TORONTO, ON (March 20, 2018) - Canada Basketball has announced the the men's and women's rosters for the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia April 4-15, 2018. The roster includes Manitobans Niyah Becker (Lincoln Prep - OSBA), University of Manitoba guard Justus Alleyn with the Canadian men's squad will be coached by Bison head coach Kirby Schepp.

Both teams will make their Commonwealth Games debut on Friday, April 6 and fans in Canada can catch all the action streaming live on DAZN.

Canada's men's team will open the tournament at 5:30 PM local (3:30 AM ET) against Australia at the Cairns Convention Centre, while the women will face England at 6:30 PM local (4:30 AM ET) from the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre. Click here for a complete schedule. 

Last month it was announced that Steve Baur, Assistant Coach with the senior women's national team, will lead the women's team, while University of Manitoba Head Coach Kirby Schepp will be behind the bench on the men's side.

Basketball has only been on the Commonwealth Games program once, at Melbourne 2006 (Canada did not enter teams in the tournament), and Australia won both the men's and women's tournaments at those Games.

Image result for we are team canada basketballmanitoba.caThe 2018 men's tournament includes four teams in Pool A: Australia, Nigeria, New Zealand and Canada and four teams in Pool B: England, Cameroon, India and Scotland. The Canadian women are also in Pool A, along with Australia, England and Mozambique, while Pool B features New Zealand, Jamaica, India and Malaysia.

In addition to Basketball, Team Canada 2018 will be taking part in 17 sports and 7 para-sports at the Gold Coast Games, with over 260 athletes expected to be named to the team.  

MEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROSTER
Name
Position
Height
Hometown
Current Club
Justus Alleyn
Guard
6'3"
Winnipeg, MB
University of Manitoba (U SPORTS)
Mambi Diawara
Guard
6'4"
Montreal, QC
University of Calgary (U SPORTS)
Ammanuel Diressa
Guard
6'4"
Toronto, ON
Ryerson University (U SPORTS)
Mamadou Gueye
Forward
6'7"
Quebec City, QC
University of Alberta (U SPORTS)
David Kapinga
Guard
5'11"
Calgary, AB
University of Calgary (U SPORTS)
Conor Morgan
Forward
6'9"
Victoria, BC
University of British Columbia (U SPORTS)
Jean-Victor Mukama
Guard
6'8"
Hamilton, ON
Ryerson University (U SPORTS)
Erik Nissen
Forward
6'9"
Quispamsis, NB
Acadia University (U SPORTS)
Jean-Pierre Charles
Forward
6'8"
Ottawa, ON
University of Ottawa (U SPORTS)
Grant Shephard
Forward
6'10" 
Kelowna, B.C.
University of British Columbia (U SPORTS)
Mike Shoveller   
Centre
6'11"
Arnprior, ON
Queen's University (U SPORTS)
Munis Tutu
Guard
6'0"
Windsor, ON
Carleton University (U SPORTS)
MEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES STAFF
NAME
POSITION
HOMETOWN
AFFILIATION
Kirby Schepp
Head Coach
Winnipeg, MB
University of Manitoba
Dave Deaveiro
Assistant Coach
Toronto, ON
McGill University
Kevin Hanson
Assistant Coach
Vancouver, BC
University of British Columbia
Krisjon Vargas
Athletic Therapist
Toronto, ON
Canada Basketball
David Grundman
Team Leader
Toronto, ON
Canada Basketball
WOMEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROSTER
Name
Position
Height
Hometown
Current Club
Jacey Bailey
Forward/Guard
6'0"
Burnaby, BC
Northern Arizona University (NCAA)
Niyah Becker
Forward
6'1"
Winnipeg, MB
Lincoln Prep (OSBA)
Danielle Boiago
Guard
5'7"
Hamilton, ON
Unattached
Shay Colley
Guard
5'9"
Brampton, ON
Michigan State University (NCAA)
Paige Crozon
Forward
6'1"
Humboldt, SK
Saarlouis (Germany)
Ruth Hamblin
Centre
6'6"
Houston, B.C.
Bourges (France)
Alex Kiss-Rusk
Centre/Forward
6'4"
Beaconsfield, QC
McGill University (U SPORTS)
Summer Masikewich
Forward/Centre
6'1" 
Calgary, AB
University of Saskatchewan (U SPORTS)
Ceejay Nofuente
Guard
5'8"
Toronto, ON
Humber College (CCAA)
Daneesha Provo
Guard
6'0"
Darmouth, NS
University of Utah (NCAA)
Merissah Russell
Guard
5'11"
Ottawa, ON
Capital Courts Academy (OSBA)
Catherine Traer
Forward
6'1"
Chelsea, QC
Carleton University (U SPORTS)
WOMEN'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES STAFF
NAME
POSITION
HOMETOWN
AFFILIATION
Steve Baur
Head Coach
Sackville, NS
Canada Basketball
Fabian McKenzie
Assistant Coach
Glace Bay, NS
Cape Breton University
Michelle Bell
Athletic Therapist
Brampton, ON
Ryerson University
Nick Deadder
Performance Analyst
Wolfville, NS
Acadia University
Denise Dignard
Team Leader
Port Cartier, QC
Canada Basketball
QUOTES
"We look forward to optimize this opportunity to further develop athletes in our womenΓ’??s national team pool against top level competition as well as our staff." - Denise Dignard, Director of Women's High Performance
"We are excited to have a women's basketball team participate in this amazing multi-sport major Games and being part of the Canadian delegation at the Commonwealth Games for the first time." - Steve Baur, Women's Head Coach
"Having the opportunity to represent Canada is always a tremendous honour and to do so at the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be a great experience for our U SPORTS players." - Kirby Schepp, Men's Head Coach
"With both the men's and women's teams ranked second in the Commonwealth, this strong group of athletes will surely contend for a medal.  We look forward to having basketball back at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, with Canada making its debut at these Games." - Chef de Mission Claire Carver-Dias
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the international franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.
ABOUT CANADA BASKETBALL
Canada Basketball is the National Sporting Organization for the sport of Basketball in Canada. Canada Basketball is respected worldwide and is recognized by the International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Government of Canada as the sole governing body of the sport of amateur basketball in Canada. Canada Basketball, a not-for-profit organization, represents all basketball interests, provides leadership, coordination and direction in all areas of the sport of basketball.
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