The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men's basketball team has gone to the Langley area for their latest recruit.

Head coach Scott Clark and the WolfPack are announcing their fifth recruit for the 2019-20 Canada West season with 6'4" guard/small forward Asher Mayan of Langley Christian Secondary signing a letter of intent.

"I like how the campus is close to much of the city, "says Mayan about Thompson Rivers where he will pursue a Bachelor of Science degree. " I thought the campus would definitely serve me well as both an athlete and a student. I think Coach Clark has created a good basketball program at TRU and with lots of senior leadership next year, I think this is a good fit. I also like the Tournament Capital Centre facility."

"He can play multiple defensive positions I think, "says Clark. " He had a very good high school career and a very good summer last year."

The 'Pack coach goes onto say, " I saw him initially last year. I was at his high school tournament recruiting another player when I noticed him.  His AAU coach (Anthony Pezzente, who is also the head coach of the senior boys program at Holy Cross Secondary) reached out to me and said Asher might be someone I would want to look closer at.  I saw him in the summer league and then we brought him into TRU in the fall.  During the winter months, I saw him play a couple of more times.  Asher is a very good student and good basketball player. He is the type of athlete you want to have on your team."

Pezzente says Mayan developed a lot over the 2018 summer season where their team competed against some of the better teams in California and the Pacific Northwest making the quarterfinals of a tournament in Las Vegas and the finals of an event in Salem Oregon.  "He was our everything. He guarded quicker guards and bigger posts and was always up for the defensive challenge. Offensively, his jumper and ability to get to the rim allowed him to become a significant scorer for us."

Pezzente adds, "In our first tournament, he looked nervous and barely played. By the end of the summer, he started and I couldn't take him off the floor.  His growth and confidence grew leaps and bounds as the season progressed and it showed in his play on the court. He is an amazing teammate, player and young man. Asher is a natural leader and is very positive towards his teammates. He helps build a great chemistry within the team. As a player, he is reliable and his skill and work ethic gives a coach confidence to put him on the floor and trust him in big moments."

Mayan averaged 23 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while having an 86 per cent free throw, 51 per cent field goal and a 38 percent three point per game average.  He helped his Langley Christian Lightning to the "AA" Fraser Valley zone title and a sixth place finish in the provincials in 2018-19. Their record was 31-6 and ranked as high as second provincially during the campaign.

He is looking forward to being a part of the WolfPack's community efforts, " I think that being involved in the community is extremely valuable and having those opportunities as a student-athlete is meaningful. I have worked at Impact Hoops for a year and a half teaching younger players about the game of basketball. It is very fulfilling to be able to coach and inspire younger athletes. I have also worked to help my former band teacher, who has ALS by raising awareness and money through school events and was the fundraising chair of our home basketball tournament this year."
Clark says adding Mayan gives the WolfPack more size going into next season along with more athleticism. "It is something we looked at going into this off season as something we needed to address."
 
 
The addition of Mayan will also make training camp and practices more competitive. "There will be a lot of teaching. We have a large number of new, young guys coming in. When that is the case, you have do a lot of teaching. That is what is required.  It is a nice problem to have when you look down the road at the future."

The WolfPack will have a large group in practice as the 19-20 squad will feature a number of fifth year players (Joe Davis (Kamloops, BC), Michael Rouault (Vernon, BC), Anton Bilous (Cherkassy, Ukraine) and Kyrin Cybenko (Saskatoon, SK).   Clark has recruited more heavily this year to expose the younger players to the culture that exists.
"Having the younger guys here will give them an added opportunity to learn the systems along with how school works so they will become more valued members of the team in year two."
 
Other student/athletes committed to the WolfPack basketball team for the coming season are: Rojhae Colbert (6'7", guard/forward, Phoenix, AZ -Pinnacle/Hillcrest Academy/St. Martins (NCAA Div II),Samuel Jean (6'3",guard, Kamloops, BC-South Kamloops Secondary), Elan Kimpton-Cuellar (6'5" forward, Roberts Creek, BC-Elphinstone Secondary) and Simon Crossfield (6'5", small forward, Vancouver, BC-Sir Charles Tupper Secondary).

He played alongside Kimpton-Cuellar at the recent BC high school boy's all-star game.

Mayan says, "As much as I will miss high school basketball, I'm grateful to be able to continue my career and look forward to joining TRU this fall."

DOUBLE DRIBBLES:  Pezzante has this anecdote about Mayan, " I joked with him and his dad that after our first tournament, I thought maybe the level of basketball we were playing in the U.S. was too much. I have never been so happy to be wrong. By the end of the summer, other than our 6'10" Div 1 bound player (Liam McChesney of Prince Rupert, BC who is the younger brother of former WolfPack swimmer and current assistant coach Sarah), he was our most important and valuable player. He looked like a natural on the court like he belonged and started to dominate some games."
He adds, " I am so proud and excited for Asher to continue his dream and basketball journey.  He is a wonderful example of what happens when you combine hard work and skill. He proved himself on the summer circuit that he belongs and deserves to play high level university basketball."
Coach Clark on regenerative leadership (having younger players mentored by the older ones): " What you are looking to do is having the older players pass down "This is us, this is how we do things, this is not what we do".   For Michael and Joe, they were mentored by the likes of Brett Parker, Brett Rouault,   Reese (Pribilsky) Wolf (Josh Wolfram), Vladdy (Igorov). Those guys were doing that to them. Now it is their turn to pass on their knowledge to these younger guys. In three or four years, they will do the same thing. It amounts to "training your replacement"."