Fresh face
Titans release one Canadian, sign another
KITCHENER — The KitchenerWaterloo Titans might have found a solution for their streaky shooting by swapping one Canadian guard for another.
The National Basketball League of Canada expansion team signed former Oregon Ducks sharpshooter Jason Calliste, from Scarborough, this week.
Calliste, 27, comes to the Titans from the NBA D-League’s Maine Red Claws and with a favourable recommendation from the Boston Celtics affiliate’s head coach, Canadian Scott Morrison.
The six-foot-two shooting guard set a school record at Oregon in 2013-2014 with a PAC-12 leading 50.4 per cent efficiency rating on three-pointers.
He also played a couple seasons at the University of Detroit Mercy where he was regarded as one of the top snipers in NCAA hoops, with a 70.2 per cent efficiency rating including free throws.
Guards Adam Blazek and Adam Wing have handled the bulk of the third-place Titans’ perimeter shooting so far.
But they have carried “a big load,” said general manager Stu Julius, whose Titans are ranked sixth in NBLC field-goal shooting (44 per cent) and seventh in threepointers (32 per cent).
“Jason is an upgrade. He has a good college resume and has that ‘character’ piece we are looking for too,” said Julius, a friend of Calliste’s coach in Maine.
Calliste arrived in Kitchener in time for Tuesday’s practice and was expected in the lineup when the Titans were to visit the Windsor Express at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Wednesday’s triple-header at Caesars Windsor, billed as the “Clash at the Colosseum,” pitted the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawk women and men against their university rivals from the Windsor Lancers as the undercards to the TitansExpress game.
To make room for Calliste, the Titans released fellow Canadian guard Hichem BenayadCherif, of Laval, Que.
“That was a tough one,” said Julius.
“Hichem is such a good kid. We thought he could shoot and knock down some threes but he struggled this year.”
The seldom-used BenayadCherif shot a dismal 29.6 per cent on three-pointers and 37 per cent on field goals.
The Titans — who must carry four Canadians on their 12-man roster as stipulated by the league — are allowed nine roster moves this season.
So far, they’ve made two moves, including Calliste and power forward Kevin Foster, ahead of the league’s roster deadline at the end of March.
“We are being patient,” said Julius of his 6-8 (won-lost) team. “I like where we are.
“We are competing with every team we play.”
The Titans return to Windsor on Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. match at the WFCU Centre. They travel to Orangeville on Friday night.
Next home action for the Titans is Feb. 17 when Halifax visits the Kitchener Aud for a 7 p.m. tipoff.