Basketball bounces back
Basketball is back in full force on multiple fronts this week.
From a regular season perspective, impending Southern Alberta High School 4A Boys Basketball League
(www.SouthHoops.ca) clashes that could very well ultimately help determine the eventual varsity champ see Magrath visit LCI Friday, with Cardston in Magrath Saturday.
I don’t have any draws yet from local tournaments, but am aware there are five on tap. ••• The deadline for Alberta Schools Athletic Association basketball teams to declare their 2017-18 classifications comes next Monday. That means soon we’ll have the first official rankings of the season. Hopefully, all area teams meet the declaration deadline. As well, it’s incumbent on teams wishing to be ranked to get their scores from this season to the ASAA office. The rankings are important far beyond discussion purposes as they are the determining factor in wild-card allotments and play a huge role in provincial tournament seedings. ••• I see the Winston Churchill basketball boys, led by adventurous head coach Kevin McBeath, are just now returning from playing in Cuba. To me that’s a sweet cultural and sporting excursion. ••• I note LCI has stepped up and will host the previously homeless ASAA Cheerleading Provincial Championships April 6-7. Kudos to LCI athletic director and South Zone president Chris Harris who is certainly willing to take on multiple varied challenges. WELLSIE’S WORLD — I don’t imagine too many long-term readers would be surprised that lads from Magrath and Raymond are making significant current playing contributions to the University of Lethbridge athletic program. After all, just off the top of my head,
Danny Balderson (Magrath) and Ryan Heggie (Raymond) were both
recently honoured among the greatest Pronghorns of all-time.
However, they made their mark at U of L in basketball, which would likely be considered par for the course. The four Horns I’m about to note here play hockey.
Magrath products Mitch Maxwell, Russell Maxwell
and Tyler Hansen, plus Raymond’s Brooks
Maxwell, have a combined 14-plus seasons of Western Hockey League experience to draw on. Last week, Brooks made his Canada West debut with two assists as the squad split with then No. 3 nationally ranked University of Saskatchewan here. This weekend the Horns go home-and-home with Calgary’s Mount Royal University, playing in the ’Bridge Saturday evening at Nicholas Sheran.
Mitch and Russell are brothers, while Brooks is a first cousin.
Brooks recorded 59 points in his last WHL season. In the interest of full disclosure Brooks’ dad Brent is without question my all-time favourite U of L basketball player. The extended Maxwell family is certainly one of the most athletic in the area’s history.
The Hansen clan are very athletic, too. From what I can gather from those who know expenentionally more about puck chasing than this scribbler, only injuries have held rangy reaguard Tyler back throughout his elite career. These three Maxwells are all forwards.
All four Westwind School Division grads served church missions following their WHL careers before suiting up for U of L. Unlike major junior, Canadian university hockey is filled with grown men.
Mitch is in his fifth and final year of university playing eligibility. It would not surprise me in the least if these Horns went on a very strong second semester run.
Tyler (third year), Russell (second) and Brooks (first) have plenty of time to build their U of L legacies, too.
It’s a very busy weekend for local post-secondary sporting action.
Lethbridge College basketball teams host Red Deer Friday night and Saturday afternoon. U of L women’s hockey entertains MRU Friday evening. As well, the U of L basketball teams see UBC visit the ’Bridge Friday and Saturday evenings.
As hosts, the LC men’s hoops team receive an automatic berth in the conference Final 8 Playoffs. I have heard multiple rumours of roster additions this semester. It will be interesting to find out what degree those rumours are truth or fiction.
I’ve been looking forward to the impending last six games of the men’s U of L basketball regular season ever since I was made aware of the schedule. The universally regarded top-three teams in the loop, UBC (two games here this weekend), Calgary (home-and-home after a bye week) and Alberta (two here) are on tap. U of L were ranked fourth in the 17-team loop coaches pre-season poll and had posted a 10-2 mark at the Christmas break. Alas, DeJon
Burdeaux, a returning Canada West all-star and very serious AllCanadian candidate this season, has suffered a leg injury, missing two losses in Manitoba last week. From what I can gather there is no way he’ll be back this week and the future is TBD. Thus, there is a significant opportunity for his mates, most of whom are local high school products, to step up and fill a massive void. Sounds like a fun challenge to get behind.