WATCH LIVE: Tec Voc High School has announced that the 40th annual Winnipeg Invitational Basketball Tournament (W.I.T.) will take place at Tec Voc High School (1555 Wall Street) from January 14-17, 2015. The tournament will feature the top local varsity boys basketball teams and Sir Winston Churchill from Thunder Bay. Tournament passes are $3 in advance or $6 at the door each and can be picked up at Tec Voc High School (204-786-1401). Follow all the game results in the Basketball Manitoba SCOREBOARD! For a preview of the tournament including the game schedule...Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
Tournament Passes $3.00 in advance, $6.00 at the door. Single game tickets: $2.00 ($3.00 for Saturday games) Advance passes available from the Phys Ed staff at Tec Voc or any member of the varsity boys basketball team. Tournament passes are available for the low price of $6.00. This allows you to watch all 17 games of excellent high school basketball. Additional pre tournament content will be coming over the next couple of days, and during the tournament check this website frequently to get all the relevant tournament information that you need including...
- Live game coverage
- Game score sheets
- Interviews with players and coaches
- Photos from all of the games
- Upcoming games
Schedule
Our most updated version of the WIT Schedule. Check to see which teams are playing when so you can watch either Live or via our Stream.
Events
Throughtout the WIT Tournament there will be various events that will take place. Check out more in the events section of this website.
Team Previews
Garden City
The Garden City Fighting Gophers return to this year’s WIT
with the hopes of retaining their title of tournament champions. With 7 returning players, coach Penner describes the team as
a hard working group that will be in the mix come play-off time. Looking to mix it up at this year’s WIT for Garden City are Arbee
Pablo, Kyle Silva, and Mathew Welby. Arbee Pablo is a dynamic point guard who is guaranteed to
use his explosive speed to keep the pace up on the court and the put some
points up on the board. Kyle Silva is considered the best all-around defender
on the team, who can manage defending multiple positions. Rounding out this
trio is Mathew Welby, who is an excellent post defender and rebounder, and a
great pick and roll player. The Fighting Gophers will be playing an up tempo game and looking
to push the ball up the floor. They have a good balance of perimeter shooting
and players that can penetrate off the dribble. Their hope is that this is the perfect formula to paint the
court Black and Yellow and garner themselves a repeat championship.
St. Paul’s
Returning to the WIT as last year’s Provincial Champions,
expectations are high for St. Paul’s. Last year, the St. Paul’s Crusaders
placed 4th overall at the WIT Championships after having won the
tournament the previous year. This year, Coach Laping is hoping his team will
play their way back to the top spot. With WIT titles in 2011 and 2013, this
team has shown that the odd years are definitely in their favour. This year sees the Crusaders with 5 returning players, but
no returning starters. The team will be looking to returning player Arpad
Farkas to step up to the plate and lead the troops this year. A quick point
guard, Farkas will be running the show on both offense and defense. Rounding
out the speed of Farkas will be the two ‘big men’ Michael Ogoms and Cam O’Hara.
At 6’4, Ogoms is an athletic big man that will rebound and run the floor.
Towering at 6’7, O’Hara likes to use his size and play with his back to the
basket. With a roster filled with new blood, you can bet that there
will be a lot of Crusaders looking to leave a mark at this year’s event.
John Taylor
Collegiate
Returning to the WIT this year are the John Taylor Pipers.
Coming out of the West Winnipeg Athletic Conference, very little is known about
this enigmatic squad of basketballers. We welcome the Pipers back to the WIT
after a several year hiatus. Outside of league play, the Pipers found success as two of
their members played on the gold medal U17 provincial team, and 3 more on the
silver medal U16 team. Their coaches hope that this experience will carry over
into even stronger play during this year’s WIT. A hard worker and strong shooter, Cole Armstrong can be
expected to push the pace for the Pipers when he hits the floor. Along side him
will be fellow Piper Zack Giesbrecht. Zack is a confident floor general who is
confident in taking the lead and directing the action. The Pipers have a physical, up-tempo of style of play that
will certainly keep their competitors on their toes and always guessing. This
team shares the ball well and always emphasizes teamwork. Although they are a
young team, they are hoping to be competitive in all of their games, and make a
strong showing this year.
Kelvin
The Kelvin Clippers always come to the WIT with high
expectations of themselves. Ending last season as City Champions, and making
the Provincial Top 4, the Clippers certainly know how to hold their own on the
court and often times deliver. This year’s team has 5 returning players, with no returning
starters. Nevertheless, this has left room for others to rise to the occasion. Filling this void are new starters Brandon Gates, Arman
Iranpour, and Maged Hesso. Brandon Gates is not only a dynamic shooter who can
deliver on offense, but you can expect him to display a lockdown defense as a
solid guard. As a guard, Arman Iranpour brings electricity to the game with his
lightning speed and abounding energy and enthusiasm. Maged Hesso leaves it all on the court as a
great three way player. With their fellow team mates, they plan to bring an up-tempo
game coupled with a relentless full court defense. The Clippers always set their sights on becoming provincial
champions, and they anticipate being on the hunt for that title again. This
year’s WIT championship would be a feather in their cap on the way to that
goal.
MBCI
The MBCI Hawks are swooping in this year with their eyes on
the prize. After strong finishes last year, earning the second place spot in
both the Wesmen Classic and the KPAC finals, the Hawks would like to pave the
way this year with a championship at this year’s WIT. With more than half of their roster filled with returning
players, the Hawks have a lot of experience to draw from. Torrez McKoy is one of these returning athletes. Along with
being MBCI’s only returning starter, McKoy is also a nationally recognized
player, having played on the gold winning 17U provincial team. With incredible
athletic ability, we can expect to see excellent ball handling, deceptive play,
and the potential for big scoring. Leading the pack with McKoy are Andrew Komishon and Antoine
Salvano-Leblanc. While Komishon will be an offensive force with his strong
shooting from the outside, Salvano-Leblanc is a physically tough defender and a
strong leader. The Hawks plan to use a lot of pressure defense and a fast,
up-tempo offense. They hope that this game plan will not only reap them success
at the WIT, but propel them to challenge both their conference and the
provincial titles.
Sisler
Self-proclaimed ‘Winnipeg’s Most Exciting Team’, the Sisler
Spartans return to this year’s WIT. As always, you can expect to see them bring
a lot of energy to the court fuelling some fast-paced gameplay. Featuring steady veterans Andree Sanguyo and Kirsten
Alcantara, the Spartans plan to live up to their namesake by battling hard for
each ‘W’. This year’s Spartans are a young team, so be sure to look for grade
11s Guy ‘Captain’ Hooke and Noah Horobetz-Simpson to bring something fresh to
the table. Sisler is looking to improve as the season progresses. The
WIT will certainly be an appropriate proving ground for these young warriors.
Tec Voc
A staple at the WIT, the Tec Voc Hornets return to the
tournament after earning the Championship title in last season’s Tier 2 finals.
An energetic group of young players, the Hornets will be emphasizing teamwork
and are looking to play an up-tempo style of basketball. Players to watch include Justine De Leon, Joseph Licopa, and
Paulo Aviles. De Leon is the playmaker. He’s a great pull up jumper who can
beat guys off the dribble, and finish well. Licopa brings a physical presence
as a 6’3 post with good hands who knows how to ‘shake’n’bake’. Rounding out
this trio is Aviles. A defensive specialist, Aviles is a fearless player with
solid court vision. The Green and Gold plan to hustle for every play and push
for every possession. Expect them to push the pedal to the metal for the full
40 minutes as they work hard and never quit until the final whistle blows.
Glenlawn Collegiate
The Glenlawn Lions return to the WIT this year after a
strong finish last season as league champions and provincial finalists. You can
anticipate the Lions to be a highly competitive team as they hit the floor with
a great deal of athleticism and drive. Leading the pride are Patrick Flater, Keiran Zziwa, and
Kieran McGrath. The competition will need to keep Flater on their radar as he
is a lights out shooter making him a serious offensive threat. Zziwa, who
started last year on the gold medal winning provincial team, is a full-court
nightmare who may just crush his opponents’ championship dreams. A tough
scorer, McGrath is highly motivated to show his very best as he missed the
provincial final last year due to an injury. Coach Wolfe says that their game plan is simple, “Run.
Score. Run. Defend. Repeat.” The Lions certainly hope that this will leave them
standing as king of the court.
SJR
The WIT is excited to welcome the St. John’s Ravenscourt
(SJR) Eagles, for the first time, to the tournament. The Eagles’ previous season
was very competitive, landing them in the top 3 for several tournaments and
earning them the CAIS Division 2 Championship title. Eagles standout Sandeep Brar is a determined and focused
leader on and off the court. Paired with his very high basketball IQ, is Brar’s
deceptive speed and explosiveness, which allow him to run the show for his
team. Vaelan Sriranjan is a versatile athlete who can play
multiple positions, contributing to his team in every phase of the game. Look
for Sriranjan to guard the best player on the other team, and then relentlessly
attack the basket. Resilient and humble, Manny Wood is a tremendous athlete
with a nose for the basket, and the ability to change the game at both ends. The Eagles are a young time. What they lack in overall team
size and experience, they make up for in shooting, attacking, and
unselfishness.
See more at http://www.tecvoc.ca/wit/2015/
