Rich-Whaaa!!

I don't know if anyone's noticed, but Basketball in Richmond is experiencing a resurgence of late. No, the dominate Disbrow teams aren't back (not yet anyway), but High School basketball in Richmond is exciting again. The well documented plunge was a combination of the District splitting the zones and creating a whole bunch more schools, thus diluting the talent pool. Oh, and there was also the recruiting scandal/accusations, blah, blah, blah. But we're not talking about that today, we're talking about how/why Bball is back, here are my Top 5 reasons:


5. The creation of more schools meant a dilution of player talent. But had the opposite effect for coaches as more opportunities for coaches opened up to practice their craft. And Richmond has it's fair share of fine Roundball Teachers. To name them would take forever. Coaches, y'all know who you are.

4. Drive Basketball. OK, I guess Drive is open to anyone in the LM, but co-founder Pasha Bains is from Richmond and that helps recruit young ballers from Richmond.

3. The number of contending teams at the Junior/Juvenile level, Palmer, Hugh Boyd, Burnett, Cambie, McNair, Richmond. No doubt some or all will make noise at the Senior level in the next couple of years.

2. U15 Provincial players, Gurjote Jhaj and Akeem Pierre. Just the start of an influx of up and coming talent.

1. The great McMath team that finished 4th in last year's AAA Provincial Tourney. If it weren't for a hotdog play by Watson and a questionnable travelling call on Chu on the last play, they could've won it all. Put Richmond back on the Basketball map in BC.


Top Richmond teams at Senior this year, Hugh Boyd, Palmer, Burnett
Top Richmond teams at Junior this year, Richmond, Cambie, Hugh Boyd