- Gaels: Working the Google on the Internet machine turned up a clip of 6-foot-6 forward Bernard Burgesson, who's listed as a Queen's commit, dunking in a Nova Scotia high school game.
Share that with people who say there's no dunking in the CIS ... he's not even on campus yet. Some effort will have to be made to find out more about Burgesson, to see whether he can develop into the slasher who'll complement the Gaels' 3-point gunners. A grainy YouTube clip doesn't say it all.
For whatever reason, there's a tendency to be excited at the news that Rob Smart has landed a pair of lanky bigs from the Left Coast, in 6-foot-7 bigs Jeff Lightburn, who played in B.C.'s high school all-star game, and Oliver Friesen, from Southridge, a high school power in the Fraser Valley. Lightburn is the younger brother of former Gael Ben Lightburn, by the way (thank you, Facebook). Friesen is from Surrey, B.C., so he and our man Andrew Bucholtz from Sporting Madness should have plenty to talk about. - Ravens: The big get seems to be 6-foot-7 post Dan Penner from Miles Mac in Winnipeg. His notices all seem to say the same thing -- good size, smooth mid-range shooter, which . Among the locals coming in, 6-foot-5 wing Anthony Ashe seems to be the classic Carleton sleeper -- wasn't noticed much in high school, but Smart knows better. Kyle Smendziuk is coming in with a little more fanfare. He was a big lynchpin on the provincial team the past couple years, plus he's out of Kanata, which is good area of the city for hoops.
- Gee-Gees: Rebounding isan attitude, but size and length helps. Dave DeAveiro's recruits -- a CEGEP kid, 6-foot-9 Matt Michaud from Montreal, and 6-8 hometown kid Louis Phillippe Gauthier, who's two years out of high school -- reflect a need have more options in the post beyond Dax Dessureault. Ottawa was second (to you know who) in the OUA rebounding margin last season without having a player in the top 10 in the league. It had three in the top 20, but that included graduating swingman Sean Peter.
Some of the reports also say that point guard Max Clarkson from Peterborough, who led his high school team to the provincial tournament, could be a sparkplug.
Hoopstars Canada, run by Barry Hayes, is a good off-season source if you can't wait until the schools start sending out press releases in the middle of June, or until, you know, it's actually basketball season.
(On a related CIS note: Former Gaels offensive lineman Cody Kennedy was released by the Calgary Stampeders. He'd had back and knee ailments during camp.)
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6 comments:
Any idea if Jeff Lightburn is the younger brother of one time Gael and basketball superfan Ben Lightburn?
Looks good for the Gee Gees this coming season. The knock on them last year, was that they had a young inexperienced bench behind the top six or so veterans. With the probability of losing only one player, Peters to graduation, and the young bench coming back a year older and having gained some playing time last season, they should have better depth. Looks like they concentrated their recruiting on adding some size to the line-up.
The Gees Gees are having their gym renovated this summer, and will offer premier club seating for the first time this season.
Ben Lightburn is also a Vancouverite (Vancouverian?), so it's possible.
I like this new West Coast offence, and it's especially cool to see a fellow Surreyite join the Gaels: he'll be just the third person, counting myself, from that city of 300,000+ that I know to be at Queen's. Perhaps the Kingston stolen-car market isn't good enough to attract us students from Surrey?
Talked to Cody yesterday,
It was actually his back that led to his being released. He had received treatment on his knee and hurt his back the next day.
He hopes to give it another try next year.
Thanks for this, V, the Calgary paper said it was his knee. Cody was fifth-year in '07, so what does he do to stay ready?
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