TORONTO, ON (March 20, 2018) - Canada Basketball has announced the the men's and women's rosters for the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia April 4-15, 2018. The roster includes Manitobans Niyah Becker (Lincoln Prep - OSBA), University of Manitoba guard Justus Alleyn with the Canadian men's squad will be coached by Bison head coach Kirby Schepp.
Canada's men's team will open the tournament at 5:30 PM local (3:30 AM ET) against Australia at the Cairns Convention Centre, while the women will face England at 6:30 PM local (4:30 AM ET) from the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre. Click here for a complete schedule.
Last month it was announced that Steve Baur, Assistant Coach with the senior women's national team, will lead the women's team, while University of Manitoba Head Coach Kirby Schepp will be behind the bench on the men's side.
Basketball has only been on the Commonwealth Games program once, at Melbourne 2006 (Canada did not enter teams in the tournament), and Australia won both the men's and women's tournaments at those Games.
The 2018 men's tournament includes four teams in Pool A: Australia, Nigeria, New Zealand and Canada and four teams in Pool B: England, Cameroon, India and Scotland. The Canadian women are also in Pool A, along with Australia, England and Mozambique, while Pool B features New Zealand, Jamaica, India and Malaysia.In addition to Basketball, Team Canada 2018 will be taking part in 17 sports and 7 para-sports at the Gold Coast Games, with over 260 athletes expected to be named to the team.
MEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROSTER
Name
|
Position
|
Height
|
Hometown
|
Current Club
|
Justus Alleyn
|
Guard
|
6'3"
|
Winnipeg, MB
|
University of Manitoba (U SPORTS)
|
Mambi Diawara
|
Guard
|
6'4"
|
Montreal, QC
|
University of Calgary (U SPORTS)
|
Ammanuel Diressa
|
Guard
|
6'4"
|
Toronto, ON
|
Ryerson University (U SPORTS)
|
Mamadou Gueye
|
Forward
|
6'7"
|
Quebec City, QC
|
University of Alberta (U SPORTS)
|
David Kapinga
|
Guard
|
5'11"
|
Calgary, AB
|
University of Calgary (U SPORTS)
|
Conor Morgan
|
Forward
|
6'9"
|
Victoria, BC
|
University of British Columbia (U SPORTS)
|
Jean-Victor Mukama
|
Guard
|
6'8"
|
Hamilton, ON
|
Ryerson University (U SPORTS)
|
Erik Nissen
|
Forward
|
6'9"
|
Quispamsis, NB
|
Acadia University (U SPORTS)
|
Jean-Pierre Charles
|
Forward
|
6'8"
|
Ottawa, ON
|
University of Ottawa (U SPORTS)
|
Grant Shephard
|
Forward
|
6'10"
|
Kelowna, B.C.
|
University of British Columbia (U SPORTS)
|
Mike Shoveller
|
Centre
|
6'11"
|
Arnprior, ON
|
Queen's University (U SPORTS)
|
Munis Tutu
|
Guard
|
6'0"
|
Windsor, ON
|
Carleton University (U SPORTS)
|
MEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES STAFF
NAME
|
POSITION
|
HOMETOWN
|
AFFILIATION
|
Kirby Schepp
|
Head Coach
|
Winnipeg, MB
|
University of Manitoba
|
Dave Deaveiro
|
Assistant Coach
|
Toronto, ON
|
McGill University
|
Kevin Hanson
|
Assistant Coach
|
Vancouver, BC
|
University of British Columbia
|
Krisjon Vargas
|
Athletic Therapist
|
Toronto, ON
|
Canada Basketball
|
David Grundman
|
Team Leader
|
Toronto, ON
|
Canada Basketball
|
WOMEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROSTER
Name
|
Position
|
Height
|
Hometown
|
Current Club
|
Jacey Bailey
|
Forward/Guard
|
6'0"
|
Burnaby, BC
|
Northern Arizona University (NCAA)
|
Niyah Becker
|
Forward
|
6'1"
|
Winnipeg, MB
|
Lincoln Prep (OSBA)
|
Danielle Boiago
|
Guard
|
5'7"
|
Hamilton, ON
|
Unattached
|
Shay Colley
|
Guard
|
5'9"
|
Brampton, ON
|
Michigan State University (NCAA)
|
Paige Crozon
|
Forward
|
6'1"
|
Humboldt, SK
|
Saarlouis (Germany)
|
Ruth Hamblin
|
Centre
|
6'6"
|
Houston, B.C.
|
Bourges (France)
|
Alex Kiss-Rusk
|
Centre/Forward
|
6'4"
|
Beaconsfield, QC
|
McGill University (U SPORTS)
|
Summer Masikewich
|
Forward/Centre
|
6'1"
|
Calgary, AB
|
University of Saskatchewan (U SPORTS)
|
Ceejay Nofuente
|
Guard
|
5'8"
|
Toronto, ON
|
Humber College (CCAA)
|
Daneesha Provo
|
Guard
|
6'0"
|
Darmouth, NS
|
University of Utah (NCAA)
|
Merissah Russell
|
Guard
|
5'11"
|
Ottawa, ON
|
Capital Courts Academy (OSBA)
|
Catherine Traer
|
Forward
|
6'1"
|
Chelsea, QC
|
Carleton University (U SPORTS)
|
WOMEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES STAFF
NAME
|
POSITION
|
HOMETOWN
|
AFFILIATION
|
Steve Baur
|
Head Coach
|
Sackville, NS
|
Canada Basketball
|
Fabian McKenzie
|
Assistant Coach
|
Glace Bay, NS
|
Cape Breton University
|
Michelle Bell
|
Athletic Therapist
|
Brampton, ON
|
Ryerson University
|
Nick Deadder
|
Performance Analyst
|
Wolfville, NS
|
Acadia University
|
Denise Dignard
|
Team Leader
|
Port Cartier, QC
|
Canada Basketball
|
QUOTES
"We look forward to optimize this opportunity to further develop athletes in our womenâ??s national team pool against top level competition as well as our staff." - Denise Dignard, Director of Women's High Performance
"We are excited to have a women's basketball team participate in this amazing multi-sport major Games and being part of the Canadian delegation at the Commonwealth Games for the first time." - Steve Baur, Women's Head Coach
"Having the opportunity to represent Canada is always a tremendous honour and to do so at the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be a great experience for our U SPORTS players." - Kirby Schepp, Men's Head Coach
"With both the men's and women's teams ranked second in the Commonwealth, this strong group of athletes will surely contend for a medal. We look forward to having basketball back at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, with Canada making its debut at these Games." - Chef de Mission Claire Carver-Dias
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the international franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.
ABOUT CANADA BASKETBALL
Canada Basketball is the National Sporting Organization for the sport of Basketball in Canada. Canada Basketball is respected worldwide and is recognized by the International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Government of Canada as the sole governing body of the sport of amateur basketball in Canada. Canada Basketball, a not-for-profit organization, represents all basketball interests, provides leadership, coordination and direction in all areas of the sport of basketball.