Starting on Wednesday, Dec. 9, some of the best young basketball players in Abbotsford hit the court
for local bragging rights at the Abbotsford Police City Basketball Tournament. Here are eight
players suggested by their coaches from the schools represented:
RILEY BRAICH
Yale Secondary Lions
Position: Point Guard
Favourite Player: Steph Curry
Archrival: Mouat
Riley Braich has been to the top of the mountain of BC basketball, and he wants more.
The Grade 12 student was a key part of last season`s 4A provincial champion Yale Lions, and he said he`s ready to use that experience to fuel the 2015-16 season.
“I learned not to get too high or too low during the season,” he said. “You have to always stay grounded – don`t get too down if you drop a game. Provincials are what really matters.”
But, the Abby PD city tournament is a title that the Lions couldn`t capture last season. Yale lost in the semi-final to Mouat, a fact that still bugs Braich.
“They have kind of been our rival since Grade 8,” he said.
Braich runs the offence at the point for the Lions, and can also be counted on for a lot of scoring. He proved his ability to step up in big games by being named a tournament first-team all-star at last year`s provincial tournament.
“I think we should be able to compete for another championship this year,” he said. “We have more experience after last year and I feel really good about our chances.”
Braich and the Lions open against the Abby Panthers on Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. at UFV.
TAYLOR COUSINS
Point Guard
MEI Eagles
Favourite player: Steph Curry
Archrival: Mouat
Taylor Cousins remembers last year, and the Grade 11 student knows how close she and her MEI Eagles teammates were to winning the Abby PD city tournament.
The Eagles lost 67-59 to the Hawks in the senior girls final, and Cousins wants another shot at bragging rights this year.
“It was a very close game,” she recalled.
MEI placed seventh at provincials last year, and Cousins said what this year’s squad lacks in size it makes up for in quickness.
“We’re small but quick,” she said. “And we work together well as a team. It should be an interesting year for us.”
The point guard brings leadership to the Eagles, and has championship pedigree. Back in 2014, she helped lead the Eagles to a title win at the BC Christian Schools junior girls basketball tournament. Cousins was named the tournament’s most valuable player and scored 14 points in the winning game.
Cousins and the Eagles kick off the Abby PD city tournament on Saturday at UFV against the Dasmesh Punjabi Falcons.
PAIGE JANZEN
Abbotsford Secondary Panthers
Position: Guard/Forward
Favourite Player: Steph Curry
Archrival: Mouat
Injuries plagued the Abby Secondary Panthers senior girls team at last year’s Abby PD city basketball tournament, but star player Paige Janzen said those issues shouldn’t stop the team this year.
The versatile Grade 12 student can play any position on the floor, and said her team is improved from last year.
“We’re a lot stronger than last year and everyone is committed,” she said. “We play as a family.”
Janzen said her biggest strengths are helping to bring out the best in her teammates.
“I’m here to communicate on the court and help out my teammates,” she said. “I help lead on and off the court.”
She said her team’s goals are to play hard, and have more success than last year.
“We want to play to the best of our ability all season long and play with heart,” she said. “We were missing a few players at last year’s PD tournament, and we want to be better this year.”
Another goal for the senior girls Panthers is to make the provincials, after they failed to do so last year.
Janzen and the Panthers open on Wednesday against Bateman at 4:15 p.m. at UFV.
JOBAN PANDHER
Rick Hansen Hurricanes
Position: Point Guard
Favourite Player: Kobe Bryant
Archrival: Abby
The expectations are high this season for the Rick Hansen Hurricanes, but that doesn`t seem
to bother Joban Pandher.
The Grade 12 student is manning the point for the second-ranked AAA team in the province,
and said there is a lot of potential for his squad.
“We`ve been together as a group for a while now,” he said. “The core as stayed together as a
group and we`d really has to make some noise this year.”
The Hurricanes lost out in the Fraser Valley`s to the eventual provincial-champion MEI Eagles
last season, and also placed fourth at the Abby PD city basketball tournament.
Pandher said he`s ready to step up.
“I bring leadership and basketball IQ,” he said. “I can score or pass whenever my team needs
me to.”
He said the Hurriances goals this year are simple.
“Winning the AAA championship is what we want to do,” he said.
DESSMIN SIDHU
Robert Bateman
Timberwolves
Position: Point Guard
Favourite Player: Kyle Lowry
Archrival: Abby
Dessmin Sidhu is in the driver’s seat for the Robert Bateman Timberwolves, and that’s just
the way she likes it.
The Grade 12 student is running the point for the T-Wolves senior girls team, and she’s planning to
lead her team to an improved 2015-16 season.
“I like to be the playmaker,” she said. “And to make sure that everyone knows what they’re
doing out there.”
Sidhu is one of four Grade 12 students on the team this year. She said she expects a strong
year, as long as she and her teammates put out the effort.
“If we work really hard I think we can do well,” she said. “Our conditioning and our team defence
are our strengths.”
She said the T-Wolves goals are to go deeper in the Fraser Valley`s this year, and also make
an early impression with a good showing at the Abbotsford PD city tournament.
SIMRAN SIDHU
Dasmesh Punjabi Falcons
Position: Shooting Guard
Favourite Player: Steph Curry
Archrival: Hansen
For the first time ever, the Dasmesh Punjabi School Falcons are sending a senior girls team to the Abby PD city basketball tournament.
Sharpshooting guard Simran Sidhu said it’s a big opportunity for her and her teammates.
“It means we’re showing other schools what our school is capable of,” she said.
The Grade 11 student was a key member of last year’s Falcons team that competed in the junior girls division of the Abby PD tournament, and Sidhu said she wants to build off of last year.
“I think we’re going to do a lot better than last year,” she said, noting the Falcons placed fifth.
Sidhu said she gives the Falcons some options from outside.
“I’m more of a shooting guard and can hit three pointers and shoot around the key,” she said.
Dasmesh is a smaller school, but Sidhu said she wants to help build a basketball culture.
“Our team’s goal is just to do better than last year,” she said. “We want to improve our teamwork and communication.”
The Falcons open against MEI at UFV on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
JASS SINGH
WJ Mouat Hawks
Position: Shooting Guard
Favourite Player: Klay Thompson
Archrival: Yale
The Hawks were last year’s Abby PD city basketball tournament senior boys champions, and star player Jass Singh thinks they have great chance to repeat.
Singh and the Hawks took down the Abby Panthers in the final round, and he said they should be better this year.
“The team is looking great,” he said. “I think we’re a lot faster and stronger than last year. We only lost one key guy from our startling lineup who graduated last year so it’s basically the same team.”
Singh played with the Team BC U-17 provincial team this summer, and he said he’s come back a much more well-rounded player. More specifically, his defence is vastly improved.
“The coaching staff helped teach me how to take a charge better and worked on my anticipation on defence,” he said. “I know where to go, where to be and when to steal.”
He’s also a scoring threat, proven when he hit eight three-pointers in the final of last year’s Hawkball tournament in late December.
“I can knock down my jump shot when I’m open,” he said. “And I can shoot the three and drive.”
Singh said the Hawks are a little underrated this year, and thinks they can go on a run in the Fraser Valley and provincial tournaments.
“We want to make a run at the finals at provincials,” he said. “We’ll be looking to upset some of the higher ranked team.”
The Grade 12 student said the Hawks were one game short of missing the provincials last year, and a deep run against the province’s best is the team’s goal.
The Hawks open against Bateman on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at UFV.
JUSTIN VAN DORP
Abbotsford Christian Secondary Knights (AA)
Position: Small Forward
Favourite player: Lebron James
Archrival: Mouat
The ACS Knights are moving on up, and Justin Van Dorp will be a big piece of the 2015-16 puzzle.
ACS now plays in the AA division after years in the A, and Van Dorp said he thinks his team is ready for the jump.
“It’s all totally new teams and it will be more competitive but I think we can handle it,” he said.
The Knights finished sixth at the A provincials last year, and Van Dorp was named to the tournament’s second all-star team.
He said he brings a lot of different skills to the table.
“My strengths are playmaking, a little bit of scoring, and just the ability to do whatever the team needs me to do,” he said.
Van Dorp said he likes the Knights athleticism and size. The Grade 11 student said he and his teammates are ready for the city tournament and the season.
“We’re feeling really confident,” he said. “We have a new offence this year and everything is switched up so we’re just excited to start the season.”
ACS kicks off the tournament against Hansen at UFV on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Tourney at a glance:
The Abbotsford Police City Basketball Tournament runs Dec. 9 to 12 at six different schools around the city.
From Wednesday through Friday, games will run at the following gyms:
– UFV – senior boys and girls
– Yale – junior boys
– WJ Mouat – junior girls
– Rick Hansen – Grade 9 boys
– Abby Christian – Grade 8 boys
– MEI middle – Grade 8 girls
The finals run all day Saturday at the Columbia Bible College gym:
– Grade 9 boys – 10 a.m.
– Grade 8 girls – 11:30 a.m.
– Grade 8 boys – 1 p.m.
– Junior girls – 2:30 p.m.
– Junior boys – 4 p.m.
– Senior girls – 6 p.m.
– Senior boys – 8 p.m.
For full schedules, visit abbypdbasketball.com. The Abbotsford News will have post-game updates after Saturday’s finals.
