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Baker's Boys Set to Take the Big Stage

Baker's Boys Set to Take the Big Stage
October 9, 2009

 

To hear University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds men's basketball coach Brent Baker tell it, there's plenty to see at the ARC Financial Eric Garland men's basketball tournament at the Aitken Centre this weekend.
Lee Academy of Maine features a young basketball player, Maxie Esho, who appeared in television commercials with Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady, and four sky scraper starters - two of whom are six foot ten, and two others who are six foot nine.
The St. Francis Xavier X-Men have done them one - or make that two - inches better, bringing in a seven-footer to go with Atlantic University Sport Men's Basketball Conference Most Valuable Player Christian Upshaw, with renowned coach Steve Konchalski trying to fit all the pieces together.
And then there's Baker and his young V-Reds, in the second year of a rebuilding program which features six more new faces to go with the survivors from the roster renovations of a year ago.
Three core veterans, including fifth year leading scorer Michael Anderson of St. Stephen, fourth year inside presence Colton Wilson and third year Alex DesRoches will anchor the rebuilding effort, along with the second year backcourt tandem of Antoine Parks of Queens, New York and smooth Dustin Anthony.
They'll be joined in the backcourt by veteran Andy Wright - son of FHS coach Phil Wright - after Christmas. Wright played two seasons at Bishop's University in Lennoxville and was the school's rookie of the year a couple of years ago.
Baker has lots of new faces to look at in the meantime and he'll get a long look this weekend as the V-Reds play three games in as many days in the four-team round robin event.
They'll open up against the University of Quebec at Montreal Carabins Friday night at 8 p.m. at the Aitken Centre. Saturday night at 8 p.m., it will be teacher against pupil as Konchalski, the longtime X and former national team men's coach, matches wits with Baker, his former assistant. The V-Reds will close out the tournament against LeeAcademy Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Interwoven through the Garland tournament is the ACCREON Helen Campbell women's tournament, which features Jeff Speedy's Varsity Reds women's squad against three other entries in round robin play.
The women open against the Thompson Rivers Wolf Pack of British Columbia -- current UNB coach Jeff Speedy coached there once upon a time before working his way back home -- Friday night at 6 p.m. Saturday night at 6 p.m. they face Royal Military College of Kingston, Ont. Sunday, they close out the round robin tournament at 1 p.m. against AUS conference rival St. Francis Xavier X-Men, with former Fredericton High School Black Kat Rebecca Sheehan returning to town in X colours.
For Baker's boys, it will be the start of a busy stretch of five straight weekends of basketball. The ever enthusiastic coach can hardly wait.
"We'll be rip roarin' to go," said Baker, who is anxious to get a look at his six newcomers in game conditions, including Paul Kalala of Ajax, Ont., Dan Quirion of Moncton, whom he considers a top New Brunswick recruit, and six-foot-eight inch Mattias Zankpe of Sarnia, Ont.
"He's quite an athlete," Baker said of the rookie. "He's going to have to adjust to the CIS level. It''s not the high school game, where you can just park yourself under the basket. But he's going to get a chance to play."
Six foot six inch Colin Adams of Toronto is another addition Baker is anxious to look at.
"He's got a great 15 foot jump shot," said Baker.
Wins are important, said Baker -- "that's why we have the scoreboard," -- but it's just as important to get the youngsters some experience.
"It's all part of the growth process," said Baker, who hopes to improve on his first year record of 3-17 a year ago. "I find if you use more players, you have a pretty happy locker room."
The entire tournament takes place at the Aitken Centre, the first time the women have been on the big stage since hosting the CiS tournament here in 2004 and the first time for the men in several years.
"It's a chance for the men and women's programs to showcase ourselves," said Baker. "I think there are enough basketball fans in town that are going to want to stop in and take a look at us and hopefully, they'll like what they see."