Splitting the Steveston London defence, Dionycius Bakare of Vancouver's King George Dragons goes up for two of his 27 points in an 82-54 win, Jan. 21 at UBC's War Memorial Gymnasium. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

King George’s Dionycius Bakare: A study in humility and gravity-defying hops, Dragons’ Grade 10 star already gliding in rare air!

VANCOUVER — Maybe the best way to describe the daily development of one of the most exciting young talents in recent B.C. boys basketball history is to say that Dionycius Bakare is going through two growth spurts at the same time.By the most standard of measures, the prodigiously-talented Grade 10 guard with Vancouver’s King George […]

Burnaby Mountain's Aidan Lear (left) is defended by Vancouver College's Aidan Lear during opening-round play in the TBI Super 16 draw Wednesday at the LEC. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2022 All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

Tsumura Basketball 2022: We’ve gone final for Day 1 of the TBI Super 16 draw! Game reports, photos and Thursday’s schedule are all here!

LANGLEY — We are complete here after Day 1 at the Tsumura Basketball Invitational’s senior boys Super 16 draw.THURSDAYQUARTERFINALS (all games at Centre Court)3:30 p.m. — Kelowna vs. St. Patricks5 p.m. — Burnaby South vs. Enver Creek6:45 p.m. — Vancouver College vs. Fleetwood Park8:15 p.m. — Oak Bay vs. Sir Winston ChurchillWEDNESDAY’S GAMESVANCOUVER COLLEGE 83 […]

Lord Byng point guard Eli Mullin (left) drives past Brookswood's Logan Stewart at the 2022 Tsumura Basketball Invitational Wednesday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2022 All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

WE’RE COMPLETE! DAY 1 at Tsumura Basketball 2022: Complete game reports from our senior boys Rising 8 draw!

We are now complete after Day 1 of the inaugural Rising 8 bracket here at the 2022 Tsumura Basketball Invitational.SCHEUDLETHURSDAYSEMIFINALS(games at South Court)6:45 p.m.– Spectrum vs. Lord Byng8:15 p.m. — Steveston London vs. North DeltaFor a complete report of the Local 8 tournament, please go to the bottom of this story for a filing from […]

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)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

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 […]

With Burnaby South's Karan Aujla (background) proving to be a tough foe, King George's Adam Spano battles for a rebound in Saturday's TBI final at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

TBI Boys Finals 2021: Burnaby South extinguish King George Dragons’ fire with a suffocating defence borne in the heat of Rebels’ own practice gym!

LANGLEY — Come Monday, he will get back to demanding the very best from his players under the crucible of what is a Burnaby South senior boys basketball practice.But on Saturday night, under the bright lights at centre court of the Langley Sports Centre, Rebels’ head coach Mike Bell couldn’t help but call his players […]

Enriched by a basketball heritage which not only includes the game's inventor James Naismith, but also the likes of former SFU Clan star Jay Triano (left) and the late Handsworth Royals' icon Quinn Keast, high school basketball players in the province of B.C. have plenty of inspiration with which to work on their games despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19. (Photos property of Simon Fraser Athletics and Blair.photo (Blair Shier) 2020. All Rights Reserved. Photo graphic created by Gabriel Lynn)
Feature High School University

B.C. coaches say “…basketball is going back to being about you and a hoop” How to summon your inner-Naismith in a time of social distancing

NORTH DELTA — What defines a self-made athlete?As the 2019-20 B.C. high school basketball season was coming to an end last March, just days ahead of a province-wide COVID-19 shutdown, it was certainly not a topic I spent much time pondering.Yet some two months later, I can say with great confidence that it has emerged […]

King George's Nikola Guzina (left) is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound senior who comes to the UBC Thunderbirds as a true five-position player. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Men's Basketball

Nikola Guzina: With a versatile game that hints at shades of Conor Morgan, UBC inks multi-skilled King George Dragons’ star

VANCOUVER — Ask Nikola Guzina to talk about his rise to prominence on the hardcourt, and the standout incoming recruit of the UBC Thunderbirds proceeds to do so with a nod of thanks to the basketball gods.

King George's Nikola Guzina is one of a gaggle of returning talents for the Vancouver team starting at No. 1 in the B.C. Double-A rankings. (Photo by Dan Kinvig property of University of the Fraser Valley athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

Let the 75th season begin! B.C. Boys Big 10 preseason basketball rankings for all four provincial tiers

LANGLEY — Basketball is back!The B.C. senior boys basketball season will officially tip off this coming Monday, setting in motion a 75th anniversary season filled with ties to its glorious past.Look no further than our pre-season Quad-A rankings, populated by so many traditional powers.The Burnaby South Rebels, Vernon Panthers, Vancouver’s King George Dragons, and the […]

King George's do-it-all rising senior Nikola Guzina is one of the most unique talents in all of B.C. boys high school basketball. (Photo by Dan Kinvig property of University of the Fraser Valley athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

B.C. Boys AA Basketball Top 10: King George nets program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking, now Dragons strive to win first B.C. hoops title

LANGLEY — By the time Vancouver’s King George Dragons take to the court in the late fall to begin their 2019-20 senior boys basketball campaign, they will be as senior-laden as they’ve ever been.

Brentwood College's Brendan Sullivan will play with the King George Dragons, not against them, at All-Star weekend Saturday in Richmond. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC athletics)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

All-Star Saturday ’18: B.C. title-tilt foes Brentwood College, King George repping six strong for Double-A squad

RICHMOND — Darko Kulic is speaking in jest, yet the head coach of Vancouver’s King George Dragons would never say ‘No’ to getting one more shot at Vancouver Island’s powerhouse,  two-time defending B.C. AA champs from Brentwood College.