(Pictured: 1st Team All-BC member, Rob Sacre goes up for the block against Tyrell Mara at last years AAA Provincials held at the Agrodome.)
DRIVE PRE-SEASON ALL-BC TEAMS 2005/06:
DRIVE has come up with a list of the top 3 All-BC teams and a pre-season “Mr. Basketball” in BC for the 2005/06 season by conducting a poll from numerous Coaches, Sports writers, and Players across the province. The rankings are based on the person with the most popular vote at that particular position. Over 50 Players and Coaches submitted their votes. Congratulations to all the players listed below and look for the DRIVE Top 25 for the final rankings of the season.
MR. BASKETBALL:
| Brent Malish: | 6’6’’ Senior – Forward (Brookswood) |
 |
Brent Malish is one of the premier talents in BC. He has great leadership skills that go along with his outstanding basketball talent. He is a long and athletic combo forward that possesses soft touch around the rim and great finishing abilities. Brent has solid ball-handling skills for a player his size. He’s a bruiser on the glass who enjoys banging bodies in the paint, but has enough natural physical ability to be an effective low post scorer. “Brent is a guy who can score from any position on the floor, whether it is a post-up or shooting the three he can finish from anywhere. He’s also a great rebounder and hardnosed defender who will do anything to help his team win” raves U-17 provincial team assistant Aaron Mitchell. With his versatility he creates match up problems wherever he plays on the court. Brent will likely be a 3 at the next level.
|
FIRST TEAM:
| Rob Sacre: | 6’10’’ Junior – Centre (Handsworth) |
 |
Rob is simply a man amongst boys on the basketball court, which is ironic considering he is only 16 and entering his junior year of high school. Rob has recently verbally committed to the national powerhouse Gonzaga Bulldogs (due to NCAA rules he’s not allowed to sign a national letter of intent until his senior year). He is coming of a tremendous summer where he was rated the 3rd best Center for his age at the Adidas All-American camp. “He’s the most dominant force inside that BC has seen in a long time. Rob is gifted with not only a great body and athleticism, but he has a great touch for a player his size. Teams this year will have a tough time scoring inside with the big fella hanging around,” says U-17 assistant Coach Mitchell. With his size and athleticism Rob has the ability to dominate games on both ends of the court. He uses his height to alter and block shots while cleaning up the defensive rebounds. He has solid post up moves and face up jumper but needs to continue to develop his offensive arsenal to excel at the next level. |
| Bol Kong: | 6’7’’ Senior – Guard (St. Georges) |
 |
Bol is perhaps the most athletic player in recent history to come out of BC. He is an outstanding slasher who finds ways to score, especially going to the hole. Has impressive composure off the dribble, especially on baseline pull-up jumper from 15 feet. Bol is a great leaper, who converts on athletic scoop shots and flat out finishes. He’s tremendous shooter, in spot-up or off-balance situations. Standing 6’7’’ he creates huge match up problems from the perimeter with his ability to shoot the ball at his size. Bol is an excellent offensive rebounder, using his length to get second and third efforts. He teams up with fellow first teammer Alex Murphy to help lead St. Georges as one of the top teams in BC this year. Bol is currently being heavily recruited by NCAA Division 1 schools including St. Mary's (CA), Iowa, Santa Clara, UBC among others. |
| Calvin Westbrook: | 6’4’’ Senior – Guard (GP Vanier) |
 |
Calvin is arguably the top player in the province this year. U-17 assistant Coach Mitchell raves about the talented swingman from the Island. “He’s the top scoring guard in BC bar none. He can shoot the three, is a great penetrator and is automatic from the free throw line. Not just a one-way guy either. Calvin can guard perimeter players with the best of them. We asked him to guard many tough players this past summer and he rose to the occasion every time.” He can be a streaky shooter at times, but still one of the purest in the BC. He has terrific elevation, discipline and poise in his form. Will take 3-pointers from well beyond the stripe and make them. Calvin uses his outside shooting ability to create mid-range shots for himself, throwing pump fakes to open up pull-up jumpers. He has the ability to play multiple positions on the court and with his size he creates match up problems on the perimeter. One of the things that separates Calvin is his fierce competitiveness and desire to win. Look for Calvin to have a huge Sr. year while trying to lead GP Vanier back to the Provincials. |
| Alex Murphy: | 6’2’’ Senior – Point Guard (St. Georges) |
 |
One of the most well-rounded point guards in the province. He contributes in virtually every aspect of the game because he has the ball in his hand for most of the game. He has a good first step and can beat his opponent off the dribble virtually whenever he likes. One of Alex’s attributes is his ability to draw defenders and find his open teammates for assists. He is creative finisher as well, if he decides to keep the ball in his own hands. Has an excellent mid-range game and loves going to the basket before the defense gets set. Owns excellent court awareness and runs the offense proficiently. |
| Ryan Murray: | 5’11’’ Senior – Point Guard (Terry Fox) |
 |
The lead guard for the Terry Fox Ravens is one of the most explosive players in BC. He is lethal scorer and playmaker, with outstanding quickness and penetration abilities. With his potent ball-handling skills he has the ability to breakdown almost any defender at will. A streaky shooter from the perimeter he posses range far past the 3 and can fill it up in a hurry. "We're hoping to see Ryan become the next Steve Nash” said Concordia Head Coach Brad Barbarick. "Being a smaller player, Ryan is extremely quick and has a lot of intangible qualities on the court." Ryan, like most good point guards makes players around him better, creating open shot opportunities for his teammates. Ryan has recently inked with Concordia University, a NAIA school based out of Portland. |
SECOND TEAM:
| Paul Woodham: | 6’7’’ Senior – Forward (Kitsilano) |
 |
Paul is a versatile forward capable of scoring in multiple ways. He’s a dependable low-post scorer, but the bulk of his opportunities come facing the basket because of his ability to shoot the ball. Has a deadly baseline jumper all the way to the 3-point range. Paul has the ability to put the ball on the floor but will usually not do bounce it more then once. He’s a very good rebounder, especially on the offensive end where he uses his size to keep the ball in play. Paul will help lead a very talented Blue Demon squad as they look to make it out of the Lower Mainland’s. |
| Jared Casey: | 6’10’’ Senior – Forward (Maple Ridge) |
 |
Jared is one of the top forwards in BC, recently inking with NCAA Division 1 San Francisco University. He’s extremely gifted physically. "Casey was highly sought after," said USF Head Coach Jessie Evans. "He has played small forward, power forward and center. He is also very athletic having played hockey, baseball and soccer at a high level. He is a power player who can also make a shot from long range.” He’s a natural rebounder that gathers for his second and third jump very quickly. His quickness in going after loose balls is very impressive. Moves his feet on defense, keeps his hands in the air, and keeps his body in front of whoever he's guarding. Jared has the body and strength enough to help lead the Ramblers back to the provincials for his senior year. |
| Brayden Janzen: | 6’4’’ Senior – Guard Forward (Claremont) |
 |
Brayden is a combo forward who possess great fundamentals. This summer on the U-17 team he was largely used at the 4 spot because of his toughness and his ability to rebound. He has a high, fluid stroke that is automatic when left opened. He is deceptively quick and works well on the wing and baseline. Brayden is more then capable of finishing inside with his size and athletic ability. He’s a solid post player with nice footwork and touch around the bucket. U-17 provnicial team coach Scott Allen likes Brayden’s versatility. “He's a quiet player that at the end of the game has filled the stat sheet with a lot of unnoticed positives. He’s developed a stronger understanding of the mental aspects of the game and it prepared his game to be ready to compete at the next level.” Brayden’s continuously developing his perimeter skills and leads a talented Claremont squad that’s looking to make a run for the provincial banner this year. |
| Scott Leigh: | 6’0’’ Senior – Guard (Handsworth) |
 |
Scott is one of the best guards in the province this year. He’s known for his incredible steal against Kitsilano last year during the provincials that helped propel the North Shore squad to a 3rd place finish. “Scotty brings intensity to the game and is always competing at his fullest. Being around the game for years has developed his cognitive ability to study the game and have outstanding anticipation. He can score in bunches and as the season goes so forward so will his confidence” says provincial team coach, Scott Allen. He’s a great all-around scorer with toughness and intelligence at the off guard position. Solid athlete and ball-handler can play the point but is more suited to play the 2 because of his ability to score. Scott can put a lot of points on the board over a short time span. Gets out in transition and finishes with a variety of different moves. He’s an excellent outside shooter with range beyond the 3-point arc. Having a presence like Sacre on the inside should open up lots of scoring opportunities for this dynamic guard. |
| Denny Dumas: | 6’ 2’’ Junior – Combo Guard (St. Thomas More) |
 |
Denny is one of the most exciting players in BC with his fearless play and incredible desire to win. He can shred defenses in numerous different ways especially from beyond the 3 point line. He possesses a deadly outside stroke and can shoot it off of the bounce or out of triple threat. He’s an aggressive penetrator with a fierce inside out move that makes most defenders wobble. “The upside on Dumas is limitless as he has an unreal work ethic and passion for the game” says U-17 assistant Aaron Mitchell. Denny’s toughness allows for him to get into the lane, absorb contact and finish through defenders drawing lots of fouls. He has a nice hesitation dribble into a tear drop finish. He’s s fine passer and playmaker but his real strength is putting the ball in the hoop. Denny has loads of potential and his work ethic and desire to be the best will take him a long way. |
THIRD TEAM:
| Lin Chang: | 6’8’’ Senior – Forward (Carson Graham) |
| Lynn participated in the Nike All-Asia Camp before bringing his game to BC. He’s a thinly-built big man with a smooth back to the basket repertoire. His long arms allow him to be an effective offensive rebounder with great recovery quickness; he's able to get up and down for a second and third jump very quickly. He loves the jump hook, and should be able to develop a game facing the basket. He’s good shot-blocker, and runs the floor well. Lynn possesses a nice set of hands for a big man and will be welcomed addition to the Carson Graham squad. | |
| Graham Bath: | 6’5’’ Junior – Forward (Brookswood) |
 |
Graham is one of the toughest competitors in the province. He’s solid forward with a good mid-range stroke from inside 15-feet. In the post he has a turnaround hook and keeps the ball high when he’s posting up. He’ll put the ball on the floor for one hard dribble, but usually sticks to the quick shot or tough finish. Graham converts for an incredibly high percentage; he simply has a knack for garnering quality looks around the basket. His competitiveness makes him a strong rebounder, on both ends of the court. He’s a strong defender in the post with his lower body strength and a thick base which allows him to body opponents off the ball. Graham will join Brent Malish, DRIVE’s pre-season Mr. Basketball to form the toughest front court in BC. |
| Eliot Rushton: | 6’ 3’’ Junior – Guard (Oak Bay) |
 |
Eliot has the potential to be a big time scorer on the perimeter. Last season he was mostly a jump-shooter who would float around for spot-ups. This season he has developed his full array of perimeter skills. His shot has picture perfect form. His hand positioning gives him a fluid rotation on his release. He shoots with terrific accuracy from downtown and seldom misses when left open. Eliot has a nice little pull-up off the dribble. He plays the game at a relaxed pace, never seems to be in a hurry. “He is the hardest worker right now in BC. Eliot has the desire and ability to be special. His shooting is incredible and his athleticism is improving. I expect him to have a break out season this year, and in gr.12 look for him to average 30 plus a game for the Oak Bay Bays. He has the ability to play wherever he puts his mind to” says first-teammer Westbrook. |
| Tony Otim: | 5’11’’ Senior – Point Guard (Killarney) |
 |
Tony may be the most under rated player in BC this year. He’s one of the speediest, if not the speediest player in high school basketball. Tony has a swagger about him that just rubs off on everyone else. He owns tremendous athleticism and vertical leaping skills. He can penetrate by anyone with an array of different breakdown moves. Near impossible to contain in any one-on-one scenario. Tony’s a dangerous outside shooter and solid passer. He has developed into a more prolific playmaker now that he is being used in that role. On the defensive end he chases down loose balls especially well, allowing the Killarney squad to start the fast break. He’s a superb ball thief and a hard-nosed winner. Tony and his Killarney teammates will surprise a lot of teams this season. |
| Ty Nurse: | 6’1’’ Senior – Guard (Kitsilano) |
 |
Ty Nurse is one of those players with a special talent. Only being a sophomore he has created a buzz around him as the next big time player to come out of BC. This past summer he was named to the 1st All-Star team at Nationals while guiding the U-15 provincial team to a 2nd place finish. He’s mature far beyond his age. Kitsilano Head Coach Randy Coutts can see the special talent this kid possesses. “Ty Nurse is a very talented individual. He understands the game of basketball and has a great work ethic. He is quick, aggressive offensively and defensively and has the potential to play at the next level. Ty will give some teams a very hard time this year because he is a complete player!” He has a great feel for the game despite only being in the 10th grade. His range on his jumper borders on unreal. He can be inconsistent at times but is constantly improving. We’re giving the nod to Ty here over his backcourt teammate Niko because of this kid’s incredible upside. |
HONORABLE MENTION:
Ryan Hatch: 6’9’’ Senior – Forward (North Delta)
Balraj Bains: 6’9’’ Senior – Forward (North Delta)
Kyle Grewal: 6’4’’ Senior – Forward (Enver Creek)
Connor Agnew: 6’3’’ Senior – Guard (Prince Rupert)
Eric Casey: 6’4’’ Senior – Wing Forward (Claremont
Adam Stewart: 6’3’’ Senior – Guard Forward (White Rock Christian)
Jeff Cummings : 6’1’’ Senior – Guard (Oak Bay)
Lucian Saucic: 6’3’’ Senior – Guard (Centennial)
Niko Cochran: 6’1’’ Senior – Guard (Kitsilano)
Michael Berg: 6’7’’ Senior – Forward (Shawnigan Lake)
