and he isn’t afraid to take it inside the trees, where he displayed the ability to finish (knocking down a nice reverse layup and-one, for example, on Saturday).  Here he is demonstrating his passing and finishing ability on the same sequence:

#TriCity40 -- Ladera Obang and Ethan Passley keeping Providence tight with Notre Dame early on in the first scrimmage @Top40Camp... pic.twitter.com/YIv88NGyto

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 11, 2018

He’s eligible to return to St. Mary’s for a 5^th year of high school as he looks to bolster his post-secondary options.

Justin Ching, 6’0” G – St. Benedict (Cambridge)

With the lessons from the weekend being “controllable factors” and “taking care of the little things”, Ching was the camper who best emphasized those traits.  He was one of the hardest workers, listened to the coaches, did the right things, always on time, took pride on the defensive end, and had an excellent attitude.  In other words, the ideal teammate. 

Ayden Jackson, 5’11” G – SJK

After playing at Guelph CVI, Jackson was at SJK this past season.  He states that he will be returning for a 5^th year of high school, although it will be at a different Prep School.

Has the traits you’d expect from a guard, and has the ability to score in multiple ways – during the games this weekend, he was equally adept driving to the hoop, hitting the mid-range jumper, or knocking down the three-pointer.  Also an underrated, tenacious defender.

Co-MVP:  Khaled Djabo, 6’1” G, JF Ross

Djabo is arguably the quickest player end-to-end with a basketball in the CWOSSA region.  He can attack the basket, hit jumpers, and has awesome athleticism for a 6’1” guard – he recorded a couple of blocks coming in from weak-side help during the games.

He was the best player overall on the floor on Friday night, doing a bit of everything, and continued his strong play throughout the weekend.

Although recognized as the D10 MVP, he was a bit of a hidden gem outside of the Guelph area.  We saw some of his exploits in helping the the JF Ross Royals, a 5^th place team in the D10 league this past season, to two playoff upsets with 33 and 31 points, respectively – and a berth in the D10 finals. 

Djabo committed last month to George Brown College in Toronto (OCAA).

Co-MVP:  Trey Wilson, 6’3” G/F, St. Joseph’s (Barrie)

The 6’3” guard/forward from Barrie St. Joseph has the physical tools – and the game – to have success at the post-secondary level.

Wilson gave glimpses of that during the weekend’s games, particularly on day two when he capped his team’s end of first-half run with a three-pointer and then a vicious dunk.  He also runs the floor well, and has solid finishing ability around the rim, like this example:

Layee Jabateh finding Trey Wilson in transition; also another assist by him to Zach Jones on the next trip to put ND up 7.  #TriCity40 @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/lfaFiBX4kA

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Other Top Talents

There was certainly a lot of talent in the gym this past weekend, and there were a lot of players that could make a post-secondary roster when their high school careers are through.  I spoke at length with several coaches about area prospects – here are a few that caught their eyes, as well as mine, this weekend:

Kanayo Nnadi (ECI)

Eman Otong (GPSS) – Committed (Mohawk College)

Zach Cudmore (CWDHS)

Layee Jabateh (ECI)

Jody Brown Jr. (SMHS)

Mahier Mohamed (RCSS)

Abdei Hamad (ECI)

Terrell Lloyd (College Ave)

Kuel Thomas (HHSS)

Darius Skinner (Pickering)

Ladera Obang (SJK)

All of the photos are courtesy of the Adidas Top 40 Camps Facebook Page.

Day 2 Recap: Tri-City Senior Boys' Top 40 Camp in Coordination with Adidas Brand

Day two at the Tri-City Senior Boys' Top 40 Camp is in the books, and the bar was certainly raised from the opening evening.

Right off the bat, with opening drills, one could tell that the "compete level" and intensity -- something that Nipissing University Assistant Coach Stephen Hong stressed in addressing the campers -- was a touch higher than it was the evening prior.

As teams split up to their respective teams and were pushed through the paces by the coaching staff, it was clear that some of the messages that had been stressed -- especially in terms of mental toughness, coach-ability, and the like -- were being taken to heart.

Camp director Imad Qahwash agreed.

"Our players individually definitely stepped up on two.  They battled, worked hard and really tried to apply the instruction from the staff into game situations," he noted.

"It was great to have a couple of U-Sports coaches on hand to speak to our kids directly as a group and explain the importance of being a student-athlete and some of the things that they need to do to get to the next level and succeed -- I'm very proud of our guys and the region as a whole," he said.

After being pushed through their camp stations, Joga World was on hand to take the campers through some regenerative yoga for athletes, with some yoga poses that basketball players can add to their maintenance routine.

The Games
"Raising the bar" was the theme of the day, and this trend followed into the games on Saturday, where certain players settled in to the elite camp environment and found their comfort zone.

Among those were a pair of Providence guards, athletic slasher Abdei Hamad and dynamic PG Ethan Passley. 

As they took on Kansas in the camp's opening game on Saturday, both got off to excellent starts.  Hamad got himself free for a couple of dunks in the first half, while also demonstrating three-point range and a solid mid-range game, as well.

Abdei Hamad with the midrange game 2, and followed this up with a BIG block on the other end.  Providence rolling, up 21-10. #TriCity40 pic.twitter.com/zY8xgDnM32

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Passley, meanwhile, had another commitment and was only able to play the first half of this one, but made his impression felt.  He started things off with a three-pointer of his own, and also finished inside with a nifty reverse layup for an "and one" opportunity.

In a similar script to Friday evening's game, Kansas again got off to a slow start.  Opportunities were there, and good shots were being taken, but they were not dropping.

Meanwhile, Jordan Rogers (GPSS) did a great job on the offensive glass for Providence.  He picked up a couple of offensive rebounds that resulted in second-chance baskets, including one of his own on a put-back layup.

Hendrik Stam, a 6'8" post player who was in Thunder Bay this past season, also really made an impression for Providence on day two.  He used his size on the interior to finish a couple of baskets on the interior, while his length was making things difficult for Kansas on the other end -- he tallied a couple of blocks in the first half.

Taking a 17-point lead into the second half, you had to admire the "compete level" of Kansas.  This was a team that could have folded, but they definitely didn't quit.

Although things started similarly to the first half -- with Rogers and Michael Sieber providing some offense, and Stam doing things like this on the defensive end....

Henrik Stam with the emphatic volleyball block; protecting the paint inside for Providence. pic.twitter.com/BQq5mCnjEm

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

You knew that Kansas has the players to make a push.  After all, their top trio of Kanayo Nnadi, Kuel Thomas, and Zach Cudmore were among the best CWOSSA players all season.

Those three were able to contribute alongside Keaton Thornton, who sliced his way inside for back-to-back buckets -- and Darius Skinner, the Pickering product who hit a three-pointer in transition inside of a minute to go that cut the lead all the way down to single-digits.

It wasn't enough in the end, though, as Providence held on for the 57-47 win.

Arkansas vs. Notre Dame
The second game of day two featured a couple of teams looking to pick up wins for the second consecutive day.

A couple of out-of-town prospects joined Arkansas for day two, including Matt Bardoel (St. Anne Tecumseh) and Noah Balogun, a 6'6" forward from Barrie with a huge wingspan.

For Notre Dame, Mahier Mohammed, one of CWOSSA's premier scorers this past season, got himself -- and his teammates -- going early.  He scored 5 early points and found Jody Brown Jr. with a nice assist as ND took an early 8-7 lead.

Balogun, on the other end, was making an immediate impression -- he found Diego Garcia for the game's first basket, and picked up a couple of first half baskets, including this one:

6'6" Noah Balogun getting inside for Arkansas; still a tight one here with Arkansas up 2.  #TriCity40 @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/lH6xo219gB

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Notre Dame's Trey Wilson had a nice finish to what was a tight first-half; he hit a nice step-back three-pointer and then had a monster slam off of a Notre Dame steal.  His 5 points enabled Notre Dame to take a 32-26 lead into halftime.

The second-half started in back-and-forth fashion, with several lead changes.  Mahier Mohammed (ND) played the passing lane well, racking up a couple of steals -- one of which he took coast-to-coast for a layup.  He had a quick scoring spurt of 7 points in a couple minutes.

Meanwhile, Layee Jabateh was in "create" mode on Saturday, finding Trey Wilson in transition (below) and then getting another assist to Zach Jones as Notre Dame took a 7 point lead.

Layee Jabateh finding Trey Wilson in transition; also another assist by him to Zach Jones on the next trip to put ND up 7.  #TriCity40 @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/lfaFiBX4kA

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Ayden Jackson also had some nice contributions for Notre Dame down the stretch, but Arkansas wouldn't go away.  One of the top performers on day one, Khaled Djabo (Arkansas) did his part to keep his team within striking distance -- and a late assist by him to Balogun (who made a nice mid-air adjustment) made it a two-point game with around 2:00 to go.

Bluevale's Michael Allen, though, had other plans as he calmly drilled a three-pointer in transition for Notre Dame which essentially iced it.  His squad would hold on for the 65-58 victory, moving to 2-0 in the camp.

Mark's Top 5

With the theme of the day being "raising the bar", my top 5 from day two reflects five players that had outstanding performances on day two and have thrust themselves into camp all-star consideration:

Abdei Hamad (PROV) - As mentioned, he did his thing offensively for Providence, scoring inside and outside as they took care of business against Kansas.

Mahier Mohammed (ND) - Really came into his own on day two at camp; was up to his usual scoring exploits but also racked up the steals and assists.  Definitely seemed to have great chemistry with Jody Brown Jr., as those two teamed up a couple of times for baskets.

Darius Skinner (KAN) - Has been a steady performer for Kansas the first two days of camp, and his "never quit" attitude pulled Kansas to within striking distance down the stretch.  Demonstrated a solid three-point stroke and is also fearless attacking the basket.

Hendrick Stam (PROV) - Really came into his own on day two, using his 6'8" frame effectively on both ends of the floor.  Probably finished with about 6 or 7 blocked shots -- as well as causing numerous others to be altered by the shooter.

Trey Wilson (ND) - Continued his solid, steady play.  Excellent size at the SF position; demonstrated his three-point capability, and showcased his athleticism with a massive throw-down.

HM:  Ethan Passley - Although he had another commitment on Saturday and only played a half, he certainly made his impression felt in those 20 minutes and is certainly deserving of a shout-out.

HM:  Noah Balogun - You can't teach 6'6" with a 7' wingspan, and Balogun certainly used those assets to his advantage in his camp debut. 

Heading Into Sunday....

As we move into Sunday, one can certainly say that all campers have made an impression in their own right.  As a result, camp staff are going to have some tough decisions as far as all-stars and camp MVPs are concerned.  It goes without saying that players could certainly differentiate themselves by taking the words that camp coach Nathan Johnson mentioned (head coach at Orangeville Prep; older brother of CWOSSA alum Bryson Johnson) to heart:

.@coachnatejohnso doing a great job explaining the importance of taking care of the "little things", and how coaches are very cognizant of a player's comportment.  Wise words.  @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/u64OmjTcY2

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Ryerson assistant coach Borko Popic also commented on players taking care of the "controllable factors" while on the floor competing:

Former KCI star and Ryerson Assistant Borko Popic discussing decision making and "controllable factors" that he's watching for while out on the recruiting trail.  #TriCity40 @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/fmAsg8S8ve

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

With it having been a great camp so far, I'm looking forward to see how things wrap up on Sunday!

Day 1 Recap: Tri-City Senior Boys' Top 40 Camp in Coordination with Adidas Brand

Day one of the Tri-City Senior Boys' Top 40 Camp in Coordination with Adidas Brand is in the books -- and, if it's any indication of how the weekend is going to go -- it should be a good one.

From alley-oop dunks to hard-nosed defense, the opening evening certainly set the tone for the next two days.

"It was a great day 1," said camp director Imad Qahwash.  "Players are competing; a lot of talent in this region that sometimes goes unnoticed.  It was great to have most of the top players in one region in the same gym."

"Being able to see some of these players from 8th grade now develop into next level (OCAA/CIS/NCAA) talent, it's a special thing," he added.

Speaking of the next level, over a dozen coaches were in attendance on Friday.  Programs included Ryerson, Algoma, Laurier, Waterloo, Guelph, Nipissing, Toronto, McMaster, Seneca, Humber, and several prep programs.

Those coaches would have certainly been impressed with what they saw on the court, but as I alluded to in a tweet last night, also the calibre of student-athlete that this region produces:

One notable thing from @Top40Camp that won't get a lot of publicity is the calibre of kids this region produces.  From kids shaking hands of coaches in attendance and thanking them for spending their weekend in the gym  to guys helping their opponents up... (1/2)

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

Friday's festivities saw the players in attendance assigned to their (four) camp teams, and the initial camp games got underway.

Providence vs. Notre Dame

Things tipped off with a tight opening half between a couple teams with some solid talent.  Ladera Obang, considered one of the top prospects nationally in his class, came out agressively for Providence, scoring 8 of his team's first 10 points.  

#TriCity40 -- Ladera Obang and Ethan Passley keeping Providence tight with Notre Dame early on in the first scrimmage @Top40Camp... pic.twitter.com/YIv88NGyto

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 11, 2018

However, on the other end, Layee Jabateh's production was as expected.  The guard was a bully in the paint, getting to the rim for buckets as well as doing his part on the glass in conjuction with his usual hard-nosed defense.

Emanuel Otong, who helped Glenview Park to an "AA" OFSAA appearance this past season, was also solid for Notre Dame.  Otong was displaying his versatility on the offensive end, and his awareness on the defensive end where he was disruptive at the rim with a couple of blocked shots (and/or making things difficult for the opposition).

The first half ended with Notre Dame up 29-24.

In the second half, Ethan Passley got Providence off and running with a quick three-pointer, before Otong took charge with a drive for an "and one".  From there, Providence went on a bit of a run, keyed by Ayden Jackson, who had a couple of consecutive baskets including a mid-range jumper and a nice drive to the basket.  A Zach Jones three-pointer extended the lead to double-digits, and Notre Dame closed things out with a highlight-reel alley-oop from Michael Allen to Otong in a 62-46 win.

Arkansas vs. Kansas

With only 6 players on the opening evening (a couple of out of towners will join them on Saturday), you might have thought that Arkansas might be in trouble against a full Kansas roster that included Kanayo Nnadi, Zach Cudmore, Kuel Thomas, and others.

Arkansas, though, had other ideas.  Khaled Djabo (George Brown Commit / D10 MVP from JF Ross) set the tone early with an inside layup, a three-pointer, and then a steal and behind-the-back pass for an assist -- in the game's first 45 seconds.

Diego Garcia's basket (below) capped a 17-1 lead to start the game.

Diego Garcia's bucket gets Arkansas off to a 17-1 start.  Kanyo Nnadi answering on the other end for Kansas.  #TriCity40 @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/BGpO4T2pzx

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 11, 2018

Tyreak Farquharson (Eastwood) was another consistent, solid performer for the Arkansas team -- he showed his deep outside range on a couple of occasions in the first half, and helped them build a 37-19 lead after the opening 20 minutes.

Although Djabo and Farquharson did a lot of damage, Terrell Lloyd (Woodstock College Avenue) had an impressive first half as well.  Diego Garcia (JHSS), Alex Garbuio (St. James) and Ben Mascarenhas (SBCSS) also contributed nicely -- especially on the boards for an undersized squad. 

In the second half, Ethan Mercier (PHS) -- a camp all-star last year -- got things going for Kansas, running the floor nicely for a big and then converting a pass from Nnadi for two.

Darius Skinner (Pickering HS) also did his part in trying to keep Kansas on the comeback trail:

Darius Skinner getting inside for 2, but Arkansas still with a comfortable lead midway through the 2nd half.  #TriCity40 @Top40Camp pic.twitter.com/IEezkjuEyM

— CWOSSA Basketball (@CWOSSABball) May 12, 2018

But, in the end, the Arkansas team was too cohesive and made timely baskets while getting stops (one of them an emphatic block by Djabo) to extend their lead.  A couple of District 8 products finished strong -- Mascarenhas had a solid offensive board and putback, while Paolo Malacad of St. Mary's was able to get inside for consecutive layups for Kansas.

In the end, Arkansas finished up with a 78-51 win.

Mark's Top 5
In alphabetical order by last name, here are my "top five" performers from Friday night's action:

Khaled Djabo, Arkansas
Tyreak Farquharson, Arkansas
Layee Jabateh, Notre Dame
Ladera Obang, Providence
Emanuel Otong, Notre Dame

Honouarble Mentions:  Ayden Jackson & Michael Allen (Notre Dame).  Both played heady basketball, made good decisions, set their teammates up nicely, and had solid contributions in their own right.  

Saturday
Camp continues Saturday morning at RIM Park, with development skill sessions in the morning and games in the afternoon. Again, I'll be in attendance and keeping tabs on the action.

Preview: Senior Boys' Tri-City Top 40 Camp In Coordination With Adidas Brand

Back where it all began.

Seven years ago, professional basketballer and Kitchener Grand River product Imad Qahwash launched the Tri-City Top 40 Camp in coordination with Adidas Brand at RIM Park in Waterloo, a camp aimed at providing an exposure and skill development platform for area junior aged basketball players.

Among those in attendance that weekend?  Jamal Murray, the current Denver Nugget.

Although Murray eventually became the most famous Top 40 Camp Alum from that initial class, numerous others have had tremendous success in their own right.  In fact, there were around a dozen players that went on to play post-secondary basketball, including notable CIS talents Nedim Hodzic (Waterloo), TJ Lall (Carleton), Matt Minutillo (Laurier) and Mike Blumel (Queen’s).

Since that time, Qahwash has expanded his offerings to include Senior aged high schoolers as well as development (“Phenom”) camps for youth, and taken his program coast-to-coast -- from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and everywhere in between.  In total, 121 players that have attended one of his camps have ended up playing post-secondary basketball, either in Canada or the United States – with many more to come.

This weekend’s “Senior Boys Top 40” event at RIM Park is a star-studded event that features no less than (approximately) two dozen all-stars from local high school leagues, as well as a handful of prep players, and several out-of-towners wishing to test themselves against CWOSSA’s best.  In speaking with him earlier this week, Qahwash was excited to see what the weekend would have in store.

“We’ve got MVP’s from the main area high school leagues, tremendous post-secondary prospects, and a very deep talent pool,” he said. 

“In addition, we’ve got numerous post-secondary coaches and scouts that will be in attendance.  This area has become a recruiting hotbed, and it’s great to see kids these days have these sort of opportunities,” he added.

Here’s a quick rundown of the teams, including some of the notable players:

Arkansas (Red)

The Arkansas team has an interesting mix of out-of-town players and local talent, including Matt Bardoel (St. Anne Tecumseh) and Noah Balogun, a 6’6” forward with a 7’ wingspan out of Barrie.

This team is also very deep at the guard positions, keyed by D10 MVP Khaled Djabo of JF Ross (George Brown / OCAA Commit), Diego Garcia of JHSS, Gony Dak of Bluevale and Tyreak Farquharson of WCSSAA Champion Eastwood Collegiate.

A couple of D8 players who spent the season as rivals on the court – Ben Mascarenhas (St. Benedict) and Gew Chuol (St. Mary’s) will also team up for Arkansas, as will Terrell Lloyd (Woodstock College Avenue) and Alex Garbuio (Guelph St. James).

Kansas (Blue)

Scoring shouldn’t be a problem for the Kansas team, as they have several talented performers that can fill it up in a hurry.  Among them are Kanayo Nnadi out of Eastwood, an uncommitted prospect who was one of CWOSSA’s top talents this past high school season.  

Kuel Thomas, a first-team WCSSAA all-star who propelled Huron Heights to a late-season run and CWOSSA “AAA” berth, will also suit up for Arkansas, as will one of Brantford’s top talents, 6’1” shifty PG Keaton Thornton out of Brantford Collegiate.  

A couple of D8 guards, Paolo Malacad (St. Mary’s) and Justin Ching (St. Benedict) will further bolster the backcourt.

Zach Cudmore, a 6’4” forward who was the overtime hero for Centre Wellington in the CWOSSA championship game, will solidify the front-line alongside Ethan Mercier of Preston.  Both players were Top 40 Camp All-Stars from a season ago.

Out of towners Jaiden Langboung and Jerome Hughes round out the ten-man roster.

Notre Dame (Green)

On paper, Notre Dame could certainly provide some highlights – thanks in part to what should be a fun backcourt to watch.  Layee Jabateh of Eastwood, who put the Rebs on his back in a CWOSSA win over CWDHS, is an absolute bully in the paint and, despite his size, will post rebound totals often better than many forwards in the same game.

Meanwhile, Mahier Mohammed (Resurrection) was a scoring machine for the Phoenix this past season, posting numerous 30+ (and even a couple 40+) efforts. 

On the front line, WCSSAA MVP Emanuel Otong out of Glenview Park (Mohawk College commit) is sure to get his share of dunks (and blocks) during the weekend’s festivities.

That trio will surely appreciate playing with Bluevale’s Michael Allen, a heady PG who is a terrific floor general and always gets his teammates involved.

As if that wasn’t enough, Notre Dame also features Jody Brown Jr. (St. Mary’s), a guard with nice size and one of the top talents in the D8 league this past season.

I’ve heard good things about Trey Wilson (Barrie St. Joe’s), who is equally adept at finishing inside with dunks as he is out by the three-point line.

Cleaning up on the inside will be a couple of WCSSAA All-Stars, Zach Jones (SSS) who had a 35-point playoff performance that propelled Southwood to the Quarterfinal round, and Ryan Beach of Waterloo Collegiate.  Matt Pigott will also be assisting on the interior.

Ayden Jackson (formerly of Guelph CVI, now with SJK) rounds out a very deep roster.

Providence

If you’re looking for size, Providence has it in spades.  6’8” Hendrik Stam (formerly of St. Anne Windsor/Riverside but now in Thunder Bay) and 6’7” Khami Wilson (Resurrection) are big boys that will anchor the front-line alongside WCSSAA all-star Logan Cheyne of Jacob Hespeler.

Ethan Passley (D8 MVP) and Jordan Rogers of Glenview Park will team with Eastwood high-flyer Abdei Hamad to provide an electric backcourt combination.

Michael Sieber, a Woodland Christian product, put up some serious numbers (three games of 28+) this past season to keep his smaller school often competitive in a tough D8 circuit.

Rounding out yet another solid squad are Deandre Fordyce (SJK) and D10 all-star Charlie Hamilton of Orangeville.

Stay Tuned

I’ll be in attendance this weekend at the event, and providing updates and tweets from the happenings. Stay tuned for the details!