GP Vanier Towhees vs WRCA Warriors

GP Vanier Towhees Preview

One man show. Everyone knew going into this season that the GP Vanier Towhees season would be defined by how well their superstar Calvin Westbrook would play. And if you were to consider which player is the most valuable to his team, Calvin Westbrook would top that list. The Towhees have been pretty consistent all season winning a couple of weaker tournaments and dominating league opponents. The Towhees highest ranking was #5 in the province by Basketball BC, but there were questions whether they should've been ranked so high without any key wins over ranked teams. All those questions were answered at the thrilling Island Championships where the Towhees beat top ranked Claremont, and Stelly's to reach the final game which they lost to Oak Bay. Some would argue that the Towhees should not have won the Claremont game, as there was a controversial call at the end of the game where the refs called a foul as Westbrook heaved a hail mary from his own free throw line. Westbrook calmly hit all 3 free throws to end the game. Claremont was never the same after that loss and would go on to lose to Cowichan the day after. In the final game vs Oak Bay, the Towhees were down as many as 18 heading into the 4th quarter before Westbrook took over the game and brought his team almost all the way back only to lose by 1. The best comparison to make on Westbrook's game would be to compare him to a Kobe Bryant. Like Bryant, Westbrook is a scoring machine. The Towhees are such a dangerous team because they're never out of the game, not with Westbrook on the floor. Complimenting Westbrook are Nick Adair and Taylen Busch. Adair is a solid post player with decent moves and a solid defender. Busch is a capable player that can get on a hot streak.

Players to Watch for: Calvin Westbrook, Nick Adair, Taylen Busch
Outlook: Westbrook is too good to be stopped. If you can shut down everyone else, they are beatable. Should get by WRCA, St. George's will be huge. Kong vs Westbrook, wow what a matchup that will be.

WRCA Warriors Preview

Babyfaces. The WRCA "Daycare" Warriors are definitely the youngest team heading into this year's Provincial Tournament. The defending Provincial Champions feature several Gr. 10 players and even a few Gr. 8s. Having said that, these younguns are probably the best players in their respective age groups in the province. With so many players graduating last season, most pundits did not figure the Warriors to be a top 10 team this season. But with big time performances at both the Leagle Beagle and Surrey RCMP tournaments, the Warriors surged up the Basketball BC rankings to as high as #4. At the Fraser Valley Championships, the Warriors played their way into the Provincial tournament with wins over Elgin Park and Pitt Meadows before losing to Pinetree and Maple Ridge to finish 4th overall in the Valleys. Gr 12 forward/post Adam Stewart leads the Warriors. He's a little undersized but uses his body very well to score and defend. Jordan Mara has returned and is their X-factor. Not as explosive as his older brother, but Jordan is very good at creating his own shot. Finally, Nick Dekoster is the starting PG, he's extremely steady and cool under pressure for a Gr. 10. The Warriors are a solid team with good talent. They play well as a team and the scoring is well balanced. They're very well coached and have very few fundamental flaws.

Players to Watch for: Adam Stewart, Nick Dekoster, Jordan Mara, Matt Wirch
Outlook: Their ability to defend against the best players in the province will determine their fate in this Tournament. Vanier is not the best first round matchup here for the Warriors. The Consolation could belong to WRCA. Watch out for the Warriors next year, should be a top 3 team.