A two-time provincial all-star is among the latest recruits to join the Trinity Western Spartans men’s basketball program.
Credo Christian’s Levi Leyenhorst is one of three new recruits for the Langley university.
In his Grade 12 year, the a six-foot-four, 185-pound guard averaged 29 points, nine rebound and five assists in helping the Kodiaks finish fifth at the BC 1A provincial championships. The season before, Leyenhorst helped Credo Christian with a school-best second place finish and in both 2016 and 2017, he was selected a provincial team all-star.
“Levi is going to be a really good university level player,” said Trinity Western coach Aaron Muhic.
“He is a diamond in the rough, as he has competed at the provincial ‘A’ level, but helped his team make deep runs in the provincials. He is a proven winner and loves to compete. He has been well-coached at the high school level by Justin Vanderploeg, as well as with Impact Hoops and (Spartan alum) Jon Schmidt.
“We are super excited to get a high-level local player from the Lower Mainland who wants to impact his community through basketball and get a great education.”
Leyenhorst plans to study business at TWU.
“I’m thrilled to be coming to TWU and can’t wait to pursue my basketball aspirations at the university level,” Leyenhorst said. “I’m excite to be able to join the Spartans and continue to do what I love on the court, while also studying for a business degree.”
Leyenhorst is one of three new recruits for the Spartans as the team also welcomes Calgary’s Ethan DaSilva and Edmonton’s Steve Sesink.
DaSilva joins the Spartans after playing with Briercrest College for the past two years. This six-foot, 160-pound point guard is coming off a 2016-17 season in which he was second in the CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) in assists, with 7.4 per game. DaSilva also averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, which included three triple-doubles.
After graduating from William Aberhart High School in Calgary in 2015, DaSilva earned Briercrest’s rookie of the year honours in 2015-16 after leading the ACAC (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference) with 7.2 assists per game.
“Ethan will bring speed and leadership to Spartan basketball,” Muhic said.
“He is a great floor leader and loves to get the ball to his teammates. I know that his experience at Briercrest College with coach Gradyn Childerhose has prepared him to compete well at our level. He will definitely make an impact on our program right away. He was a very valuable player at Briercrest and will transition into becoming a very valuable member of our team at Trinity Western.”
DaSilva plans to study education at TWU.
“I am confident that coming to TWU will lead me on a pathway to immense success athletically and academically,” DaSilva said. “In addition to that, TWU gives me the opportunity to be on a beautiful campus accompanied by like-minded individuals who are seeking to further the Kingdom of God. It’s a school that checks all the boxes for me.”
Sesink is a six-foot-8, 240-pound centre will bring a veteran presence to the floor for the Spartans as the 27-year-old comes to TWU after spending several years as a youth pastor. Following his high school graduation from Millwoods Christian in Edmonton, Sesink played basketball at The King’s University for one year, 2008-09, before focusing his attention on ministry.
“Steve will be a joy to coach and will provide toughness, hustle and rebounding,” Muhic said.
“He is a student of the game and brings a high level of intensity that will impact our team right away. I am very excited to work with him and know that, with his life experiences, he will be a great fit for our team on and off the floor. I am thrilled that he has chosen to be a part of our program and am looking forward to see his improvement and influence on our basketball program.”
While at TWU, Sesink will be pursuing a Master of Divinity through ACTS Seminaries.
“I’m really excited to be coming to TWU because the university focuses on the study of the mind and faith with serious rigour,” Sesink said.
“A unique opportunity to play with the Spartans presented itself and I couldn’t pass up the chance to return to the court at such a high level.”
