Six OUA all-stars named to FISU Team Canada roster for Gwangju

OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport, in conjunction with Canada Basketball, announced Thursday the student-athletes and staff members who will represent the country in men's basketball at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea (July 3-14).

Gwangju 2015 website: www.gwangju2015.com

Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer/2015/index

For only the second time in history, the red and white roster is comprised entirely of CIS players. An all-CIS squad returned from Shenzhen, China with a silver medal in 2011. 

In 21 previous appearances at the biennial tournament, Canada has reached the podium on nine occasions, including its lone FISU title in 1983 in Edmonton. The Canadians finished fourth in 2013 in Kazan, Russia.

Seven guards have been selected to the 2015 lineup, including Caleb Agada (Burlington, Ont.) and Johnny Berhanemeskel (Ottawa) from the University of Ottawa, Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.), Jahmal Jones (Mississauga, Ont.) and Adika Peter-McNeilly (Toronto) from Ryerson University, Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson (Winnipeg) from the University of Calgary, as well as Connor Wood (Guelph, Ont.), the only representative from the reigning five-time CIS champion Carleton University Ravens.

Rounding out the roster are forwards Mamadou Gueye (Quebec City) from the University of Alberta, Chris McLaughlin (Oakville, Ont.) from the University of Victoria, Tommy Nixon (Vancouver) from the University of British Columbia and Josh Wolfram (Kamloops, B.C.) from Thompson Rivers University, as well as centre Mike Andrews (Oakville, Ont.) from Bishop's University.

In his fifth and final university campaign, Berhanemeskel was named CIS player of the year in 2014-15 thanks to his OUA-leading 23.2 points per game, good for third in the country. The first uOttawa player to merit the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy, he helped the Gee-Gees reach the national final in each of the past two seasons.

Voted MVP of the Canada West conference this past season, McLaughlin joined Berhanemeskel on the first all-Canadian unit, while Nixon, Ogungbemi-Jackson and Jones were named to the second CIS dream team.

Jones is the lone player with Universiade experience on the 2015 roster. He was part of the silver medal-winning squad four years ago in China.

"This tournament is a great opportunity for our CIS athletes to gain international experience and compete with top talent from around the world," said University of Alberta bench boss Barnaby Craddock, who will guide the Canadian team in South Korea and was an assistant coach in 2011.

Assisting Craddock on the sidelines will be John Campbell from the University of Toronto and Shawn Swords from Laurentian University, who occupied the same functions in 2013 in Kazan. Campbell was also an assistant coach in 2011.

Team manager Charles Kissi from Brock University and athletic therapist Geoff Mabey from Canada Basketball round out the support staff. The latter is also a veteran of the 2011 games and will be making his sixth Universiade appearance.

Canada will prepare for the Gwangju competition with a training camp on the campus of the University of Kansas from June 19 to 29. While in Lawrence, Kan., the Canucks will also play exhibition games against the team that will represent the United States in South Korea, the three-time NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks.

In the preliminary round of the 24-team FISU tourney, the Canadians will battle in Pool B versus Sweden (July 4), Mexico (July 5), Montenegro (July 6), Mongolia (July 8) and reigning champion Russia (July 9).

Host South Korea will play in Pool A with Estonia, Germany, China, Angola and Mozambique, while Pool C is comprised of Lithuania, Australia, Finland, Japan, France and Taiwan. The USA, crowned 13 times but looking for their first Universiade title since 2005, will compete in Pool D with Serbia, Brazil, Turkey, Chile and Switzerland. 

The gold-medal final is set for July 13.

Pos.     Name                                       HT       University                   Hometown     

G         Caleb Agada                            6-4       Ottawa                         Burlington, Ont.

C          Mike Andrews                         6-10     Bishop's                      Oakville, Ont.

G         Johnny Berhanemeskel            6-1       Ottawa                         Ottawa, Ont.

G         Aaron Best                               6-4       Ryerson                       Scarborough, Ont.

F          Mamadou Gueye                     6-7       Alberta                         Quebec City, Que.

G         Jahmal Jones                           6-0       Ryerson                       Mississauga, Ont.

F          Chris McLaughlin                    6-9       Victoria                        Oakville, Ont.

F          Tommy Nixon                         6-6       UBC                            Vancouver, B.C.

G         Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson      5-9       Calgary                        Winnipeg, Man.

G         Adika Peter-McNeilly              6-3       Ryerson                       Toronto, Ont.

F          Josh Wolfram                         6-8       Thompson Rivers        Kamloops, B.C.

G         Connor Wood                          6-4       Carleton                       Guelph, Ont.

STAFF                                                                                               

Position                       Name                           Affiliation                   

Head Coach                 Barnaby Craddock       University of Alberta

Assistant Coach           John Campbell             University of Toronto

Assistant Coach           Shawn Swords             Laurentian University

Team Manager             Charles Kissi                Brock University

Athletic Therapist        Geoff Mabey               Canada Basketball

UNIVERSIADE POOLS & SCHEDULE (LOCAL TIME):

Pool A: South Korea, Estonia, Germany, China, Angola, Mozambique

Pool B: Russia, CANADA, Mexico, Mongolia, Sweden, Montenegro

Pool C: Australia, Lithuania, Finland, Japan, France, Taiwan

Pool D: Serbia, Brazil, USA, Turkey, Chile, Switzerland

July 4 (14:30): Canada vs. Sweden

July 5 (12:30): Canada vs. Mexico

July 6 (20:00): Canada vs. Montenegro

July 8 (17:30): Canada vs. Mongolia

July 9 (15:00): Canada vs. Russia

July 11 (TBD): Quarter-finals

July 12 (TBD): Semifinals

July 13 (15:00): Bronze

July 13 (21:00): Final

CANADA'S ALL-TIME UNIVERSIADE RESULTS IN MEN'S BASKETBALL:

2013 Kazan, Russia: 4^th / 23 teams                  (champions: Russia)

2011 Shenzhen, China: 2^nd / 23                       (champions: Serbia)

2009 Belgrade, Serbia: 9^th 25                           (champions: Serbia)

2007 Bangkok, Thailand: 3^rd / 24                    (champions: Lithuania)

2005 Izmir, Turkey: 8^th / 30                             (champions: USA)

2003 Daegu, South Korea: 3^rd / 19                   (champions: Serbia & Montenegro)

2001 Beijing, China: 6^th / 26                            (champions: Yugoslavia)

1999 Palma, Spain: 5^th / 23                              (champions: USA)

1997 Sicily, Italy: 2^nd / 16                                (champions: USA)

1995 Fukuoka, Japan: 3^rd / 17                         (champions: USA)

1993 Buffalo, USA: 2^nd / 22                            (champions: USA)

1991 Sheffield, England: 2^nd / 17                    (champions: USA)

1989 Duisburg, Germany: 4^th / 16                   (champions: USA)

1987 Zagreb, Yugoslavia: 7^th / 29                    (champions: Yugoslavia)

1985 Kobe, Japan: 3^rd / 16                               (champions: USSR)

1983 Edmonton, Canada: 1^st / 21                    (champions: CANADA)

1981 Bucharest, Romania: 5^th / 29                   (champions: USA)

1979 Mexico City, Mexico: 5^th / 31                 (champions: USA)

1977 Sofia, Bulgaria: 4^th / 31                           (champions: USA)

1975 Rome, Italy: No tournament                   -

1973 Moscow, USSR: 4^th / 28                          (champions: USA)

1970 Turin, Italy: 11^th / 29                               (champions: USSR)

1967 Tokyo, Japan: Canada DNP                   (champions: USA)

1965 Budapest, Hungary: Canada DNP          (champions: USA)

1963 Porto Alegre, Brazil: Canada DNP         (champions: Brazil)

1961 Sofia, Bulgaria: Canada DNP                 (champions: USSR)

1959 Turin, Italy: Canada DNP                       (champions: USSR)

DNP: Did not participate

Source: CIS