By Howard Tsumura
VarsityLetters.ca
LANGLEY — The old grey-haired wonder is still giving us all a show, and by just about every metric you check, it’s more popular than its ever been.
Today, in honour of the 80th birthday of the B.C. High School Boys Basketball Tournament, set to tip off its four-day run tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. at the Langley Events Centre, Varsity Letters is proud to have been asked to unveil ’80 For 80’ (The Top 80 all-time B.C. High School Boys Basketball Tournament team) as selected by the the tournament’s Anniversary Committee.
Before you dig into the list below, there are some key points to appreciate.
1 The list celebrates 80 players who distinguished themselves with memorable performances while playing at the B.C. senior boys basketball championships in the open-tiered era, the two-tiered era, the three-tiered era and the current four-tiered era at the 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A classifications.
2 The list is in alphabetical order.
3 Varsity Letters did not participate in the selection of this list.
“Whenever you get together as a committee to take on something like this, there’s going to be so many other deserving players (who didn’t make the list),” said Paul Eberhardt, 62, a member of the a member of the tournament’s anniversary committee and a B.C. high school coach since the dawn of the 1980s.
“It’s more of a celebration of the tournament… there are many great players out there who never even made the tournament and those players wouldn’t have an opportunity to be on this list,” he continued.
“There’s also been many great players who have been in the tournament, but maybe their teams didn’t do as well, so they weren’t recognized with an MVP or an all-star? So, yeah, you always worry about that, but you also hope that people take it in the spirit that is intended, and that it’s meant to celebrate a bunch of great players and if there’s other players that people want to mention, go for it.”
From your author’s standpoint, the list is revolutionary in the ways it shines light on so many of the province’s forgotten stars at the Single-A level, and as we’ve grown to four tiers, the Double-A as well.
It’s also timely.
The Langley Event Centre’s ability to open its arm and bring all four tiers together for four days of action concluding with Championship Saturday is about giving all tiers, players, coaches, and their fans the shared stage that had been denied for too long. And like Eberhardt says. healthy debate is always welcome.
“That is the whole point,” said Eberhardt. “The more that we can talk about our game and all of its players, all the better.”
The list is below! Time to let those debates being!
BC HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL BC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
80 FOR 80 (The top 80 all-time tournament team celebrating 80 years)
Criteria
- Overall Multiple Tournament Success (multiple all-star teams and/or MVP’s, also team success)
- Dominant Individual Tournament Success
- Continued excellence in basketball after high school career
*Single Tier from 1946 to 1969
*Two Tiers from 1970 to 1987
*Three tiers from 1988 to 2013
*Four tiers from 2014 to Present
Players listed in alphabetical order
Name School Tier Years
Justin Adams Prince Rupert 2A 1997 & 1998
Fardaws Aimaq Steveston-London 3A 2016 & 2017
Bret Anderson Terry Fox 4A 1993
Pasha Bains Richmond 4A 1997 & 1998
Jauquin Bennett-Boire Holy Cross / Yale 4A 2014 & 2015
Sandy Bisaro Kitsilano 4A 1996 & 1997
Mason Bourcier Kelowna 4A 2016 & 2017
Paul Buday Duke of Connaught 4A 1949, 1950, 1951 & 1952
Bob Burrows Oak Bay 4A 1965
Irish Coquia St. Patrick Regional 3A 2022
Aaron Christensen Pitt Meadows 4A 2000
Jadon Cohee Walnut Grove 4A 2012, 2013 & 2014
Dave Coutu North Delta 4A 1970 & 1971
Greg DeVries L.V. Rogers 2A 1990 & 1991
Joey Dewitt Richmond 4A 1987 & 1988
Vijay DhillonR.C. Palmer2A & 4A2010 & 2011
David Dyck Agassiz 2A 1989 & 1990
Rainbow Edwards Similkameen 1A 2000 & 2001
Tyler Felt Spectrum 4A 2024 & 2025
Joel Friessen Yale 4A 2008
Suraj Gahir North Delta 3A 2018 & 2019
Willie Galick Cedar Community School 2A 2004 & 2005
Jas Gill Southern Okanagan 2A 2008 & 2009
Brendan Graves Lambrick Park 2A 1990 & 1991
Lars Hansen Centennial 4A 1971 & 1972
Demitri Harris Britannia 2A 2008
Alex Hart Immaculata 1A 2012 & 2013
George Heidbrecht Mennonite Educational Institute 4A 1953 & 1964
Eric Hinrichsen Carihi 2A & 4A 1993 & 1994
Justin Hinrichsen Spectrum 4A 2024 & 2025
Pete Hodson White Rock Christian Academy 1A 1995 & 1996
Hunter Hughes Southridge 2A & 3A 2015 & 2016
Ian Hyde-Lay Shawnigan Lake 2A 1975
Chad Johnston North Delta 4A 1990
Louis Johnston Richmond 4A 1991
Gerald Kazanowski Nanaimo 4A 1978
Players listed in alphabetical order
Name School Tier Years
Howard Kelsey Point Grey 4A 1975
Levon Kendall Kitsilano 4A 2001 & 2002
Marek Klassen Yale 4A 2009 & 2010
Ken Kirzinger Oak Bay 4A 1996, 1997 & 1998
John Kootnekoff Mission 4A 1953 & 1954
Bob Lasko Vancouver College 4A 1957 & 1958
Prentice Lenz Mennonite Educational Institute 4A 1988 & 1989
Frank Linder Dover Bay 3A & 4A 2024 & 2025
Colby Maier Kelowna Christian 1A 2008 & 2009
James Maksymiw Aldergrove 2A 1994 & 1995
Tyrell Mara White Rock Christian Academy 4A 2003, 2004 & 2005
Spencer McKay Southern Okanagan 2A1 985 & 1986
Tony McCrory Ladysmith 4A 1995
Jordie McTavish Salmon Arm 4A 1996
Andrew Mavis Richmond 4A 1993 & 1994
Dave Morgan Terry Fox 4A 1993 & 1994
Luke Morris Mission 2A 2011 & 2012
Scott Morrison Argyle 4A 2004
Steve Nash St. Michaels University School 4A 1992
Matt Neufeld Lambrick Park 2A 2013 & 2014
Randy Nohr Aldergrove 2A 1994 & 1995
John Olsen Prince Rupert 4A 1960, 1961 & 1962
Kelly Olynyk South Kamloops 4A 2009
Chris Porteous Kitsilano 4A 2001 & 2002
Ron Putzi Richmond 4A 1987 & 1988
Bob Ramsey Burnaby South 4A 1952 & 1953
Rob Sacre Handsworth 4A 2006
Phil Scrubb Vancouver College 4A 2009 & 2010
Grant Shephard Kelowna 4A 2015 & 2016
Jay Smiens Unity Christian1A 2022, 2023 & 2024
Don Steen Burnaby South 4A 1953 & 1954
Ed Suderman Mennonite Educational Institute 4A 1961, 1962 & 1963
Justin Sunga Burnaby South 4A 2019 & 2020
Alan Tait Richmond 4A 1979 & 1980
Steve Taylor Richmond 4A 1985
Ron Thorsen Prince George 4A 1966 & 1967
Sean Thistle St. Thomas Aquinas 2A 1999 & 2000
Miguel Tomley Tamanawis 4A 2016 & 2018
Marc Trasolini Vancouver College 4A 2007 & 2008
Brent Watson Magee 4A 1960 & 1961
Derek Welsh Pitt Meadows 4A 1989
Neil Williscroft Vancouver College 4A 1962 & 1963
Kyle Wilson White Rock Christian 4A 1999 & 2001
James Woods Walnut Grove 4A 2017 & 2018
If you’re reading this story or viewing these photos on any website other than one belonging to a university athletic department, it has been taken without appropriate permission. In these challenging times, true journalism will survive only through your dedicated support and loyalty. VarsityLetters.ca and all of its exclusive content has been created to serve B.C.’s high school and university sports community with hard work, integrity and respect. Feel free to drop us a line any time at howardtsumura@gmail.com.
Pretty cool to be mentioned
Loved the article, but I think Don Krego should have been included: two-time all-star, two-time champion (Trapp Tech, Lester Pearson), MVP, 1956. Also, my MEI teammates Heidebrecht and Suderman played in the “open-tiered” era . Even today MEI is not a 4A school and plays at the 3A level
Mission 2011/12 most underrated team of all time. Half the team won provincials in football and basketball. All 5 starters uni sports athletes in basketball/football/soccer.
Should have been back to back basketball champions but lost in overtime 2010/11 finals with all but 2 grade 11s
Roadrunner Nation beep beep
Jermaine Haley? Emmerson Murray???
How can the very few high major D1 guys not be on this?
Ok Fine, You will love this Howard. Cam Smythe lead the tournament in blocked shots, rebounds on three straight provincial tournaments and points scored in one including a 52 point game then went on to win 4 national championships at Carleton and a New England Prep championships and last but not least a pro career in Europe. Just saying !
To bad Bob Barrazoll never made it to the BC tournament. He was at Notre Dame 1960, 1961, 1962 but the team never qualified for the tournament. Bob had four games where he scored 40 or more points and that was when the quarters were 8 minutes long
How is Bol Kong not on this list? Easily a top 5 BC player of all time.