Levi Timmermans has returned to the Comox Valley after his sophomore season with the University of Saskatchewan men’s basketball team. The 2018 graduate of Vanier Secondary, who stands 6’9″, will be joining the University of Victoria Vikes team in the new year.
At the end of the season last year with the Huskies, Timmermans broke his hand three days before a playoff game against the University of B.C. The injury required a few months of rehabilitation. With COVID exacerbating the situation, he decided to leave Saskatoon and come home.
Overall, he said Saskatchewan was a great experience.
“Saskatoon and the Huskies as a whole was a great environment to be a part of,” said Timmermans, who hopes to study engineering next fall. “The university and basketball program do a really good job of making the student athlete experience hard to match.”
The Huskies finished last season with a 12-8 record in conference play. The team lost in the quarter-finals to eventual Canada West champion UBC, after beating a tough TRU team in the Canada West play-in game.
The UVic men’s team has held full practices since the beginning of September. Last week, the program was shut down after the Province added further restrictions, including adult sports. The Vikes hope to resume training in the new year.
“Our players have looked at this year as a development opportunity,” head coach Craig Beaucamp said. “It’s almost like having a redshirt year in the middle of your eligibility.”
He said Timmermans “brings another big body” to the lineup.
“We like to play a big lineup in a time where most teams are playing four guards,” Beaucamp said. “Levi has played at the university level for a couple years now, so his body has matured and I think he understands what it takes to be successful. He displays a great deal of self discipline and really brings his best effort every night. Being able to join the team in January should give him an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with our culture and systems. We are excited about his potential moving ahead.”
