The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have been going to the Central Okanagan a lot over the last few years to recruit top athletes. The WolfPack men’s basketball team is the most recent team to delve into that area for a top player.
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WolfPack recruit Jeff Tubbs[/caption]
Head coach Scott Clark and the WolfPack are pleased to announce that 6’2” point guard Jeff Tubbs of West Kelowna (Mount Boucherie Secondary). Tubbs will join the program effective September 2015.
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Tubbs with Team BC (photo submitted)[/caption]
Says Coach Clark: “He is a really quality person, student and athlete. He represented BC on the Provincial U-17 team this past summer. His best basketball is ahead of him. He has a lot of room for growth. He is a later maturing body. It wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t grow a bit more. Having bigger guards is always good. I am a fan of that. It is good because you can do multiple things.”
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WolfPack men's basketball head coach Scott Clark[/caption]
The coach adds “He can play multiple positions—he can move the ball up the court, he can make shots, he can run and play in the post. While he is classified as a point guard he is more of a well-rounded basketball player. He can also defend multiple positions. He is 6’2” but he can guard. If he does what we have asked him to do to improve his strength and agility, you are looking at a guy who can defend multiple positions.”
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Tubbs defends against Pitt Meadows at the BC "AAA" Provincial Championships last season (photo submitted)[/caption]
Tubbs is a proven winner: MVP of his UBCO Heat club team in U-15 and U-16. He is entering his third year as captain of the Mount Boucherie Bears senior boys basketball club. He averaged 15.5 points, 8.3 assists, 2.4 steals, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Clark also likes Tubbs’ competitiveness: “He has some leadership skills. Those will be improved upon in his grade 12 season and as he comes in here as a freshman and sophomore. By his second year here he can be in a position of leadership. I like that about him.”
Tubbs plans to take courses intended to get a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in psychology at Thompson Rivers. He looked a number of other Canada West universities before deciding to come to Kamloops. “It’s a great campus and I loved the smaller class sizes,” he says. The WolfPack have a great program and I am looking forward to playing my five years of university basketball under Coach Clark.”
With Team BC—Tubbs was team Captain and averaged 5.7 points, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 rebounds per game.
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Tubbs with team BC last year-Rich Goulet was the coach (photo submitted)[/caption]
His coach was longtime high school basketball icon Rich Goulet of Pitt Meadows. “I really liked his demeanor as a player,” Goulet says. “ He was somewhat quiet off the floor but he engineered our team as the starting guard when he played. His selection to the team was a surprise to many but in the end, he showed that he had what it takes to lead the provincial team…good ball handling, heads up play and vision on the floor, good passing and a good shot. He was also a very decent defensive player.”
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Tubbs dribbles the ball up court (photo submitted)[/caption]
Goulet adds that Tubbs is a legitimate CIS player. “I think he can play at this level and he will be a joy for Coach Scott Clark to coach. This (the signing) is a quite an accomplishment for Jeff. You can attribute his dedication, perseverance and desire to learn as the reasons he has made it to this level. I wish him the best and will be watching his career unfold.”
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Tubbs on his home court (photo submitted)[/caption]
Clark says Tubbs is the ideal WolfPack recruit for men’s basketball: “You want guys who want to improve and grow. They want to improve as students, in the community and on the court. From that perspective, they crave coaching and leadership (what direction to go in). When I watched him, I thought he possessed those characteristics. The coach who coached him in the summertime (Goulet) is very demanding. I thought he dealt with that situation well. I think that is a great fit for us because we demand certain things of our guys. I felt that he is a guy who wants to be coached and demanded and pushed in a positive direction. Those are the type of guys who are good fits for our university and our program.”
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WolfPack volleyball red shirt and long time teammate and friend of Jeff Tubbs: Cole Hanson (Andrew Snucins photo)[/caption]
DOUBLE DRIBBLES: Tubbs is a multi-sport athlete: excelling in baseball, soccer and volleyball. He is currently playing volleyball for Mount Boucherie’s senior boys team. Last year, he was a teammate of current WolfPack volleyball red shirt Cole Hanson.
“We have been teammates and friends for years starting in minor baseball,” says Hanson. “Jeff is a very smart basketball player and a hard worker. We have talked a bit since he has committed but I am not sure I had a great influence on him coming here,” he laughs. “I am very excited to have Jeff as part of the WolfPack family.”
Tubbs’ highlights with the Team BC U-17 team are at: : http://youtube/HnVMtapVsqQ
