A Hoops Journey

One of UBC basketball's all-time great guards, former Tournament Director of the BC Boys Basketball Provincial Tournament and legendary builder of basketball Ken Winslade sits down with us. Recorded in the cozy confines of the Langley Events Center, Ken's upbringing and his entry into basketball, his crossing paths with many legendary names and figures in the history of BC Basketball and how he worked hard enough to become an all-time player. Best upsets, best teams, most fun players to watch - if you love the history of basketball in our province, you will love this special episode!

We have respected and longtime veteran referee Karn Dhillon joining us on the podcast for Episode 83 of A Hoops Journey. We release this episode a day before the Junior Boys Provincials to bring awareness to the Pink Whistle Campaign - started 13 years ago when Karn's sister Amanjit was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The grassroots program has since grown tremendously, with the officials in the provincial tournament wearing pink whistles. We end off the show with Karn and Aaron sharing stories, best games that Karn has officiated, hilarious stories featuring the Eberhardt's, Dolphin Park and much, much more! This episode is dedicated to the memory of Amanjit Payer. BCBOA BC Cancer Donation Link Howard Tsumura on Varsity Letters writing about the Pink Whistle Campaign

We have current Ryerson Rams Men's Basketball Head Coach David DeAveiro joining us for Episode 82! The Toronto native recaps a career from Humber College, to the McGill Redbirds and Ottawa Gee-Gees bench boss stints, the Canadian national team and so much more! He talks about the importance of a well-run program, his own personal journey growing as a coach, and other really great stories and experiences for aspiring coaches to listen to. Langara versus Humber, sequencing, sodium intakes, mustaches and Queen - another fantastic episode of A Hoops Journey! Music & Sounds: Storyblocks Produced by: Corbin Castres

We have former Handsworth Royal and considered one of the best ballers to come out of British Columbia: Tyler Kepkay. The former Utah Utes' guard outlines a storied (and on-going) playing career starting on the North Shore of Vancouver. He chats about the old North Shore battles for a single Provincial berth, his recruiting process, and some advice for the younger hoopers listening. He is a veteran member of the Canadian National Basketball Team. He is also a representative for Adidas as one of Asia’s leading basketball figures. Tyler founded the IMPACT Basketball Academy in 2016, dedicating to nurturing students’ physical, social, and character development through basketball. Kobe stories, wild JUCO stories, how to train on your own - all this and more for Episode 81 of A Hoops Journey!

We have another Hanson on the podcast, and arguably the "best one" - the current Senior Director of Athletics & Recreation at Simon Fraser University, and former Athletic Director at UBC and Langara College: Theresa Hanson. The proud Trail native and former Lewis-Clark State Warrior recaps a long and successful playing and post-playing career and chats about the benefits of being in a small town, moving away from home for the first time, what it takes to be a powerful, confident woman in the sports world, and so much more. A little Mamma Mia and Grey's anatomy, fun Hanson household parties, a lack of 3 point line while getting buckets, reminiscing about the good ol' Langara days with Mitch, and more!

We have proud Vancouver Irish alumnus and former UBC Thunderbird John Mills. A long decorated basketball career both as a player and off the court as part of Canada Basketball and various boards in president, executive director and co-chair positions, we sit down with the former teacher to chat about his past. We chat all things Vancouver College, UBC, Canada Basketball and how to fix Canada Basketball as an institution. A fantastic episode featuring Hawkins' Cheezies, Gordon Thorogood, and so much more! Article on Bill Russell by Howard Tsumura: "It’s no fable! In 1952, before his 11 NBA championship rings, a 17-year-old Bill Russell toured B.C. high schools and discovered his hoops identity!"

We welcome you back from a brief break with some absolute heat: former Richmond Colt and 2003 Mike Moser Award Winner (Most Outstanding Player in the CIS) Kyle Russell. A small list of his accolades: Canada West Player of the Year, Canada West First-Team All-Star, First Team All-Canadian; an outstanding resumé. Talk about A Hoops Journey - we sit down with the former Thunderbird, Dino, Lumberjack, Snowbadger, Torero - you name it! A wild journey that has roots in the Lower Mainland with some familiar names such as Bill Disbrow and Jonny Lee, we chat with Kyle about his life, how he fell in love with the sport, and so much more! Plus, a tough first minute for accountants, Cory Russell, Frank Ocean and Whoppers!

We have former Santa Clara Bronco and Junior/Senior National Team Player Brendan Graves joining us for Episode 77 of A Hoops Journey. He was a member of the 1994-95 and 1995-96 Santa Clara teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds, respectively. His team advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament with a 20-9 record in 1995-96. He graduated Cum Laude in Electrical Engineering and received the WCC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award in 1996. The former Lambrick Park Lion and Vancouver Island Native recaps a storied high school, university, national team and professional career with insight on Vancouver Island basketball in the 80s and 90s, Ed Somers, the recruiting process in the 90s, playing with two great point guards in Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, his time overseas and much more!

We have former Humber College and Toronto Blues Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Katz joining us for Episode 76! Prior to joining the Varsity Blues, Katz led the Humber College men's basketball team for 19 seasons (503-175 overall record). During that time, he led the Hawks to the Final Four every year, winning seven provincial championships and five national titles while also producing seven All-Canadian players. Katz is also a four-time OCAA coach of the year and a three-time CCAA coach of the year award winner and was inducted into the Humber Varsity "Hall of Fame" in 2004. We talk about his journey into the game of basketball, how he got his start in coaching, and his time learning about the game. We also touch on his Olympic journey being an assistant alongside Ken Shields and Jerry Hemmings, and more!

Episode 75 of A Hoops Journey features current Washington Mystics Director of Player Development: Sefu Bernard. Another wild hoops journey, he sits down with us from the Caymans to talk about his story. The Toronto native talks about his upbringing as an inner city kid, his time playing as Windsor Lancer, his internship in Detroit and how a couple VHS tapes started his path to the WNBA. Prince, Bad Boys Pistons, the rise of Jama Mahlalela and much more on this amazing episode!

We welcome another Canada Basketball legend - former Burnaby Central Wildcats player and SFU Men's Basketball great Alex Devlin joins us for Episode 74 of A Hoops Journey. The former All-American and NAIA all-star played for Team Canada for four years, helping Canada finish 4th in 1976, and later coached at SFU. We get into the legend of Billy Robinson, Bill Disbrow, shooting mechanics and a lot more stories from this BC and Canada Basketball Hall of Fame inductee!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! With Perrie Scarlett and Gerald Cole's answers on Coach Bruce Enns accidentally missing from his episode, we thought it was right to release their answers as a bonus episode!

We welcome former Ryerson University Men's Head Coach and current Sacramento Kings Coach Roy Rana for Episode 73! We sit down with the Toronto native and former Canadian Senior National Team coach to chat about his time at CW Jeffries and Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute, the transition from high school to U Sport, the transition from U Sport to the NBA, his time with the National Team and the German National team, and a lot more! James Brown, the rise of Canadian coaches in the NBA, missing hairlines, we got a great episode for you today!

For Episode 72, we welcome two-time First Team All-Canadian, 1995 CIAU championship MVP and a member of the first two University of Alberta Golden Bears CIAU Championships: Greg DeVries. The Nelson-native sits down with us to chat all things basketball, and the renowned sharpshooter goes through his background starting off in Nelson, and his path to the University of Alberta, where he helped lead the Golden Bears to their first two CIAU championships. We touch on Aaron's first time meeting Greg, Derek Welsh, Don Horwood, Greg's scoring prowess, getting a B in basketball class, and so much more!

We have another Canadian Basketball coaching legend - former longtime UBC Head Coach Bruce Enns joins us for Episode 71 of A Hoops Journey. We touch on his early beginnings starting in Chilliwack, to Manitoba, his time as the face of UBC Basketball and life thereafter. A different flavour of the podcast, we have recurring guest Dominic Zimmermann and Ross Tomlinson helping out as narrators, as well as a roundtable of former players/managers and coaches - big shoutout to John Mills, Stan Wong, Eric Butler, Gerald Cole, Kevin Hanson, Brady Ibbetson, Kevin Keeler, Sean Mitchell and Perrie Scarlett - a call filled with Bruce Enns stories and anecdotes. A great episode about a great man, and a must-listen!

A bonus episode today as we work on a different style of episode coming up. The GOAT debate, chips, favourite players - Mitch puts Corbs on the spot as we wait for a guest that never arrives. We will be back to regular programming next week. Happy Friday everyone!

Episode 70 with another legend: New York native and CAN-AM legend Mickey Fox joins A Hoops Journey to reflect on a storied career. The former St. Mary's Husky has quite the hoops journey from the Boroughs of New York, to the Maritimes and leaving his mark on Canadian Basketball. We chat with him about his upbringing, the jump from the US to Canada, twice getting drafted to the NBA, colouring skills and the legacy that the Maritimes has on Canada Basketball. This is a hilarious conversation with one of Canada's GOATS! Sounds: Storyblocks Produced by: Corbin Castres

We have former Olds College Bronco, UBC T-Bird and current Iranian National Team player and professional in Europe: Phil Jalalpoor. Born and raised in Germany, Phil has quite the hoops journey spanning multiple continents and experiences. He sits down with us for Episode 69 (nice) to discuss this expansive journey. From JUCO to USport to guarding Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant in the Olympics, this is an incredible story of a gritty individual with a not-so-typical pathway. A great episode for all hoopers, but especially to young aspiring hoopers, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

We have long-time BC Basketball and Maple Ridge Ramblers Head Coach Ken Dockendorf joining us for Episode 68 of A Hoops Journey. With over 50 years of coaching, he sits down with us to chat all things about his life - his upbringing, how he got his start into coaching, his transition over to Maple Ridge and building the Maple Ridge Ramblers program in the 80s and 90s. Beach Boys, buzzer beaters, long-twos - we got it all here for you today in this special episode with one of the OGs of BC Basketball!

We have a great guest for Episode 67 - Olga Hrycak. A pioneer for female coaches throughout her career, Hrycak made North American basketball history in 2003 when she was hired as the inaugural bench boss of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins, becoming the first woman to coach a men’s team at the university level in Canada or the United States. Olga is the former Dawson College Blues Men's Head Coach, where she made Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) history, with nine championships in 15 years. She was also named Quebec college Coach of the Year six times and CCAA Coach of the Year twice. A Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, she sits down with us to talk to us about her early days, Jack Donahue, and her incredible journey through a male-dominated sport. Do NOT skip this episode on this Canadian coaching legend!

For Episode 66, we have another Vancouver big man: former Vancouver College Irish and Santa Clara Bronco Marc Trasolini joins the show! Marc is currently playing pro in Japan, the same league as previous guests Robert Sacre and Scott Morrison (Argyle). Marc chats about his athletic upbringing, VC vs STM, the recruiting process and choosing Santa Clara, the transition to playing basketball professionally in Italy and France, and so much more! A Paul George what-if, Kawhi, Tupac and Biggie and a great quote - all of these will be touched on this fantastic episode!

Episode 65 of A Hoops Journey features two-time CCAA All-Canadian and Basketball BC most Outstanding College Player of the Year, Jacob Thom. A member of the Kitkatla band and raised in Prince Rupert, he sits down with us to chat about his experience growing up in Prince Rupert, the level of basketball in northern BC and how he worked his way to VIU (then Malaspina College) to have a decorated PACWEST career. We chat about Mel Bishop, being an Indigenous basketball player, the All-Native Tournament, and a frank conversation about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the recent revelations of the horrid Residential School system. A unique story with tons of takeaways, Episode 65 is a treat!

We have a special guest with us today - former Olympian and Heritage Park great Teresa Gabriele (Kleindienst) joins us for Episode 64 of A Hoops Journey. An SFU Hall of Fame inductee, she was a two-time CIS All-Canadian, NAIA All-American and NAIA 1st-Team All-Star and Tournament MVP, she was a member of the Canadian National team from 1998 to 2012 and had a short stint as a pro overseas. She sits down with us to outline her career starting at Heritage Park, her relationships with Allison and Mike McNeill, choosing SFU over American schools, her Olympic experiences and much, much more! Another legend of the Canadian Women's Team, her story is a great one and a must listen!

Current Varsity Letters founder and writer Howard Tsumura joins us for Episode 63 to outline a storied career. Howard is a former writer for The Province, beat writer for the late Vancouver Grizzlies, and a multi-sport writer for all of BC High School Sports, and frequent play-by-play broadcaster for high school and university sports. he talks about how he got into the journalism industry, dealing with adversity at a young age, how he found his voice in his writing, his foray into the NBA, the magic of high school sports and kids' stories, and so much more. One of THE best to ever do it in our province - this is a great episode for all!

After a brief break, we are back to share more incredible hoops stories with you! Episode 62 features another Salmon Arm great, former UBC T-Bird, National Team player and professional in Casey Archibald. One of the best players in UBC history as a two-time first-team ALL-Canadian, five-time all-star and five-time Canada West All-Star, he sits down with us to recap a storied career. Humble beginnings starting in East Van, to Salmon Arm, to West Vancouver and to Austria/Germany, he shares some stories along the way, how he got to be one of the best players from British Columbia and so much more!

Episode 61 features former St. Mary's Husky and UBC Thunderbird player, and current middle school teacher and Freak Show member, Kevin Keeler. We touch on his amazing art (check out @keelerart on Instagram) but also his basketball journey from being a young boy in Halifax, to settling down in Vancouver and the ups and downs of his great basketball career. We chat about the St. Mary's program, Bruce Enns, a thorough Top 5 Rappers discussion, finding your own place in basketball and in life, and so much more. From the Wu-Tang Clan to The Tragically Hip, and from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, another great guest for A Hoops Journey!

We have reached Episode 60 of A Hoops Journey! Today we sit down with former Northern Arizona Lumberjack, Canadian 3X3 Player, and a professional bucket-getter, Steve Sir. Another incredible journey with both an American and Canadian perspective, playing at the renowned Ross Sheppard School in Edmonton, to playing with Joe Mauer in Minnesota, the recruiting process for D1 prospects, the FIBA 3X3 experience and so much more! Incredible advice and insight on how to become a great player, and loving the process of improving, plus great stories about some incredible people - you do NOT want to miss this episode!

The longtime St. Francis Xavier University Men's Basketball Coach; an icon in North American coaching circles, multiple-time AUS Coach of the Year, CIS Coach of the Year, Canadian National Team Coach and Nova Scotia Hall of Fame inductee (and probably more to come) Steve Konchalski sits down with us for a second time. So many great stories from the coaching legend, from his New York upbringing, the passing of legendary scout and brother Tom, his time at Acadia University, becoming a lifer in the game and so much more. If you've played any level of post-secondary basketball, you know the name and face, but do you know his story? Episode 59 will show you!

We travel down to California to sit down with current founder of Basketball Immersion and host of The Basketball Podcast - Chris Oliver. Another example of "A Hoops Journey", he chats with Aaron about his time growing up in Ontario, his growth mindset in developing his coaching during his years at Queens and Windsor, the jump to create Basketball Immersion and so much more. A McMaster graduate with a Masters from Brock University, the famous podcaster/consultant shares insight on parenting, the ketchup debate, honing your craft, and so, so much more. You do NOT want to miss this episode!

For Episode 57, we travel down to Tampa to chat with phenom baller Aislinn “Ace” Konig. The former 3-time provincial MVP, 3-time Provincial champ, NC State Wolfpack alum sits down with us just after landing in Florida to reflect on an already storied career. We talk about her family’s infamous pickup games, her time with Neil Brown at Brookswood, NCAA recruiting, WNBA tryouts and the role of women in important social issues. Coaches, get your young ballers, male or female, to listen to an incredibly confident, fiery and gifted young woman talk about what it took to play D1, ABBA and so much more!

We sit down with another legendary coach for Episode 56. Longtime Richmond High, St. George's, Vancouver College and current David Thompson coach Bill Disbrow sits down with us for what we can call "coaching church". What else can we say; an episode filled with amazing insight, fantastic stories about DeMatha High, Michael Jordan, and Coach K. If you don't know the name, you are about to find out why he's a legendary coach. He talks about his early days of coaching at Burnaby Central, building the Richmond program to the powerhouse it became, and so, so much more. Pen. Notebook. Disbrow. Episode 56, lets get it!

Those two names speak for itself - the two iconic coaches of BC Basketball in the 90's sit down with us for Episode 55. What more can we say? A wildly entertaining episode filled with amazing insight, hilarious stories and incredible banter. We talk abou the '93 North Delta team, the '94 Richmond team, how the two became co-coaches, Rihanna, and so much more. Grab your favourite Parkside beer, enjoy the sun on this beautiful Friday afternoon and listen to two of the greatest coaches ever in BC chat with your favourite podcast.

You wanted stories? You got them, with storied broadcaster John McKeachie. While many in the lower mainland know him for his sports radio career at CKNW New Westminster, Hockey Night in Canada, covering the Barcelona Olympics for CTV and so forth, he sits down to talk about his basketball roots and how it eventually shaped his career. This episode is filled with lots of stories, tangents and hilarious anecdotes that could've gone on for hours. A double treat for hockey lovers and basketball hoopers, sit down and enjoy your Saturday with a Parkside beverage and some HardBite chips and listen to a great episode!

Current Ottawa Gee-Gee's Men's Basketball coach and one-time roommate of Aaron's is none other than James Derouin. The Ontario native has an incredible journey from a hockey background, grinding his way to one of the best coaches in the country. Stints with the renowned late 90's Langara Falcons teams and the University of Ottawa is just the start of an incredible story. Get out the pen and notebook; the winningest coach in Gee-Gee program history, touches on recruiting, how the game has changed, the early adult days of GoldenEye and spicy doritos, another take on the GOAT debate, the assistant coach grind and a lot of advice for young coaches. Plus, going up against Dave Smart, getting tossed in the national final, another addition to the chip game and recognizing what roads and decisions have led him to become a CIS Coach of the Year. Sounds and Music by: Storyblocks and Youtube Sponsors: Parkside Brewery and Goodlad Clothing

A Hoops Journey sits down with graduating UBC Thunderbird and former STMC Knight: Gabrielle Laguerta. A journey filled with overcoming adversity, she chats about her introduction to basketball through her brothers, overcoming multiple ACL tears, finding strength within her family and community, the recruiting process throughout her high school days, what a USport COVID season was like, and her future plans. A great story with a ton of takeaways, especially for our young female listeners. Carpools, drive-by shots at producer Corbs, an honest conversation about her career ending, being the more successful Laguerta (shout out Episode 4 guest Denzel) - we have got it! Sounds and Music from: Storyblocks and Youtube Sponsored by: Parkside Brewery and Goodlad Clothing

We return after a small break and sit down with another BC and Canadian basketball legend - Lars Hansen; a BC Sports Hall of Fame and Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. The former Centennial Centaur and University of Washington Husky chats about the basketball scene in the 70's in the lower mainland, playing at the UW, being a multi-sport athlete, being drafted into the NBA, being the top scorer in the Liga ACB (top Spanish league) in 1981 and so much more! Plus, a wild lightning round, chocolate thunder, Led Zeppelin and an interesting answer to our final questions. So many great stories and takeaways here with Episode 51!

A Hoops Journey celebrates the big 50 by bringing in former guest Novell Thomas to interview our host, Aaron Mitchell. We flip the script and put Mitch on the hot seat. One of the very few to win a provincial title as a player, a national college title, and a provincial title as a coach, Aaron has had a long storied basketball career, starting off with his time at Terry Fox and ending in Brandon University. Plus, the back story of Corbs and Aaron, deep reflections, hilarious anecdotes, tough challenges - we have all that in this special episode! We want to thank YOU, our audience for supporting us in so many ways. There is zero chance we make it to Episode 20, let alone 50 of these without your continued support. Lastly, this episode is dedicated to the life of Rich Goulet.

Current Utah Valley Wolverine Fardaws Aimaq joins A Hoops Journey for Episode 49. The Richmond native and former Steveston-London Shark sits down with us during his quarantine back from the conclusion of his season to chat about his growing basketball journey. Some "scuffles" with us during his time at Steveston-London, growing up in Richmond, the Division 1 recruiting process, having Mark Madsen be his coach - all this and more in this great episode with the big fella!

For episode 48, we (metaphorically) hop on the plane to Spain to chop it up with current Club Juventut Badalona forward, Conor Morgan. The first guest that's still playing, the former Mount Douglas Ram and UBC Thunderbird sits down with us after practice to outline a growing professional and national career, some provincial team shenanigans, Spanish league stories and more! With many great tidbits and advice for the younger guys, get out the pen and paper folks!

One of Canada's living basketball legends in Gerald Kazanowski joins us for Episode 47. The Nanaimo native has been a winner all throughout his career; starting with a provincial MVP in 1978 and parlayed that into a storied UVic, National team, and professional career. Multiple CANWEST All-Stars, a 2-time All-Canadian, multiple appearances representing Canada in the Olympics and World University Games, a Basketball BC Sports, Nanaimo Sports and Naismith Hall of Fame inductee. Now in the finance industry, Gerald reflects on his storied career.

Current Laurentian Voyageurs Men's Basketball Head Coach Shawn Swords gets on the hot seat for episode 46 of A Hoops Journey. Coach Swords reflects on a career that includes over 100 games representing Canada, a fork-in-the-road moment, a lengthy overseas professional career and entering the coaching ranks at his alma mater - as a player, he was a multiple OUA East all-star and All-Canadian player during his 5 years at Laurentian ('92-97). We touch on work ethic, social media, and the famous 2000 Olympic Team. Enjoy your Friday with us!

Jordie McTavish joins us for Episode 45 of A Hoops Journey. He may not say it, but we will: he is one of the best guards to not just come out of BC, but to come out of Canada period. What a story we have for you folks, as he recaps a short but great playing career, starting with humble beginnings in the small town of Salmon Arm, winning a provincial MVP, playing for the controversial Rick Majerus, his National team experience, and dealing with injuries that ultimately ended his career. Despite that, Jordie has such a great story - all those who do know this man could ball out - and we know you'll enjoy these two old friends chopping it up!

pisode 44 features current Langara College Men's Basketball Head Coach - Paul Eberhardt. A coaching career that has now spanned over 40 years at the high school, college and national team level, Paul Eberhardt has been a staple in BC Boys basketball, serving in various capacities, winning provincial titles at both the high school level and in the PACWEST. This episode could've gone on for 4 hours just about ketchup on hot dogs, the GOAT debate, and Ace of Base. Folks, if you love BC Hoops, this is the episode for you!

THE Canadian coaching legend Ken Shields joins us for Episode 43. Get out the pen and notebook folks, as this episode was an absolute masterclass in coaching and team building. The Beaver Lodge born and Prince Rupert raised coaching icon sits down with us to reflect on an absolute prodigious career - developing an a dynasty on Vancouver Island, Canada Olympic coaching, coaching all over the world in various capacities and a cup of coffee in the NBA. An Order of Canada recipient, UVIc Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Canada Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, a James Naismith Award winner, a multiple CIS/USPORT Coach of the Year winner - we think this list speaks for itself.

Jamaican born big man Michael Meeks joins us for Episode 42 of A Hoops Journey. The Ontario raised Olympian is another member of the iconic 2000 Canadian Men's basketball team, but his story is so much more than that; a prodigious pro career all over Europe and being a walking bucket at Division 1 and leading the Canisius College Golden Griffins to their only NCAA appearance. An ode to a Brazilian legend, crazy European stories, a technical mishap - the current Manager of Youth Player Development for Canada Basketball has a story you HAVE to listen to!

With Episode 41 we chat with the most accomplished guest we've had so far, hailing from Mission, Kim Smith Gaucher. The Heritage Park Highlander is a 3-time Provincial Champ, 2-time Provincial MVP, a 4-time MWC Conference Player of the year, Associated Press All-American, a 3-time Kodak All-America HM; all at the University of Utah. She is the first female to have her jersey retired by the Utes, and currently is a professional overseas in the France women's league with USO Mondeville. With multiple medals and national team appearances in both the Junior and Senior team capacity since 2006, the 13th overall pick 2006 WNBA Draft sits down with us to reflect on a storied career, from the Heritage Park dynasty of the 00's, the importance of playing against older and better players, to wearing the maple leaf and representing Canada, Kim has been a great example for not just young female hoopers, but to the entire Canadian hoops landscape. We are bring the HEAT with this episode!

Two Scott Morrison's are always better than one; as Scott Morrison, the former Argyle Piper and Portland State Viking joins us for Episode 40. The North Shore native reflects on the impact of coaches like Glen Chu, the culture building and player development done at Argyle in the early 2000's and Scott's transition into Division 1 basketball at Portland State. Plus, he outlines a long and prodigious professional career all over Europe - from Hungary, to Estonia, to Okinawa - we can definitely call his journey a hoops one. Episode 40, in the books, we know you'll love this episode!

We were in Nanaimo last week, so we hop in the car and drive down to Victoria to chat with former UVic Vike and national team player, Phil Ohl. The proud Vancouver Island native explicates a basketball career with humble beginnings, culminating in a national team and professional career overseas, and now using his experiences to foster leadership in small business leaders. A journey full of highs and lows, battling both personal and professional adversity; folks, we know you will enjoy this episode!

We hop the ferry over to Nanaimo for Episode 38 to chat with current VIU Men's Basketball Head Coach, Matt Kuzminski. The former UVic and SFU player, hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, reminisces on a growing list of basketball achievements, both as a player and a coach. With two national championship rings (2013, 2019) and multiple PACWEST championships, Matt shares how he's built a successful program on the small Vancouver Island city. Plus, we touch on an overlooked coaching figure and culture building within a team.

We kick off 2021 with a bang - by sitting down with former Capilano Blues and UBC Thunderbird, Gerald Cole. A proud Vancouver College alum, Gerald recaps a hoops journey filled with highs and lows - falling in love with the game with the late John Dumont, dealing with personal adversity, running camps with our favourite German and a certain Canadian player, and so much more. Plus, we touch on the impact of Bruce Enns and Bob Corbett and their coaching legacies. We know you'll enjoy this episode! ----more---- Sponsored by: Goodlad Clothing Sponsored by: Parkside Brewery Follow @ahoopsjourney on Instagram! Send any mailbag questions to [email protected] Sounds by: Zapsplat, AudioJungle Audio Clips from: Youtube