ID Camp – Thunder Men’s Basketball - 2012
The Thunder Men’s Basketball Program will be holding its 2012 ID Camp at the following times:
Session 1 - Friday, April 20th @ 6pm-9pm – please arrive 15-30 minutes early to register and warm up so that we can begin at 6pm sharp.
This session is open to any student athlete from grade 10 – 12 and any college age student athletes; no invitation necessary.
Session 2 – Saturday, April 21st @ 9am-12pm – again please arrive 15 minutes early to warm up so we can begin promptly at 9am.
This session will be by invitation only; out of town players that can only make this Saturday session, please contact Head Coach Reagan Wood as soon as possible (information listed below). Some players from Friday night’s session will be invited back for the Saturday morning session.
The Thunder Men’s Basketball team is looking for serious student-athletes. Please come prepared to give your best effort in a competitive college environment.
Any questions regarding this ID Camp or the Thunder Men’s Basketball Program please contact Reagan Wood – Head Coach Thunder Men’s Basketball at -
reagan.wood@concordia.ab.ca or 780-975-3504
Go Thunder!
Thunder Men's Basketball Athletic Awards Recipients Named
April 4, 2012
The recipients of this season Athletic Awards were named last night at the annual banquet held in the Teglar Centre. This year's winners include:
- Rob Haack - Most Improved Athlete
- Milos Prijovic - Most Dedicated Athlete
- Ethan Sir - Most Valuable Athlete
- Aaron Kruse - Outstanding Scholastic Athlete
- Ethan Sir, Milos Prijovic - ACAC All-Conference Selectees
- Ethan Sir - CCAA All-Canadian Selectee
Ethan Sir was also selected as Concordia's Male Athlete of the Year for 2011-12.
Congratulations to all our award winners!
Ethan Sir Selected to CCAA All-Canadian Squad
March 9, 2012
Thunder Men's Basketball Captain Ethan Sir has been named to the 2011-2012 CCAA All-Canadian team. Among his many accomplishments this season, Ethan:
- 1st team ALL Conference 2012
- Team MVP 2012
- Averaged 21.4 ppg in 2012
- Averaged 31 ppg in 2012 playoffs
- Led team to 12-8 regular season record and 1-2 in playoffs
- Averaged 28.6 ppg in last 7 games of 2012 to carry team to playoffs
- Overall 2011-12 record (including exhibition and playoffs) 22-13.
Congratulations Ethan on your selection!
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| Ethan Sir |
Two Thunder Men's Basketball Athletes Named to All-Conference Team
March 1, 2012
Two members of the Concordia Thunder Men's Basketball team have been selected as All-Conference athletes. 5th year Forward Ethan Sir was named to the 1st Team North while teammate and fellow Forward Milos Prijovic was named to the 2nd Team North. Congratulations to both Ethan and Milos for achieving this honour!
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| Ethan Sir | Milos Prijovic |
Sir Steps Down After Seven Seasons
February 28, 2012
After seven seasons at the helm of the Concordia University College of Alberta’s Men’s Basketball program, Head Coach Paul Sir has elected to step down. With the conclusion of the current 2011-12 season, Coach Sir has posted an enviable ACAC regular season career record of 106 wins and just 54 losses. Sir moved into the collegiate coaching ranks when he began his stint at Concordia in 2005. During his tenure, the Thunder have qualified for the playoffs every season, have been in the Final Four 3 times and won both a Bronze and a Silver medal. His teams have led the ACAC North in the Defensive Average category 5 times and finished second in the other 2 seasons. He was the ACAC North Coach of the Year in 2009 and has just been awarded that same honour again in 2011-12.
On his decision to step down, Sir had these words to say: “I am pleased and proud to have been part of the Concordia Thunder Basketball program this past seven years. I have had the privilege of coaching some great teams, players and working with outstanding assistant coaches and administrators. I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to build a program of excellence that espouses building character both on and off the court while striving to be a positive building block in all of the lives of those involved. I wish the Thunder all success going forward. The men's program is in great hands with Reagan Wood assuming the reins and Rick Henderson assisting. While I will miss coaching a great deal, I am comfortable that the time has come to move on to pursue other personal and basketball-related initiatives and opportunities. I wish to thank everyone for these past memorable years. Go Thunder!”
With Coach Sir’s decision to step down, Concordia University College is pleased to announce that longtime Assistant Coach Reagan Wood will be stepping into the role of Head Coach. Wood has been an Assistant Coach with Concordia for the past 5 seasons. Prior to Concordia, Wood worked with numerous spring and community league teams as well as a season with the Edmonton Energy. Reagan also coached High School football at Harry Ainley for two seasons.
“I am so grateful and humbled to be named the Head Coach at Concordia,” says Wood. “I would like to thank our Athletic Director, Mr. Bernie Masterson for giving me this opportunity. Working with Coach Paul Sir the past 5 years has been nothing short of amazing. He was and will continue to be the best mentor and friend a young aspiring coach could ask for. I have been blessed to have a number of great coaches that taught me the game over my playing years. The discipline, values and knowledge of the game they taught me, I will carry forward and pass on to the young men who come to play for the Thunder. Concordia is a great school, full of potential that I feel can achieve great things and I am excited to be leading the Men’s Basketball program.”
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| Paul Sir | Reagan Wood |
Thunder Men's Basketball Find 'A Fitting End' to Roller Coaster Season
February 27, 2012
The second half the ACAC basketball season for the Thunder Men’s Basketball team was a special and unique experience that all involved will never forget. Beginning with a trip to Lewiston, ID for a set of games against Lewis-Clark State and culminating with a hard fought loss to Mount Royal in a best-of-3 playoff series, a group of character-first young men showed that a team is greater than the sum of its parts.
Entering Thursday’s one game wild card match up with Augustana, the Thunder knew that the 7 remaining healthy players would have to carry the goals of the team on their shoulders. An inspired Vikings squad - after soundly defeating SAIT the night before - were the early aggressors as they took a 45-32 lead over the Thunder into the half. Halftime adjustments by the coaching staff and a relentless attitude and determination from the players, brought the Thunder all the way back to tie the game at 50 mid way through the 3rd quarter. The Vikings again found some open shots and regained a 9 point advantage heading into the 4th quarter. The Thunder dug deep and played their toughest quarter of the season tying the game at 73 and forcing overtime. A dominant extra frame by the Thunder saw them grasp an 89-82 victory in a game that looked like a certain loss. With their backs against the wall, the Thunder turned, as always to Ethan Sir and Milos Prijovic to carry them to victory. Ethan had his highest scoring game of the season, relentlessly attacking the rim and making numerous clutch jumpers, finishing with 34 points. Milos had his best game in a Thunder uniform, with 24 points and set a season high for the ACAC with 25 rebounds. As outstanding as Ethan and Milos’s numbers were, the true game changer for the Thunder was PG Jon Celeste, who took his Augustana counterpart who had 19 points at the half and held him to 0 through the 2nd half and overtime.
The Thunder now turned their focus to the #1 seeded Mount Royal Cougars for a best-of-3 series with a birth in the ACAC Final Four on the line. With some fatigue lingering from the previous night's game, the Thunder found themselves down 11 at the break. 16 second chance points in the first half by the Cougars proved to be an insurmountable deficit for the Thunder to overcome, despite playing the Cougars even in the second half. The Cougars defeated the Thunder by a final score of 79-65. Ethan led the squad with 23 points and Milos chipped in with 20.
Coming home Saturday night for the second game of the series, the Thunder knew that they were playing for their season. A steely resolve was evident from the first play of the game to the final buzzer. The opening quarter saw the Thunder take a 17-13 lead and with no let up in the second, the Thunder found themselves ahead by a 36-31 margin at half. The 3rd quarter would prove to be perhaps the toughest 10 minutes of the season for the Thunder. Despite continuing with the game plan and with a relentless defensive effort, the Thunder just couldn’t score while at the same time, the Cougars caught fire outscoring the Thunder 28-6 in the frame to lead 59-42. The 4th quarter found both teams going shot-for-shot with several scoring runs by the Thunder answered in kind by the Cougars. The Thunder were able to cut the lead to 10 at one point but the Cougars were just too hot on this night. With just two minutes to go and Jon Celeste and Milos Prijovic fouled out, Dallas Wright rolled his ankle and would be unable to finish the game, leaving the Thunder with just 4 available players to finish the game. After enduring so many injuries and player losses throughout the year, it seemed fitting to finish the season literally outmanned. The final horn sounded and the Thunder were on the wrong side of an 88-73 decision. Outmanned but never outworked, if there were ever a loss that felt like a victory this was it. Steffan Favis had his best game of the season for the Thunder with 16 points and 5 rebounds, while Milos Prijovic added 11 and 7. In his final game for Concordia, Ethan Sir left no doubt that he is one of the greatest players to ever play in the ACAC. Ethan finished the game with 36 points (career high) and 8 rebounds. By scoring 36, Ethan eclipsed the 1300 career point mark (1302). Ethan also recorded 380 career rebounds, 215 assists and 144 3-pointers. He played 123 games in a Thunder uniform and is second all time at Concordia in scoring and top 15 in ACAC history. He received his 2nd First Team All ACAC selection and is a nominee for CCAA All Canadian this year as well.
Assistant Coach Reagan Wood summed up the season and the team with these words: "There are not sufficient words to describe the heart of this team and the way they faced impossible odds day in and day out, never wavering and with only a desire to work harder and get better. The Thunder finished the season with a combined record of 22-13 (exhibition, season, playoffs). We would like to thank everyone who supported our team this year. They are an exceptional group of young men that made the most of everyday on the court. They exhibited a degree of heart and determination rarely seen at this level. Thanks (to the fans) and we look forward to seeing this group again on the court next season!"
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| Photos by | Colton Eastcott |
Sweep of Grande Prairie Provides Momentum Heading into Playoffs for Thunder Men's Basketball
February 22, 2012
The Thunder Men’s Basketball team had their biggest offensive output of the season in a two game sweep of the Grande Prairie Wolves this past weekend. Final scores of 90-75 and 110-80 pushed the team's record to 8-2 in the second half of the season and 12-8 overall, nailing down 4th place in the ACAC North division. Still nursing injuries, the Thunder again relied on Ethan Sir and Milos Prijovic to carry the bulk of the offensive load. Ethan had his two highest scoring games of the season with 28 and 30, while Milos notched his 7th double double Friday with 15 points along with 14 rebounds and almost added an 8th (double double) with 17 points and 9 rebounds Saturday. Rob Haack had his best game of the season with 24 points Saturday, while Dallas Wright continued his solid season with 16 points and 7 rebounds in both contests. The Thunder now head into Thursday's 1 game elimination round against either the SAIT Trojans or the Augustana Vikings. The Thunder will be looking for the opportunity to face the Mount Royal Cougars in the best-of-3 series that would start Friday night at Mount Royal. Keep checking the Athletics website for the latest updates.
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Thunder Men's Basketball's Ethan Sir Selected as Athlete of the Week
February 7, 2012
Ethan Sir has been honoured with the ACAC Athlete of the Week award for the week of January 30th to February 5th. Ethan had a very strong weekend scoring 49 points with 14 rebounds and 4 assists in Concordia’s swing through Southern Alberta. On Friday night, he got 24 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists in a win over the Lethbridge Kodiaks. He followed up this stellar performance the next night, with 25 points and 5 rebounds vs. Mount Royal Cougars. Ethan is currently 3rd in the ACAC in scoring and has led his team to a fourth place position in the ACAC North in spite of the roster dwindling to just seven active players due to injuries.
Ethan has played all season with a surgically repaired shoulder as well as having injury problems in his other shoulder. Ethan is going to finish his career at Concordia among the all-time leaders in the ACAC in scoring. He is the second leading scorer in Concordia history as well as being among the leaders in assists and rebounds. His career record while playing at Concordia is 78 - 46 with an ACAC North regular season championship, an ACAC Silver Medal, 2 Final Four appearances and making the playoffs every season. His presence will be sorely missed at Concordia. Ethan is finishing his English program at Concordia.
Congratulations on being awarded Athlete of the Week Ethan!
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| Ethan Sir |
Southern Split Secures 4th for Thunder Men’s Basketball
February 6, 2012
Wrapping up their schedule versus the ACAC south, the Thunder travelled to Lethbridge and Mount Royal this past weekend looking to secure 4th place in the north. Friday night in Lethbridge, the Thunder would use solid team play and ball control to outlast the LC Kodiaks. Registering a season high 27 assists, while only committing 9 turnovers, the Thunder brought home an 87-74 win. With only a one point lead at the half, the Thunder would explode with 54 second half points led by Ethan Sir with 24 and Milos Prijovic with 22. A solid line from PG Jon Celeste (10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals) was also critical to the Thunder victory. Saturday, the Thunder would head into Mount Royal, looking to beat the Cougars who were appearing in their final ACAC home game. Hot shooting by the Cougars would prove to be too much for the Thunder to overcome, falling by a score of 95-68. The Thunder were again led by Ethan Sir with a 25 point performance and Milos Prijovic with 19. The boys now enjoy a much needed bye week and then will end the ACAC regular season against the Grande Prairie Wolves February 17th and 18th at the Ralph King Athletic Centre.
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Thunder Men's Basketball in a Playoff Atmosphere in Weekend Split with MacEwan
January 30, 2012
You can usually tell when the calendar is about to flip to February by the intensity on the basketball court and this past weekend's games were no exception. On Friday night the Thunder hosted the MacEwan Griffins in a must win situation for the visitors but where the Thunder proved equal to the task. The Thunder overcame a 6 point deficit from the first quarter, pouring in 29 points in the second to go into the break tied at 39. Staunch defense has been the Thunder’s hallmark all season and was once again in evidence as Concordia held back the Griffins and jumped out to a third quarter lead that reached as high as 12 points late in the third quarter. Stemming the Griffins' runs throughout the fourth and making critical free throws when it counted, the Thunder held on for the 77-74 victory. In doing so, the Thunder all but clinched 4th spot in the ACAC North division, promising a 6th straight playoff appearance for Concordia Men's Basketball. The Thunder were led by veterans Ethan Sir and Milos Prijovic who both eclipsed the 20 mark with 22 and 21, respectively. Prijovic also added 15 rebounds to secure his 6th double-double of the season.
Saturday night at MacEwan would play out differently as the Griffins adopted a high pressure defense and frustrated the Thunder all night. Never able to mount the necessary runs needed to overcome a 15 point half time gap, the fatigued Thunder fell to the Griffins 77-57. Strong offensive games from Jacob Wojcicki and Dallas Wright - who matched each other with 15 points and 7 rebounds apiece - were not enough to overcome the MacEwan assault. “These were two tough, physical contests,” said Head Coach Paul Sir. “As always, the effort of our players is unquestionable. On Friday we had our legs and made keys plays when we needed to. Saturday, you have to give full marks to MacEwan who frustrated us with their pressure and made the tough shots.” The Thunder now take their show on the road for the final time this regular season with a trip to Lethbridge College and Mount Royal University this coming weekend to wrap up their schedule versus the ACAC South Division.
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| Photos by | Jacob Bos |
Thunder Men's Basketball Persist Through Adversity and Injury to take Two from Kings
January 23, 2011
Heading into two critical games against the King’s Eagles, the Thunder were settling nicely into their 9 man rotation Friday night, when an injury to 6’8” center Aaron Kruse early in the first half and an early third quarter foul out by Milos Prijovic left the Thunder with just 7 players to grind out a gritty 76-55 win at King’s. The Thunder were led by Ethan Sir with a solid 26 points. Dallas Wright contributed a key 12 points and 7 rebounds. An all-around solid game from Point Guard Jon Celeste earned him Player of the Game honours (11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals).
Saturday night would be one of those games that define the character of a team. Struggling through the first half and with the Eagles fired up and playing tough, the Thunder found themselves down by 4 at the half. Physical defense from Kings allowed them to push their lead to 6 after 3 quarters. With fatigue setting in, foul trouble and a short bench, the Thunder dug deep to tie the game within the first two minutes of the 4th quarter behind a pair of three pointers from Jon Celeste and tough inside play from Milos Prijovic. The Thunder turned up the pressure on the Eagles forcing several turnovers which lead to easy buckets and trips to the foul line, turning the once 6 point deficit into an 11 point lead. Outscoring King’s 29-12 in the fourth the Thunder rolled to a 64-53 win. After a slow start, Milos Prijovic led the Thunder with 16 points (all in the 2nd half) and 15 rebounds. Ethan Sir added 14 and 11 came of the hands of Jon Celeste. “I am extremely proud of these wins,” said Coach Paul Sir, post game. “Adversity is part of the game and our guys found it within themselves to rise above physical and mental fatigue to get these two wins." Assistant Coach Reagan Wood chimed in with these comments: "I feel this weekend showed several of our players what they are capable of and how much they can impact the game with effort and persistence. Jon Celeste for example, had a real coming out party which began with his defensive effort and translated into clutch 3 point shooting that helped us win both games this weekend.”
Now 8-6, the Thunder head into another set of critical games against the MacEwan Griffins, Friday night (January 27th) at the Ralph King at 8pm and Saturday at MacEwan, also at 8pm.
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| Photos by | Jacob Bos |
Hot Shooting and Defense the Key to Two Game Sweep for Thunder Men's Basketball
January 16, 2012
The Thunder Men’s Basketball team got back to the .500 mark this weekend with two big wins over Briercrest and Medicine Hat. Friday night the Thunder rode a 15 for 31 performance from the 3 point line to a 98-61 victory over the Briercrest Clippers. Rob Haack had a career high 23 that included 7 threes while Ethan Sir added 19. Mitch Buffie was a perfect 4 of 4 from the field for 11 points. The game was close at the half with the Thunder only up 4, but a renewed defensive effort and better ball movement in the second half led to the lopsided final score. Strong defensive efforts from Steffan Favis, Aaron Kruse and Dallas Wright were also critical to the win.
On Saturday afternoon, the Medicine Hat Rattlers came to Concordia as one of the strongest teams in the ACAC this season and would prove to be a tough test for the Thunder. Struggling through some dry stretches on offence throughout the game, the Thunder would rely on their #1 ranked defense to carry them to a 77-68 win over the Rattlers. Dallas Wright carried the team early with his offence and late with his defense. Ethan Sir was in his usual form, getting to the line and making critical free throws down the stretch. The star of the game for the Thunder though was Steffan Favis who made two critical threes and a tip in on the offensive glass along with shutting down the Rattlers star Point Guard in the 4th quarter. Ethan led the team with 28 points and 7 rebounds. Dallas Wright had a solid 18 points while Milos Prijovic and Steffan Favis added 13 and 10, respectively.
The Thunder now take on North division rival King’s this coming weekend looking to improve to 8-6. Friday night will be at King’s at 8PM with Saturday's action moving to the Ralph King Centre, also at 8PM.
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Three Game Swing Through Central Alberta Proves Valuable for Thunder Men's Basketball
January 9, 2012
As the second half of the regular season approaches, the Thunder Men's Basketball team took the opportunity to fine tune their game at the Olds College New Year’s Classic this past week. Welcoming back Ethan Sir to the line up, the Thunder took the court on Thursday evening (January 5th) against a revamped SAIT squad looking for revenge after the Thunder pounded the Trojans 89-65 earlier this season. A grinding first quarter saw the two teams deadlocked at 17. Following an improved defensive effort from the Thunder in the 2nd, Concordia found itself staked to a 34-26 lead at the mid way point. Staving off several runs by SAIT in the 3rd, the Thunder were able to keep their lead heading into the 4th. With four minutes remaining - and the Thunder maintaining a 68-61 advantage - 4 critical turnovers turned a 7 point lead into a 1 point deficit with less than two minutes to play. Finally solving SAIT’s full court pressure, Milos Prijovic made a lay up to put the Thunder back on top for good. Key free throws from Ethan Sir and Jon Celeste sealed the 75-69 win for the Thunder. Strong performances from Ethan Sir (25 points, 7 rebounds), Aaron Kruse (15 points, 15 rebounds) and Milos Prijovic (14 points, 7 rebounds) carried the Thunder to victory.
A short turnaround with only 8 players can prove difficult, but the Thunder passed with flying colors as they took on the host Olds College Broncos the following morning at 9 AM. Behind stingy defence and efficient offence, the Thunder pounded an outmatched Olds squad 103-28. Every Thunder player tallied at least 8 points and were lead by Ethan Sir’s 23 and 19 from Dallas Wright.
Following the blow out win versus Olds, the Thunder made the 45 trip to Lacombe to face Canadian University College for a 3rd time this season. The Thunder having taken the previous twp match ups, now faced the daunting task of playing their 3rd game in 20 hours with only 8 healthy bodies. Early on the Thunder still had the necessary fuel to take a 25-10 first quarter lead and a 39-26 half time lead. Concordia continued to build its lead into the third with numerous trips to the free throw line. The Thunder saw their lead bulge to 19 mid way through the third but an inspired CUC squad found a way to battle back as the Thunder hit the fatigue wall late in the quarter. Behind 75% shooting and several crucial turnovers by the Thunder, CUC scored 32 points in the 4th quarter and bested the exhausted Concordia team for the first time this season by a 76-69 score. The Thunder will now look forward to opening the second half of the ACAC season with a two game home stand on Friday, January 13th (6PM) and Saturday, January 14 (3PM) against the Briercrest Clippers and the Medicine Hat Rattlers, respectively.
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Short-handed Thunder Men's Basketball Have Strong Outing Down South
January 4, 2012
Missing 3 regulars including leading scorer Ethan Sir as well as Head Coach Paul Sir, the Thunder Men’s Basketball team took a 13 hour trip to Lewiston, Idaho for a 2 game set on December 20th and 21st against a tough Lewis-Clark State Warriors squad. Already playing short handed, the Thunder found themselves really up against it when Nathaniel Wojcicki suffered a broken ankle 3 minutes into the opening game on a drive to the hoop, leaving the team with just 8 healthy bodies to compete. Struggling from the floor early and up against the hot 3-point shooting from the LC State Warriors, the Thunder found themselves down 53-23 at the half. Determined to get back in the game, the Thunder were lead by Milos Prijovic who was an efficient 6 of 10 from the floor and a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line for 17 points. 2nd year center Aaron Kruse also turned in a solid night with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Redshirt freshman Mitch Buffie had the best night of his young career with 9 points on 4 of 6 shooting also adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals to his solid stat line. Point guard Jon Celeste was tough all night in the face of pressure finding his team-mates for 7 assists while only committing 1 turnover. In spite of playing the Warriors to a 50-42 score in the second half, the American squad was too deep and consistent from the floor and finished up with a 103-65 win over the Thunder.
The second match up between the Thunder and Warriors would also prove to be a great building block for the young Concordia squad. After struggling defensively on the first night, the goal was to tighten up and make life more difficult for the Warriors. A gritty first half by the Thunder saw them hold the Warriors to 36% shooting and only 36 points. While the defensive end of the floor improved, the offence struggled, missing some easy opportunities which left the Thunder with a 36-16 deficit at the half. Once again the team found a way to right the offence in the second half lead by an impressive 10 points from Steffan Favis and a tough 8 from Jacob Wojcicki. Steffan finished with 12 points and 3 boards on a very solid 5 of 7 from the field. Aaron Kruse was again efficient with 6 and 6. 3rd year guard Dallas Wright along with Rob Haack were consistent both nights for the Thunder combining for 35 points and 9 assists at the 2 spot for the 2 games. Unfortunately, the Warriors were again able to find their shooting stroke in the 2nd half and finished with an 84-56 win. The Thunder however, were able to tie the Warriors in the rebounding department at 40 a piece. “I was extremely proud of the effort,” said Assistant Coach Reagan Wood. “We had objectives that Coach Rick Henderson and I set out for the team that we wanted to achieve each game and all things considered, we were able to do those things. We are undergoing a makeover as a team and with limited practice time, every player made a solid effort to buy in and sell out for the team. As a coaching staff that is all we ask for.” The Thunder will now take on SAIT, Olds College and Canadian University College in a 2 day – 3 game set in Olds and Lacombe on January 6th and 7th.
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| Photos by | Nathaniel Wojcicki |
Thunder Men's Basketball Drop Two to Nationally Ranked NAIT
November 28, 2011
The Concordia Thunder Men's Basketball team went into their final weekend of first semester action knowing what was at stake: win 2 against NAIT and they would go into the exams and holiday break tied for second in the ACAC North. Unfortunately the outcome was more 'sobering' as they dropped both games to the #5 nationally ranked NAIT Ooks and will now enter the break in a tie for 4th place. Friday night saw the Thunder start well but flounder as the game progressed with a series of costly turnovers resulting in a NAIT victory, 82-71. Head Coach Paul Sir attributed Saturday's 70-55 loss to Concordia's inability to find scoring and rebounding. Milos Prijovic was in foul trouble early and his double-double performances that the team has grown to depend on were not to be duplicated by the players off the bench. Ethan Sir had his second productive night in a row, scoring 25 points in spite of being consistently double teamed by the Ooks. "We are disappointed in being 4-6 at this juncture of the season," Coach Sir stated. "However, we have the break to now focus on the areas of improvement our players need both individually and collectively as a team. We look forward to the opportunity to address our deficiencies as we move forward." The Thunder's first action of the new year will come on January 13th and 14th when they will host Briercrest and Medicine Hat in a pair of home games.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Thunder Men's Basketball Get to .500 with 4th Consecutive Victory
November 21, 2011
The Concordia Men’s Basketball team headed for Red Deer this past weekend with their eyes on earning a fourth consecutive victory. They got it in spades, defeating the hometown RDC Kings by a score of 80-65. Milos Prijovic led the way with another double-double as he racked up 21 points and 10 rebounds. Dallas Wright continued his strong play with 16 points while Ethan Sir made a successful comeback from an injury with a 15 point night. Jacob Wojicki was strong off the bench with 10 points and 5 boards. The Thunder square off with nationally ranked NAIT this coming weekend as they set their sights on competing for second place in the ACAC North. "We are hoping to have a full gym of loud and supportive fans this Friday at 8:00pm at the Ralph King Centre," Coach Paul Sir commented. "The team is working really hard and looks forward to playing such a tough opponent. We hope to have a ‘sixth man advantage’ from our fans!" The teams will conclude the weekend series and the first semester schedule when they face off at NAIT on Saturday night. Tip off is at 8:00pm.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Thunder Men's Basketball Win Third Straight
November 14, 2011
The Concordia Thunder Men's Basketball team faced a dangerous SAIT squad at the Ralph King Centre on Saturday evening. With leading scorer Ethan Sir injured, the Thunder needed scoring from other players to compete against the Trojans; and find it they did. Dallas Wright, Rob Haack and Milos Prijovic stepped up to carry the Thunder to a convincing 89-65 win at the Ralph King Centre. Dallas had 24 points along with 7 steals. Rob hit his first 6 three-point attempts in the first half on his way to a 7 for 9 shooting performance, finishing with 21 points. Milos continued his strong play with an 18 point, 9 rebound, 6 assist outing. Aaron Kruse continues his progression and Mitch Jones and Jon Celeste also had solid games. Nathaniel Wojcicki had 6 assists and 2 electrifying blocked shots that brought everyone to their feet. The team will now journey to Red Deer on Saturday, November 19th to face a solid RDC Kings team.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Thunder Men's Basketball Sweep Weekend Series with Augustana
November 7, 2011
The Concordia Thunder Men's Basketball team swept the Augustana Vikings this past weekend to earn their first two wins of the young ACAC season. Friday night’s game had the Thunder come out of the gate with a strong defensive effort, holding the Vikings to just 7 points in the first quarter. A steady blend of offense and defense defined the evening as the Thunder steadily pulled away. Ethan Sir had a strong evening with 22 points while Milos Prijovic continued his double-double efforts with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the 79-50 victory. Saturday’s game saw a fired up Augustana team strike first on their home court, jumping out to a 12-2 lead. The low scoring first half ended at 27-27 as Concordia clawed its way back into the game. The third quarter saw the emergence of second year post Aaron Kruse. Kruse, a Concordia High School product, started his foray off with a resounding 2 handed dunk in traffic as his energy on both ends of the court galvanized his team as they blew the game open for a solid 70-47 win. Aaron ended the evening with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. "Aaron had a great evening," Coach Paul Sir commented. "It is exciting to see a young player like Aaron emerge and discover the potential he holds and see it manifest itself in a game like Saturday’s. Dallas Wright was outstanding as well. Milos was 1 rebound shy of a double-double while Richard (Kyungu) had 7 assists and orchestrated the offense as he is capable of." The Thunder face a tough SAIT Trojans team at the Ralph King Athletic Centre this coming Saturday, November 12th. Tipoff is at 8:00 PM.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Thunder Men's Basketball Struggle in Series with Lakeland
October 31, 2011
The Concordia Thunder Men’s Basketball team continued their early season struggles, dropping both their contests with the Lakeland College Rustlers over the weekend. Friday night’s game ended with the Lakeland prevailing 65-50. "We defended very well," Coach Paul Sir commented. "Lakeland is a very talented, well coached team with a lot of quickness and skill players. Our guys worked very hard and made the Rustlers uncomfortable. (However), we did not shoot the ball well at all and had far too many turnovers. Lakeland’s defense bothered us as well." Saturday’s game in Lloydminster had the Rustlers find their range as they defeated Concordia 95-77. "They hit their shots from the opening tip. We were too inconsistent offensively to hang with them. While this was a tough weekend, we did improve in key areas and now have to focus in practice this week to prepare for our series with Augustana," stated Coach Sir. The Thunder will play host to the Vikings on Friday evening at the Ralph King Athletic Centre. Game time is 8:00 PM.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Thunder Men's Basketball Drop Two at Keyano
October 24, 2011
The Concordia Thunder Men's Basketball team dropped their first two ACAC regular season contests this past weekend as they journeyed to Fort McMurray to play the Keyano Huskies. In what Coach Paul Sir described as 'a nightmare', the Thunder fell in the first game 82-46. "It is one of those games that is best forgotten as soon as it's over. I destroyed the game DVD with the team at the next morning’s shoot around to symbolize the importance of having a short memory when a game like this happens," Coach Sir declared. Game 2 was a different story as Concordia came out and built an early lead. Keyano came back and both teams went at each other hard with the Huskies prevailing 86-85 in overtime. "The coaches were proud of the effort made by the team. We had many chances that we didn’t take advantage of and it is disappointing to drop both games as league play starts but we will be back to work to prepare for Lakeland on Monday." The Thunder will host the Rustlers from Lakeland College in their home opener at the Ralph King Athletic Centre on Friday night at 8:00 PM.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Coach Sir Provides Preview of 2011-12 Thunder Men's Basketball Team
October 18, 2011
The Concordia Thunder enter the 2011-2012 season with a combination of experience and youth as they prepare for what will be a very tough ACAC North league. Lakeland has re-loaded with a new group of very athletic players. NAIT has a new coach and have been aggressively recruiting players. Grant MacEwan’s new coach has assembled a very talented backcourt. Keyano has size, quickness and excellent guard play. Augustana and Kings are always a challenge. The Thunder will have to be ready every night they step on the court.
Returning for Concordia is First Team All ACAC Guard-Forward and All Canadian prospect, Ethan Sir. At 6’5”, Ethan has the size to take a smaller defender into the low post and possesses great range on his shot. What makes him such a difficult match-up is that he passes the ball so well. His ‘Dirk’ style game creates a lot of opportunities for himself and his teammates.
6’7” Milos Prijovic returns after a strong inaugural season. He is in great shape and has rounded his game off with an inside-outside balance that makes him a tough match-up. His rebounding continues to improve and Milos could be a double-double threat on any given night.
6’3” Dallas Wright enters his third year. The Academic All Canadian has moved to a combo guard position which allows him to spot up and use his much improved jump shot as a deadly weapon. His on and off court leadership are invaluable to the team.
6’6” Mitch Jones is back with improved strength and confidence. The team needs Mitch’s physicality on the court.
6’3” Nathaniel WojCicki was recently named Tri Captain (with Dallas and Ethan) for his outstanding leadership. Nathaniel does little things on both ends of the court that disrupt the flow of the opposing team with his fearless slashing to the basket and uncanny ability to take a charge.
6’2” Rob Haack has worked extremely hard on his game and will be a valuable contributor with his shooting and defending abilities.
6’1” Mitch Buffie is a very good shooter and is continuing his efforts to improve on his defence.
Returning to the Thunder after being away are 6’8” Aaron Kruse and 6’6”, 260 pound Jacob Wojcicki. Aaron is much improved and is expected to contribute right away with his shot blocking and rebounding abilities. Jacob brings his combination of physical strength and soft hands to the Thunder low post game.
New to the team are:
5’9” Richard Kyungu who hails from Ontario. Richard possesses true point guard instincts and toughness. His game readiness has been apparent in the pre-season.
6’8” Filip Vukasin brings length and athleticism to the frontcourt.
5’8” Jon Celeste returns to playing basketball after a 4 year hiatus. He is a championship bodybuilder and outstanding overall athlete who shores up the point guard position.
6’1” Mickhel Patterson joins the team from B.C. He is working hard to find a spot in the rotation.
6’0” Steffen Favis has made great strides in the first weeks of practice and games.
6'0" Ty Gaertner is a redshirt with a bright future.
6'0" Gregory Gonnet is a combination redshirt and team manager who has a tremendous work ethic.
In conclusion, the Thunder will bring their best every night. The team goal is to compete as hard as they can, execute the game plan and then the score will take care of itself. The team and coaching staff look forward to seeing you at our games this season!
Men's Thunder Basketball Build Up Game Experience in Twin Victories
October 17, 2011
The Thunder Men’s Basketball team wrapped up a busy pre-season week with 2 solid wins. Thursday they travelled to Lacombe to face the 2-time defending ACAL Champion Canadian University College. The second meeting between the two teams this pre-season saw the Thunder prevail 88-62. Friday saw 3 starters from Concordia sitting out for a tilt at Concordia against the Centre High Academy team. Once again the Thunder won handily, topping the Centre High men by a 75-50 margin. Coach Paul Sir saw great value in both contests. "It’s important in pre-season to play a range of teams outside of the ACAC. CUC has an excellent program with a very athletic team that is used to winning. They defeated SAI by 20 very recently so they can play. Our guys showed progress as several players continue to impress with their growth and progression. Coach Peter Ford deserves a lot of credit for his efforts with a team that will contend with for the ACAL championship once again. It was fun to play in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Lacombe, as well. The Centre High game was an opportunity to provide new experiences and expectations for both coaches and players," Sir continued. "Assistants Reagan Wood and Rick Henderson coached the team while starters Ethan Sir, Milos Prijovic and Dallas Wright sat out. This forced other players to step up and take responsibility for the team’s success. The coaches were happy with the overall efforts of the players singling out Mickhel Patterson for his performance. They were very complimentary to Coach Naim Cardinal, a Concordia alumnus, who was the Centre High coach for the game." The Thunder will play their final pre-season game against the Thunder Alumni on Tuesday at 4 PM at the Ralph King Athletic Centre before heading to Fort McMurray on Friday for the ACAC opening weekend against a very strong Keyano Huskies team.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
Concordia Men's Basketball Host the Inaugural Thunder Fall Basketball Classic
October 11, 2011
The Thunder Men's Basketball team faced 3 quality opponents this past weekend at the Ralph King Centre in the first Thunder Fall Basketball Classic. Thursday's tilt was against MacEwan University in a re-match from a week ago when the Thunder lost in OT to the Griffins. This time, the Thunder prevailed 69-67 relying on a pair of successful free throws in the dying seconds of the game. Concordia then had a re-match with the Keyano College Huskies who had thumped the boys by 16 the week before in Lloydminster. Once again, Concordia prevailed in the rematch and handed the Huskies an 88-67 loss. The Thunder rounded the week out with an 85-44 vicory over St. Mary's. Overall, Coach Paul Sir was pleased with the development of this year's squad. "We made some progress this past week. Several players have shown that they are getting more confidence in themselves and made significant contributions this weekend. We need to continue our hard work as we prepare for the league opening weekend in 2 weeks." The Thunder scrimmage the U of A on Tuesday and then travel to Lacombe to face a fired up Canadian University College on Thursday before finishing the week against Centre High's ACAL team at Concordia on Friday at 4PM.
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| Photo by Jacob Bos |
