Tipping off season three
Cape Breton Highlanders open 2018 training camp with high expectations
The Cape Breton Highlanders will begin preparation on Saturday for the 2018-19 National Basketball League of Canada season.
The Highlanders will open training camp at Centennial Arena in Sydney with two sessions – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The Sydney-based franchise will begin training camp with some new and familiar faces, including new bench boss Bernardo Fitz-Gonzalez, who was hired by the team last month.
“I’ve wanted to coach in this league for a couple of years,” said Fitz-Gonzalez. “I’ve wanted to see the league and I’ve heard good things about the league and I’m looking forward to it.”
The Highlanders organization was formed in 2015 under the leadership of team president Tyrone Levingston as well as local business owners, however Cape Breton Highlanders head coach Bernardo Fitz-Gonzalez is shown near the Highlanders’ business office at 500 George Street in Sydney. The Highlanders will open their 2018 training camp at Centennial Arena in Sydney on Saturday.
the club didn’t begin playing in the league until the 2016-17 season.
Although this season will mark only the team’s third year in the league, Cape Breton has not had a winning year to date and has never made the playoffs.
In the inaugural season, the Highlanders posted a 15-25 record, and last season finished the year with a 13-27 record.
Fitz-Gonzalez, who has 20 years experience coaching in the International Basketball Federation in South America, understands the importance of winning.
“We’re going to compete every game and we start competing in practice,” said FitzGonzalez.
“I’ve called every single player a month ago and I told them that they better come to camp in the best shape of their life, work as hard as they can, be professional and come ready for training camp.”
Seventeen players will attend the club’s training camp including returning players Bruce Massey Jr. and Jamal Reynolds. Charles Boozer, the team’s first-round pick in 2018, is also expected to be in camp.
The full list of players attending the training camp was not available at press time.
Fitz-Gonzalez expects this year’s Highlanders team to be strong defensively.
“We’re going to be playing tough defense,” said Fitz-Gonzalez. “I don’t care who they are — they can be the best player in the league and score 40 points a game — if they don’t do the little things, they’ll be on the bench.”
The morning practice on Saturday will be closed to the public. The afternoon session will be open to fans from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Cape Breton will open its regular season on Nov. 16 against the Island Storm in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
The Highlanders’ home opener is scheduled for Nov. 24 at Centre 200 when the team hosts the KW Titans of Kitchener-Waterloo.