LANGLEY — We are thrilled with the 40 teams who have now finalized their participation in this coming December’s 2021 boys and girls Tsumura Basketball Invitationals at the Langley Events Centre.
(The full list of finalized teams is included at the bottom of this story)
Yet what has us even more excited is the response we have received from the coaches, who with fingers crossed for a safe return to sport, see our event as not only a prelude to March’s B.C. championships at the same facility, but as a celebration of the resiliency of our province’s high school basketball community after such an extended absence.
With that said, each and every one of the 20 schools originally invited to take part in our senior boys tournament Dec. 8-11 have responded in the affirmative.
The landscape of the game will have changed drastically from our last event, held in December of 2019.
In fact the rising seniors set to take part in the 2021 TBI were all 10th graders during the most recent season of play.
Nonetheless, there are 18 Varsity Letters’ Watch-List players (culled from our recent Players to Watch series published earlier this month) set to take part, including both Karan Aujla and Jimmy Zaborniak of the defending B.C. Quad-A champion Burnaby South Rebels.
On the girls side, 17 of our original 20 invitees have confirmed their participation in TBI 2021, set to run Dec. 15-18.
Defending B.C. Quad-A champion Semiahmoo Totems, as well as its crosstown Surrey foes, the Earl Marriott Mariners have elected to decline, as have Kamloops’ Valleyview Vikes.
In their place, we have gone to our wait list and are happy to report that Vancouver’s Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs, Victoria’s St. Michaels University School Blue Jags and the Seaquam Seahawks of North Delta have all been confirmed to round out the girls’ field of 20 teams.
Seaquam, perched as high as No. 3 in the junior girls rankings during the 2019-20 campaign before a series of injuries undermined their cohesion at the provincial tournament, are led a strong cast of returning players, including 6-foot-1 centre Shaunti Gill.
“The Seaquam senior girls program has the potential to play some very good basketball over the next few years,” remarked Seahawks’ coach Lucky Toor.
“Getting the chance to play in a tournament of this calibre is exactly what our program needs.”
Also taking a step up in play in 2021-22 with be the Churchill Bulldogs.
“The fact that we kept our group together has paid off, and they are a close knit group that pushes each other in practice,” said SWC coach Simon Dykstra, the former Simon Fraser captain and former head coach of Kitsilano’s back-to-back 2001 and ’02 B.C. senior boys top-tiered champs.
“Although school protocols were in place, the girls have made huge improvements to their shooting, ball handling and strength,” added Dykstra of a team led by the likes of Claire Huang, Marah Dykstra and Stefanie Hart, and one coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2020 B.C. junior tournament, one in which it lost in the Final Four to eventual champions Dr. Knox Falcons of Kelowna. “Our team likes to press and play fast.”
Also working towards taking that first big step up to the senior girls ranks are Victoria’s St. Michaels University School Blue Jags.
SMUS, a narrow 52-48 loser to Dr. Knox in the 2020 JV championship final game with a roster that included seven ninth graders, looks ready to discover its senior identity over a two-year window beginning at the TBI.
“The coaching staff is excited about the makeup of the team,” admitted head coach Lindsay Brooke. “We will have solid core of athletic and physical Grade 11 players looking to make their mark at the senior level, and I can tell you that coming off a silver medal at the last junior girls B.C.’s, this team is hungry.”
SMUS will be led the likes of rising Grade 11 talents Makenna Anderson and Lauren Rust.
TSUMURA BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL 2021
BOYS
(alphabetical order with 2020-21 tier)
Abbotsford Panthers (AAAA)
A.R. MacNeill Ravens (Richmond) (AAA)
Burnaby South Rebels (AAAA)
Byrne Creek Bulldogs (Burnaby) (AAA)
Centennial Centaurs (Coquitlam) (AAAA)
Claremont Spartans (Victoria) (AAAA)
Duchess Park Condors (Prince George) (AAA)
Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey) (AAAA)
G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack) (AAA)
Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (AAAA)
Magee Lions (Vancouver) (AAA)
R.A. McMath Wildcats (Richmond) (AAA)
Sands Scorpions (North Delta) (AAAA)
Sir Charles Tupper Tigers (Vancouver) (AAA)
Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver) (AAAA)
St. Patricks Celtics (Vancouver) (AAA)
Tamanawis Wildcats (Surrey) (AAAA)
Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) (AAAA)
Yale Lions (Abbotsford) (AAAA)
Walnut Grove Gators (Langley) (AAAA)
GIRLS
NEW TO THE FIELD
Seaquam Seahawks
Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (AAAA)
St. Michaels University School Blue Jags (AAA)
RETURNING
Abbotsford Panthers (AAA)
Argyle Pipers (North Vancouver) (AAA)
Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) (AAAA)
Burnaby South Rebels (AAAA)
G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack) (AAA)
Heritage Woods Kodiaks (Port Moody) (AAAA)
Kelowna Owls (AAAA)
Langley Christian Lightning (AA)
Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (AAAA)
MEI Eagles (Abbotsford) (AAA)
Okanagan Mission Huskies (Kelowna) (AAA)
R.A. McMath Wildcats (Richmond) (AAA)
Riverside Rapids (Port Coquitlam) (AAAA)
Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) (AAAA)
Walnut Grove Gators (Langley) (AAAA)
Yale Lions (Abbotsford) (AAAA)
York House Tigers (Vancouver) (AA)
DROPPED OUT
Earl Marriott Mariners (Surrey) (AAAA)
Semiahmoo Totems (Surrey) (AAAA)
Valleyview Vikings (Kamloops) (AAA)
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