With a field of five teams ranked in the top 10 senior boys AAAA basketball squads in the province, another four earning honourable mention and the second-ranked AAA side, the annual Kodiak Klassic tournament at Heritage Woods and Dr. Charles Best secondary schools represents a formidable start to the hoops season.
Kodiaks’ coach Roj Johal hopes it will be a valuable learning tool for his unranked team.
"How we approach and learn from these games will set the tone for the rest of the year," he said.
"It’s also a chance for individual players to find their roles within the team and for us a squad to build our identity."
The Klassic tips off bright and early Thursday, Nov. 28, with a game between fifth-ranked Vancouver College Fighting Irish and the Abbotsford Panthers, at Heritage Woods.
The host team plays the Holy Cross Crusaders, which received an honourable mention in pre-season polls, at 1:45 p.m. at Heritage Woods.
Johal said the early challenge will be a measuring stick of the Kodiaks’ effort during practices.
“It gives us a chance to see how our preparation translates into real-time situations.”
Among the teams strutting their stuff in a big way for the first time this season is Nanaimo’s Dover Bay Dolphins which is making its debut at the AAAA level after winning the provincial AAA championship last season.
The Dolphins are led by star siblings, Frank and Joe Linder.
Frank Linder was named the most valuable player of last year’s AAA provincial championship tournament while Joe was a second team all-star at the U17 Canadian national championship in August.
“[The Dolphins] are going to be a handful for any team,” said Johal.
Perennial powerhouse, third-ranked Burnaby South Rebels, will also be at the Klassic, along with fourth-ranked Oak Bay, number five Vancouver College and ninth-ranked Sullivan Heights. Aside from the Crusaders, other honourable mention teams include Semiahmoo, Kitsilano and the Kelowna Owls.
Johal said other players to watch include sophomore Ethan Muvundura, who played for the senior team at Dr. Charles Best last season despite being only in Grade Nine, and the Kodiaks’ own Afu Bullock, a point guard who can do it all.
The tournament’s championship final is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 30, at 8:45 p.m., at Heritage Woods.
The rest of the schedule is online here.
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