Tri-City teams may not have made much noise at the past few BC provincial high school basketball championships, but on Monday the area’s top players will get their chance to shout from the top of the key at the first SD43 all-star basketball game.
Organizers Eugene Melnik and Chris Davies, co-coaches of the Pinetree Timberwolves senior boys team, said the game will be a showcase for players who didn’t get a chance to shine at the provincials in March because the Fraser Valley is filled with so many powerhouse teams, making it difficult for Fraser Valley North teams to earn their way to Langley, let alone a top seeding.
“We have a tough league, a tough district, but we have some really strong players,” Davies said.
Like Riverside’s Michael Wilkinson, whose one-man offensive show could generate 58 points a night but couldn’t get his Rapids beyond fifth place in the league standings.
“He’s one of the top offensive players in the province, but nobody knows about him,” Davies said.
More importantly, the game will also be a yardstick for the players and coaches to measure how far they’ve come and how much they’ve grown through their public school careers.
“It’s a great exit for them out of the school system,” Melnik said.
While coaches were encouraged to nominate senior players, there’s also a smattering of top Grade 11’s. Melnik will coach one squad, while Gleneagle Talons’ coach Jason Bingley will guide the other. The game will be played at Dr. Charles Best secondary school. Tip off is 7 p.m.
Team Bingley
Maban Teny Pinetree
Paolo Donado Pinetree
Grayson Parkins Best
Geoffrey Nonis Best
Andrew Lee Centennial
George Dume Gleneagle
Matt Edema Riverside
Zach Hamed Heritage
Jack Varney Fox
Team Melnik
Mike Wilkinson Riverside
Arsham Mahmoudi Best
Armon Taef Pinetree
Jacob Scriver Centennial
Razely Dang Gleneagle
Stephen Feng Port Moody
Justin Knowles Heritage
Arshia Movassaghi Heritage
Pierce Ormiston Fox
