Raso looking to protect players from last year

“Both of these scouting positions have exposed him to the highest basketball in the world,” Petko told a Wednesday morning news conference at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines where Raso was introduced as the fourth head coach in the team’s history.

“Joe Raso has proven to be an outstanding coach, instructor, Team Canada and NBA scout and, most important of all, a mentor to players and coaches.”

Season 3 at the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines isn’t scheduled to tip off until November, but Raso said he intends to begin putting together a championshipcalibre team for Petko and co-owners Jeffrey Sotiriou and Michael Skritch right away.

“This is a players’ game, but you need players who believe in the same winning culture as I do,” the 57-yearold Hamilton native said. “We will start recruiting players, both domestically and with my knowledge of the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) and ties to Basketball Canada.”

Raso, who is going to Las Vegas next week for free agent camps, also said he is “very interested in a few players we will be protecting from last year’s team.”

Raso, describing himself as a “teacher first and foremost,” is a firm believer in having everyone focussed on the same page and having clearly defined roles for everyone on the team.

“Players play, coaches coach and bus drivers drive the bus,” said Raso, who recently retired following a 32-year career teaching high school physical education in his native Hamilton.

“I have always been able to teach the ‘why’ to players, to make them understand what their roles are and what they need to do to get playing time.”

Raso hasn’t had the final say on the bench since leaving McMaster, where he won 440 games, took the Marauders to the Canadian men’s championships 12 teams and settled for four silver medals at nationals.

“I’ve been away from coaching, but I haven’t been away from the game,” he said. “I’ve been learning to get better.”

Raso, who numbers Brock University men’s coach Charles Kissi and current Niagara College head coach Keith Vassell as players he had a hand in coaching over the years, hailed the region as a hotbed for hoops at news conference.

“This is a great venue and this is a great community,” he said. “We put those wins on the board, this place is going to be rocking.”

“We want to make sure the team is worthy of this facility.”

When it comes to recruiting players, he intends to follow the advice of legendary Canadian basketball coach Jack Donahue.

“Jack said ‘Don’t ever fall in love with talent,’” Raso said. “You need players who are ready to commit, who want to win and who are ready to play together on a team.”

Raso succeeds Vassell, who led the River Lions to an 7-11 record after taking over for Grace Lokole who compiled an 18-25 record in parts of two seasons.

Ken Murray, a two-time national championship with the Brock men’s basketball program, went 5-14 before being let go as the franchise’s first coach.