August 2nd, 2010
Provincial Teams Attend National Championships by Scott MacDonald
 
As three Island teams head off to the National basketball championships next week, it comes down to the same thing; it’s all about the numbers.
From massive fund-raising, to organizing transportation, to playing against provinces with huge population advantages PEI always seems to be at a disadvantage going into National competitions. All of the teams involved, however, are excited to play the top talent in Canada beginning on Monday August 2nd .
Under 15 girls coach Carly Clarke is no stranger to Nationals, coaching Team Nova Scotia to a bronze medal two summers ago.
“It will be a tough test but a fabulous experience for these girls. There will be teams bigger and stronger then us, but we have been preparing for that all summer.” Clarke commented. “Competing against the best players in the country provides a great gauge for how individuals stand and what they have to work on.”
Winnipeg will host the boys side of the tournament at the University of Manitoba, with PEI sending its’ U15 and U17 squads. The U15 girls are playing in Toronto at Humber College.
For both Under 15 divisions, the top four teams are seeded into one pool, with the remaining teams playing each other with the chance to move into the top six. The Under 17 division has 3 pools, with PEI playing against second seeded Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Alberta.
Holland College assistant Josh Whitty coaches the U17 boys, and his brother Trent is in charge of the U15 boys.

Under 17 boys
PEI opens up the week playing Nova Scotia, and after a recent win over their Maritime rival they feel confident they can hang with anyone in their pool.
“We have a tough pool, but our goal all summer is to finish in the top eight. We head into the tournament ranked tenth, so moving up two spots will be a great accomplishment.” Josh Whitty said earlier in the week.
PEI has seven players back from last summer’s Canada Games team, so they head to Winnipeg knowing the level of competition they will face, and what it takes to be successful. The team needs rebounding and solid ball handling to compete, and Whitty thinks his team has those strengths with players like Jacob Simmons up front and Matt Daley and Sean Seviour in the backcourt.

“Simmons recently tried out for the U17 National team, and is a top level gritty rebounder who scores in the paint. Daley is one of the top point guards in Atlantic Canada, and he shoots the ball and runs our offense well, playing great defense. Seviour, and Andrew Clark each are great shooters and can handle the ball.”
Wing forward Kevin McLeod is another key scorer, but has been fighting through injuries over the last few weeks. Having him at 100% will give the Island another experienced player on the perimeter.

Whitty feels keeping things simple and having a great support staff are huge strengths for the squad.
“We have to play team first basketball and focus on getting good shots each possession and limiting turnovers. If we can play consistently then we will have a shot at winning in the fourth quarter which is all we can ask. Having high level guys like Doug McKinney and Ryan Keliher on the bench bring so much experience for the team.”

The Under 15 boys play Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and host Manitoba in the round robin. This is the first year Nationals have gone with staggered seeding, hoping to create more even games in the round robin portion of the week. Several team members are age-eligible for the 2013 Canada Games, and this will be the first chance for the team to play at a National level. Coach Trent Whitty is hoping the week will allow players to experience a different style of play, and prepare them for future events. Overall, he has found since bringing the team together each player has elevated their skills over the past three months.

“Our team has shown a lot of improvement the last month, and we are playing our best basketball of the summer. Each individual has improved significantly and we have played better as a team. Going to Winnipeg we will need all twelve players to be ready to play their best, and be able to play together.” Being able to control tempo will be key for the team, as they go into the tournament undersized compared to some of the other provinces. Whitty will hope they can push the ball when they have the chance, as the squad is built for a transition game.

Under 15 girls

“Playing together.”
The two word answer summed up Carly Clarke’s thoughts on her Under 15's teams main strength. Playing Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland this week, she hopes the consistency and execution the team has shown so far this summer will be on display. “We have had several players score in double figures for us this summer, and usually have six to eight people scoring more then 6 points each. Playing solid team defense generates intensity and energy for us and that will be a key to any success we may have.” said Clarke.  Kiera Rigby heads into the week recovering from a knee injury, that forced her to miss two weeks of action. Rigby’s experience will be a positive for the team; she has played in Nationals the last two years at the under 17 level despite just turning 15 last month. Other key performers include Jane McLaughlin “very fiesty and gritty who finds a way to get things done”, Rayelle Morrison “a great defender and three point shooter”, and Madison Tompkins “who gives us great decision making on both ends of the floor.” according to Clarke.
Last weekend at the Summerfest tournament PEI lost to New Brunswick by one point, the two teams will play again on Thursday in their final game of the week. “We must take care of the ball by limiting turnovers, and rebounding. If we do these two things, and play solid team defense, we have the chance to surprise a few people.”
After not attending the tournament the past two years, the team is seeded tenth.

2010 Nationals Official Website - http://2010nationals.basketballmanitoba.ca

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June 11, 2010
PEI Athletes Invited to National Team Tryouts by Scott MacDonald
 
Two Island players head to Toronto this month as part of a 25 player tryout pool picked from across Canada for the National Cadet and Cadette teams showcasing the top Under 17 players in the Nation.
Jacob Simmons of Belfast, and Keira Rigby of Charlottetown were invited from PEI to take part in the camp.

The camps will feature the best and brightest young male and female stars ages 15-17 from across the nation, who will vie for a coveted spot on Canada’s teams competing in various FIBA qualification and world championship events.

Basketball Canada CEO Wayne Parrish said, “Our Cadet(te) programs excelled in 2009 both winning medals to qualify for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championships.
These
kids are trailblazers as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be the first Canadian squads to compete at this age group."

Simmons and Rigby have both been mainstays in the Basketball PEI provincial program in their careers, with both competing this summer at the National Championships. Simmons on the U17 team travelling to Manitoba, and Rigby with the U15 team heading to Toronto.

During his career Simmons has been associated with winning, claiming PEISAA titles for the past four straight years. This past season Jacob led the PEISAA in scoring, averaging 19.6 ppg for Charlottetown Rural , being named an all-star in both the regular season and playoffs. Simmons is part of the Atlantic Region Centre for Performance for the previous two years.

Rigby, who just turns 15 this week, has played at the National U17 level for two years as one of the youngest players involved both times. The Queen Charlotte student has been named Basketball PEI player of the year twice for her age level, and will attend Colonel Gray this fall. Rigby started for the 2009 Canada Games team last summer in Summerside.

"Having two players be recognized amongst the country's elite is something for us to be proud of." Stephen Marchbank, Basketball PEI's Executive Director said. "Keira and Jacob have both gone through our provincial team and Performance programs. Each deserve the opportunity, and both have bright futures."

The Cadet’s tryouts and training camp will take place at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ont. beginning with an invitational tryout from June 11-14, followed by training camp from June 15 – June 24 and exhibition games June 25-27 in Spain. The women's tryouts and training camp will take place June 30 – July 7, 2010 at University of Toronto in Mississauga, Ont.