CIS Hoops.ca

Congratulations to CIS alumni 6'7" Aaron Doornekamp and 6'4" Ryan Bell for being named to Canada's twelve man roster for the 2010 FIBA World Championships which for Canada begin tomorrow against Lebanon (TSN2 11:30 AM ET).  Doornekamp, who completed his first season as a professional in Italy, is firmly in Canada's rotation, having been elevated to a starting role in three of the most recent games during Canada's pre-tournament games (Doornekamp sat out the final game of the recent Efes Pilsen World Cup in Turkey, Canada's final tuneup match - as a precaution with an injury).  Expect Doornekamp to play 18-24 minutes a game as a 3/4 man, who can knock down open 3's, rebound, distribute and add mental toughness.  Recall that Canada may not have even qualified for the Worlds had Doornekamp not knocked down a pair of late 3's in Canada's final qualification game last summer in Greece when the Canadians made a late run to defeat Dominican Republic.  Doornekamp has added significant bulk to his frame and looks to be much more athletic and certainly stronger as his professional career evolves.  Bell was likely in a battle with Tyler Kepkey to earn the twelfth spot on this roster and will be counted on to spell starting point guard Jermaine Anderson.  Kepkey did sustain an injury during the lead up to the tournament; newspaper articles alluded to an anonymous Canadian who was hurt but with an undisclosed injury.  Bell is a big guard who can defend and take care of the ball; offensively, he has range, albeit inconsistent, beyond the three point line however has rarely produced significant offensive numbers during his tenure with the National team.  Also part of Canada's delegation in Turkey is Ryerson Rams Head Coach Roy Rana, an advanced scout for the club, who spent the past week or so in parts of Europe scouting Canada's upcoming opponents.

6'5" Andy Rautins was named to the twelve man roster and the club hopes that his knee will be ready to take the pounding of playing almost daily during the preliminary round.  Rautins, a second round pick of the New York Knicks in the recent NBA draft, represents Canada's best perimeter threat and a healthy Rautins will allow his father, coach Leo Rautins, some flexibility in terms of running his offenses.  Here is the entire roster:

#4 Jermaine Anderson, Guard, 6’2, Toronto, ON;  Triumph (Russia)
#5 Kelly Olynyk, Forward, 6'11", Kamloops, BC; Gonzaga University (NCAA)
#6 Ryan Bell, Guard, 6'4", Ottawa, ON; Honka (Finland)
#7 Jermaine Bucknor, Forward, 6’7, Edmonton, AB; Clermont (France)
#8 Denham Brown, Guard, 6’5, Toronto, ON; Prokom (Poland)
#9 Olu Famutimi, Forward, 6’6, Toronto, ON; Oyak Renault (Turkey)
#10 Andy Rautins, Guard, 6’5, Syracuse, NY, New York Knicks (NBA)
#11 Aaron Doornekamp, Forward, 6’7, Odessa, ON; Caserta (Italy)
#12 Rob Sacre, Centre, 7’0, Vancouver, BC, Gonzaga University (NCAA)
#13 Jevohn Shepherd, Forward, 6’6, Toronto, ON; Osnabrueck (Germany)
#14 Levon Kendall, Forward, 6’10, Vancouver, BC; Obradorio (Spain)
#15 Joel Anthony, Centre, 6’9, Montreal, QC, Miami Heat (NBA)

Press Release from Canada Basketball

INTRODUCING CANADA’S 2010 ROAD WARRIORS FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM


(Toronto, Ontario) Canada Basketball unveiled the official roster for the 2010 edition of the “Road Warriors” Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) that will compete at the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men from August 28 – September 12 in Turkey.
“I like this group a lot,” said Leo Rautins, Head Coach for the Senior Men’s National Team. “The team chemistry has been very good, and their work ethic and attitude has been extremely positive. The only thing that has been of concern is our health. After a great start to our season, we got hit hard with the injury and sickness bugs but we are trying hard to recover in time for the main event. We have to come out and play with as much energy and cohesion as we can.”
This year’s Road Warriors roster includes eight returnees from 2009 that have helped Canada qualify for the World Championship at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, including Canadian NBA stars Joel Anthony (Montreal, Que.) of the Miami Heat and Andy Rautins (Syracuse, NY.) of the New York Knicks.
Among the other national team veterans on this year’s roster are long-time starters, Jermaine Anderson (Toronto, Ont.) and Levon Kendall (Vancouver, B.C.). Returning back to the squad are Denham Brown (Toronto, Ont.) and Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto, Ont.), both of whom have lead the team in scoring during various exhibition games this summer. The Road Warriors also feature fresh new faces in Robert Sacre (Vancouver, B.C.) and 19-year old Kelly Olynyk (Kamloops, B.C.), both former Junior Men’s National Team stars and current members of NCAA’s Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Rautins added, “We have different objectives when you put a team together: One is to put together the best team you can to win; two is to build chemistry and balance positions, and three is to follow our plan for the long-term development of our elite program. To be able to bring two players into the mix like Kelly and Robert, who can be a part of our program for the next 10 years, is a huge asset for Canada Basketball. Seeing them play for the Road Warriors is an inspiration for other young players who dream to play for the senior team.”
The format for the FIBA World Championship is as follows: top four teams from each preliminary round group will advance to the round of 16 and play to advance to the quarter-final round. Games in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals are scheduled to be held from September 8-12 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Canada is assigned to Group D, along with Lebanon, Lithuania, France, New Zealand and Spain.
“In our group we have five tough games,” Rautins commented. “Every game is going to be a grind. As I’ve said going into this, there will be little or no margin of error for our team, and now in light of what has happened, that has become even more of a reality.”