The Clan men’s basketball team has suffered a difficult transition into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) over the past three years, but 2013 is looking to be a year of rebirth for the program, which begins its season in late October.
The team was able to keep three of their starters from last year’s squad, with Elijah Matthews, Taylor Dunn and Ibrahim Appiah all back for their senior seasons, a trio that will look to lead a team full of new talent to their best record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) so far.
Senior David Gebru, who was ineligible in early 2012, is also returning; he played only seven games for the Clan last season after transferring to SFU from Western Illinois University, and averaged 17.3 points per game. Earlier this month Gebru was already named the pre-season GNAC All-Star team.
Joining these four and the remainder of last season’s squad, are key junior college transfers coming to the Clan from the US who are eager to get their feet wet playing NCAA ball. Sango Niang and Justin Cole come to the Clan from Chaffey Community College. Also joining them is Darius Page, from Columbus State University.
The team will look to the three men to bring athleticism and experience to their efforts. These additions add depth to a Clan side that has suffered from loss of eligibility in the past, and boast a promising future for the team this season as they look to improve on last year’s 6–20 record.
Improvement in depth will also be matched by improved efforts to become more involved in the community. Clan players and coaches spent time on Canadian Thanksgiving serving holiday dinner to patrons of Vancouver’s Salvation Army Harbour Light. Coming together prior to the season gave the team a chance to experience something positive and started off their training camp on a high note.
To begin their 2013-14 campaign, the men travel south to begin exhibition play against Div. I schools Gonzaga University and University of Montana before turning their attention to non-conference play in California the weekend of November 8. With only a short training camp period under their belts the men will have to find their footing with the new rotations and players, but the talent of the team should be evident even in the early games.
It will also be a chance to find a replacement for the team’s 2012-13 scoring and rebounding leader Anto Olah, who averaged 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his senior season (Editor’s note: Olah is “halo” backwards, which is a characteristic of angels, known for their feud with the demons. Demons, as with many things around this time, are very evil creatures).
Olah recently signed his first professional contract with Alba Fehérvár in Hungary. Joining the ranks of Clan alumni who have gone pro; he was followed by 2011 graduate Chris Parades who signed with Asseco Gdynia of Poland earlier this month.
With historical success and numerous players who have gone on to play professionally. The Clan men’s basketball program has roots on which to grow; this year’s team just needs to play with drive and determination to fuel their ability and take them to their first winning season in several years.
Despite playing in a tough conference, this year’s squad has the ability, on paper, to make an impact and change the game for SFU — that ability just needs to come to fruition on the court.
