Surrey's Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers and Fleetwood Park Dragons both took part of the 2021 Tsumura Basketball Invitational in mid-December. High school boys and girls teams have not played in tournaments since Dec. 18 and its expected Feb. 1 return has now been pushed back indefinitely. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT TAKES ROOT: Parent-launched petition opposing continued ban on BC High school sports tournaments gaining huge on-line traction!

VANCOUVER — A grassroots petition launched on-line Friday is distinguishing itself as something of a barometre for the level of frustration being felt by those opposed to Friday’s announcement by B.C.’s Ministry of Education that high school sports tournaments in this province would not be allowed to resume play on Feb. 1.Tricia Joseph, a parent […]

Claremont's Izzy Helman (left) has enjoyed a tremendous senior season for his Victoria-based Spartans, averaging just shy of 30 points per game. Pictured here at the 2021 TBI on Dec. 11, he drives against St. Thomas More's Marcus Morales. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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“Be quick, but don’t hurry!”: Claremont Spartans’ dynamic guard Izzy Helman runs his hardcourt race at a different pace!

Look at Izzy Helman’s scoring numbers over his last four games, and the natural reaction is to imagine that the Claremont Spartans’ point guard has somehow shifted his game to yet another gear.In-between dual 37 point outings in tough losses to first Mark Isfeld, and then Brentwood College, the 6-foot-3 senior poured home 35 and […]

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The latest B.C. junior boys basketball rankings. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Blair.photo 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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B.C. junior boys basketball rankings 01.25.22 edition: Surrey’s Fleetwood Park climbs to No. 3, Vancouver’s Lord Byng debuts at honourable mention in latest Top 10!

LANGLEY — The Byrne Creek Bulldogs of Burnaby and Surrey’s Tamanawis Wildcats have each moved into the Top 10 in the latest B.C. junior boys basketball rankings.While Vancouver College and Walnut Grove remain a steady one-two punch atop the polls, Surrey’s Fleetwood Park Dragons step up into the top three this week.Here’s the latest, and […]

Handsworth's Tate Christiansen has his North Vancouver-based Royals in the thick of the B.C. Quad-A boys Top 10. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Blair.photo 2022. All Rights Reserved)
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B.C. boys high school basketball rankings 01.25.22 edition: Semiahmoo, North Delta, G.W. Graham are Top 10 teams on the rise!

LANGLEY — Parity at the province’s two highest tiers is helping to bring a fever pitch to the B.C. senior boys basketball Quad-A and Triple-A festivities this week.Surrey’s Semiahmoo Totems, enjoyed a second straight signature week at Quad-A, while, the North Delta Huskies, along with Chilliwack’s G.W. Graham Grizzlies at Triple-A, each made substantial leaps […]

Simon Fraser's Josiah Mastandrea had the touch coming off the bench on Saturday, scoring 16 points in a pivotal GNAC victory over Seattle Pacific. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of SFU athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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Simon Fraser men’s basketball: Sitting in first place atop the GNAC standings, SFU set to embark on marathon schedule of games over next three-plus weeks!

BURNABY —A famine filled with cancellations has added up to a feast of games for the Simon Fraser men’s basketball team.In what will amount to playing almost a half season of conference games over a span of just over three weeks, SFU opened a gruelling stretch of nine games over a span of 24 days […]

Towering above the competition, Centennial Centaurs' centre K.C. Ibekwe skies for a rebound this past December during the Tsumura Basketball Invitational at the Langley Events Centre. Over 20 universities and colleges have shown interest in the Coquitlam native. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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A Sunday Read: The amazing rise of Centennial’s K.C. Ibekwe, and how the Centaurs’ centre became the King of the City!

COQUITLAM — Ask K.C. Ibekwe about the origins of his abbreviated first name, and the Centennial Centaurs’ towering senior centre tells a story every bit as big as his 6-foot-10, 275 pound frame.“My parents have said to me that K.C. is for King of the City,” begins Ibekwe, the son of Nigerian immigrants who was […]

Bringing focus to team basketball, UFV Cascades' veteran forward Natalie Rathler (centre with ball) locks eyes with hard-cutting teammate Alexis Worrell during a game against the TWU Spartans. The 8-1 teams meet for a pair this weekend in Abbotsford. (Photo by Gibi Saini property of University of the Fraser Valley athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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Cascades thriving on its “one tough shot” mantra! Canada West’s top defence keys empowering ripple effect as 8-1 UFV hosts 9-1 TWU in weekend summit series!

ABBOTSFORD — It’s an axiom which has echoed through countless Fraser Valley Cascades’ women’s basketball practices over the 20 years in which Al Tuchscherer has served as the program’s head coach.This season, however, you could say in a figurative sense that those echoes have become deafening.“We always say that we want to give teams one […]

The Abbotsford Traditional Titans continued to hold down a place in the B.C. senior girls Double-A Top 10 rankings this week. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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B.C. senior girls Top 10 Double-A basketball rankings 01.19.22: Mulgrave, Notre Dame jump up into Top 5 territory!

LANGLEY — West Vancouver’s Mulgrave Titans have made a move into the top four of the most recent B.C. senior girls Double-A basketball rankings released earlier this week.Langley Christian remains No. 1, while Vancouver’s Notre Dame Jugglers make the big jump up to No. 5 from No. 10.B.C.’s three other tiers did not conduct ranking […]

A take-charge leader on the floor, King George point guard Max Astak (left) drives past Burnaby's South's Zach Chan during the 2021 TBI championship final Dec. 11 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong protected image of photographer via Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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The inner fire of King George’s Dragon king! Basketball gave Max Astak the voice to become a leader in tough times!

VANCOUVER — Growing up as the son of immigrant parents, Max Astak admits it wasn’t always easy to traverse cultures and make the kinds of social connections so important in the lives of young people.“But for me, basketball united me with others,” the senior point guard with Vancouver’s King George Dragons explains.“My parents came here […]

Abbotsford's Jahvon Maksymiw (right) and the rest of the Quad-A Panthers have moved up to No. 5 in the latest B.C. Top 10 rankings. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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B.C. boys high school basketball rankings 01.18.22 edition: Top 10’s top climbers include Abbotsford, Pacific Academy, Mark Isfeld and Unity Christian!

LANGLEY — Cancellations seemed to rival actual games played over another tough week in the B.C. boys high school basketball week.Teams of the week?Quad-A’s Abbotsford Panthers and Semiahmoo Totems of Surrey, Triple-A’s Mark Isfeld Ice of Courtenay, the Double-A Pacific Academy Breakers of Surrey, and the Single-A duo of Chilliwack’s Unity Christian Flames and Maple […]