Quarter Finals (best of three)

Zach Walder shows why is a leader with three quick assists in 90 seconds vs Vikings last night 02/04/2012

Waldher Cool Head Down Stretch

02/04/2012 - One of the visiting Augustana Vikings men’s basketball team members was overhead on the bench saying, “Geez he is fast!”

The "he" in question is quicksilver guard Zach Waldher.

Listed at a generous 5-foot-9, the Huskies guard showed this afternoon why he is rated one of the best guards and players not only in the ACAC but the CCAA from coast-to-coast-to-coast by assisting the home squad to an 86-83 win this afternoon at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre.

Huskies were without the services of rebounding strongman Demaine Nelson sitting out a game suspension. Add to the fact that the third quarter 2010-2011 ACAC All Star Louis Barham fouled out with 3:16 to go until the final quarter with the score tied 56-56.

Energized by a block by Shayn Bruney on 6-foot-9 Huskies pivot Jesse Denscombe,  followed by a three-pointer by David Chytracek, the Vikings took a 70-64 lead with 7:20 remaining in regulation.

A three pointer and a few steals and assists by Waldher kept the Huskies within close range.

Despite missing several of their first free throws on a two shot attempt the Huskies regained the lead with 1:35 left on the clock with a Calvin Christiensen free throw.

With 29 seconds left in the game Denscombe pulled down an offensive board and instead of passing the ball out for the new 24 second clock attempted a layup which missed….Huskies up one 84-83.

Waldher stole the ball from the Vikings and was fouled making both free throws.
Bruney attempted a three pointer with 6.5 seconds left and teammate Chytracek missed at the buzzer.

Huskies were out rebounded 46-39 but had fewer turnovers 18-15.

Vikings Game MVP was Bruney with 23 points.

Waldher grabbed MVP recognition for the Huskies with 29 points.

“We kept our composure down to the end and we had to be mentally tough,” said Waldher. “All the hard work is paying off but at the end of the day it is a team game.”

Zach Waldher pull up jumper Friday

End to end action and bodies flying from Friday nights game

Jesse Denscombe dunk last night versus Vikings 02/03/2012

Jesse Denscombe with a 15 footer nothing but net  02/03/2012

Denscombe Sparks Huskies to W

02/03/2012 - Keyano Huskies men’s basketball team defeated Augustana Vikings 88-76 behind the all-around performance of big man Jesse Denscombe who was named the team’s MVP for the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference game played tonight at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre.

Huskies defence forced two 24-second clock violations against the feisty Vikings offence in the opening two minutes of the game. Huskies Demaine Nelson, dominating the glass, had to grab some pine time getting his second foul halfway through the opening quarter.

Huskies leading scorer Zach Waldher, scoring at 23.69 ppg coming into the contest, which attracted 376 fans, picked up a technical and foul on the same play a minute later and soon joined Nelson on the bench.

With two starters sitting early Denscombe picked up some of the slack as the Huskies held on to a slim 17-10 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

 Tied at 22, Nelson and Waldher returned to the court only to find Waldher back on the bench 34 seconds later picking up his third foul.

With Denscombe clogging up the middle while forcing Vikings to take bad shots, the Huskies went into the half leading 43-32 the final hoop coming off of a Louis Barham two-handed dunk breakaway with 32 seconds left.

The 6-foot-9 Denscombe, from Calgary had 13 points at the break and Nelson nine.

The play of Waldher opened the game up in the third quarter – a quarter where the unofficial mascots of the Huskies (The Blue Men) were warned not to distract the Vikings free throw shooters or a technical would be awarded to the visitors.

The final quarter was highlighted by a big time block by Barham - the Kangaroo Kid – with 60 seconds remaining.

Denscombe had 22 points and six rebounds while Waldher chipped in with 21 points, five steals and three assists. Barham had a double-double with 12 points and 13 boards.

Huskies shot 56% from two point field goal range while the Vikings shot 40%.  Both teams committed 20 turnovers.

High scorer for the Vikings was David Shantz with 18.

The teams return to the local hardwood tomorrow Saturday Feb. 4 at 3 p.m.

Huskies are now 11-4 and the Vikings 5-11.

Huskies Reece Gavin (No. 13) is back on court after resting ankle injury

Photo by Erwin Kuhr

Bumps and Bruises fo not lie

by Trevor Howlett, Fort McMurray TODAY

Feb 3, 2012 - After a week-long bye week to heal up injuries and earn some much-needed rest, the Keyano Huskies basketball teams are geared up to return to action at the Syncrude Sport $ Wellness Centre this weekend against the visiting Augustana Vikings.

The men’s Huskies are coming off back-to-back stompings of the Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves on Jan. 20 and 21.

Still, the Huskies appreciate having a bye-week to heal up a few bumps and bruises on the bench.

“There are two concerns: you’re not playing so maybe you get a little out of sync because you aren’t at game speed but the second thing is that it allowed us to get healthy, heal up some minor injuries, get some extra rehab,” said Huskies men’s coach Mike Connolly.

“We just have to worry about playing D and putting the extra effort in and we should be good to go.”

The men’s Huskies at 10-4 have almost an opposite record to the Vikings who are 5-10 on the season.

While no wins are for sure, the Huskies expect nothing less than two wins this weekend and will put in the effort to get those valuable points before playoffs.

“Not to be confident or too cocky, but we should blow these guys out,” said Huskies leading scorer Zach Alger-Waldher.

“Technically we should come in and play some good defense, move the ball and execute some plays. You never know what will happen until it happens though.”

Connolly expects that Reece Gavin will be back in the lineup this weekend after missing several weeks with a high ankle sprain.

Gavin hasn’t played since Nov. 18 and only started full practice again this week but Connolly hopes he will get him some limited minutes in the rotation and help get him back into playing shape.

By the Numbers

Cam Smith scored 40 points to lead the Huskies to a 112-66 win against the host Grande Prairie Huskies  Friday Jan 20, 2012 in ACAC hoops!

Photo by Erwin Kuhr

Bucket Opens for Smith

01/21/2012 - Keyano Huskies guard Cam Smith was averaging four points per game prior to Friday night’s game against the host Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves.

Sometimes in the game of basketball the hoops18 inches in diameter appears to expand for  that special player. No matter what they throw up, the ball still goes in.

Such was the case for Smith as we add another 0 to that 4 point average as he scored an amazing 40 points in a 112-66 win.

“Cam was shooting the ball well from the three point area and Zach (Waldher) continued to move ball to  find  the open guys,” said Huskies coach Mike Connolly of the Huskies backcourt.

“We played well defensively, which allowed us to get out in transition for some easy scores. As the game went on our guys moved the ball well, looking for the hot Cam Smith who continued to shoot ball well in second half.

“It was a great team effort to support their teammate and his success. It was great to see.”

Saturday the Huskies improved their ACAC record to an impressive 10-4 defeating the Wolves 104-73.

“Once again Zach continued to move ball and find open guys,” said Connolly..”We had a great effort from our posts Demaine Nelson and Jessie Denscombe.

“Both dominated inside on the glass and were scoring around the basket. Both guys had a double-double (not a coffee but more than 10 points and 10 rebounds). Our defense was inconsistent today but it was just a lack of focus at times.

“We have some time to heal some bruised bodies with the bye-weekend coming up and time to prepare for Augustana (Vikings) weekend. (Feb 3-4 at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre).

Official game statistics were not available.

Arch of Triumph

photo by Erwin Kuhr

01/18/2012...Fort McMurray, Alberta - Keyano College Huskies men’s basketball player Zach Walder (arching back to get his shot off) was on fire last weekend as the host Huskies defeated Grant MacEwan Griffins 99-73 and 75-69 in Alberta College Athletic Conference play at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre.

Waldher, a 5-foot-8 guard, combined for 55 points, 14 assists and eight steals in the two game series

A Jesse Denscombe dunk in the third quarter was preceeded by his first three pointer of the ACAC season.

Photo by Erwin Kuhr

Huskies in the Flow

01/14/2012 - Keyano Huskies centre Jesse Denscombe found himself with the basketball in unfamiliar territory Friday night….at the three point line 22 feet away from the hoop.

Caught up in the flow of the game the 6-foot-9 centre, who usually shoots within a five to six feet radius of the hoop, throws up the shot. SWISH!

His teammates, on the court and on the bench, celebrate with hoots and high fives.

On the next offensive possession Denscombe receives a Zach Waldher pass and puts down a thunderous dunk leaving the backboard shaking and the 300 plus fans in attendance applauding.

Huskies basketball was in full gear this night as they defeated the visiting Grant MacEwan Griffins 99-73 in Alberta College Athletic Conference play at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre.

Using a high-tempo offence the Huskies sprinted out to a 27-17 first quarter lead and never looked back.

Huskies’ Zach Waldher had a highlight reel game with 30 points, eight assists and four steals.

All nine Huskies hit the score column. Lance Wesolowski, 15;  Denscombe, 14 and Demaine Nelson had 11 point and nine rebounds.

Saturday the Griffins came out attacking the basketball while playing better defence holding the Huskies to 16 in the first quarter leading 18-16. At halftime it was

34-33 for the home team.

Huskies showed their maturity in the final minutes to hold on to a 75-69 decision.

Waldher led the attack with 25 points, six assists and four steals. Nelson had a strong game with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Huskies hit the road this weekend playing Grande Prairie Wolves (3-9)

Zach named Today Athlete of the Week

by Trevor Howlett, Fort McMurray TODAY

01/03/2012 - Although the Keyano Huskies men's basketball team didn't earn any wins at the 45th annual Wesmen Classic tournament in Winnipeg last week, they did have many bright spots and one of the highlights was the play of point-guard Zach Alger-Waldher.

The 24-year-old led the Huskies scoring in all three games at the Wesmen, putting up 19 points, 23 points and 25 points respectively, and also pitching in 24 assists at the tournament.

Alger-Waldher's performance helped the Huskies stay competitive against the tough competition from Canadian University and NCAA Division II teams.

"I was pumped up, especially coming from the States and having signed on originally to play Division II. I felt like it was just a respect game," said Alger-Waldher.

"I used to play there and now I play ACAC, it's not a knock on myself. I just wanted to show I can play at that level."

"He carried the team on his back in a leading role and made it happen," said teammate Dwayne Coutinho.

This is Alger-Waldher's first year of ACAC, but third of playing college ball.

He's made an immediate impact on his team, being second in the league in points-per-game with 22.53 and leading the league in assists-per-game with 6.56.

"He brings a lot of energy. He's pretty quick out there on the floor and he pressures on defense and pushes the ball offensively making us run," said Huskies head coach Mike Connolly.

"Sometimes with that energy you can make mental mistakes, but he brings positive energy and when he's really focused he plays at his best."

The Huskies put in a lot of time over the holidays to prepare for the Wesmen Classic, which paid off since they were able to come close to beating two Canada West teams.

Alger-Waldher said he feels the team has got a taste of the next level and will use that knowledge to dominate the ACAC this semester, after posting a 6-4 record in the first half of the year.

"We took two CIS teams to the wire. I was overall impressed with our play," said Alger-Waldher.

"We're hungry right now, we're trying to get to nationals. We have enough talent to compete with anyone in the country."

The Huskies will play host to the Grant MacEwan Griffins Jan. 13 and 14 at the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre.

Age: 24

Hometown: Longview, Wash.

Team: Keyano Huskies men's basketball team

Position: Point guard

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 185 lbs

Favourite athlete: Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul. "I love the things the guy can do. He can do triple-double every night if he wants. He's one of the best passers to ever play the game, I think. He finishes well, he does everything well."

Career highlight: "In my first year of National Junior College, we played the no. 1 team in the country, Tacoma Community College, at our floor. They were 28-0 at the time, we were having an up and down season, kind of middle of the road. We knocked them off in front of our home crowd, around 6,000 people or so, and I had 23 points and 10 assists; it was my first double-double."

Future goals: "Basketball-wise, I want to play pro, go play in Europe. It's always been a dream of mine to play some kind. At first it was the NBA but you've got to be realistic. I want to play in Europe. I have some agents, some friends playing over there, highschool teammates and a cousin that plays in Belgium, so I'm looking to open that door. If not, I'm studying Human Resources Management here at Keyano, so maybe I'll work for Suncor or Shell, I'd love to do that."

Huskies Windup 2011 

12/30/2011 - The Minot State University Beavers picked up their first win of the Coca
Cola Wesmen Classic with a 105-75 decision over the Keyano College Huskies.

The Beavers went into the halftime break leading 65-38 and never looked back in the second half.

Huskies were led by Zach Alger-Waldherwith 25 points, six assists and four steals. Jesse Denscombe added 14 and Demaine Nelson and Cameron Smith chipped in with 11 each.

"They jumped on us early getting up 25 and we could never recover," said Huskies coach Mike Connolly. "We were not rady to play and they taught us a lesson. We did not deal with their size well. We came out and played even in the second half. Our best players were not at their best today. We got good minutes from Cam Smith and Dwayne Coutinho off the bench today."

MSU has struggled shooting the ball from the floor during a 10-game losing streak, but had a stellar game from the floor, knocking down 38-of-66 field goals and 11-of-20 3-pointers.

Huskies return to ACAC regular season play, where they are 6-4, hosting Grant MacEwan Griffins Jan 13-14 at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre.

Huskies learn about Intensity vs. U of Manitoba Bisons

12/29/2011 - Keyano College Huskies men’s basketball team continue to promote the quality of Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference basketball as they lost this afternoon to the University of Manitoba Bisons 91-79 in in the consolation semi-final of the 2011 Coca Cola Wesmen Classic.

As they had in their opening match – a 78-70 loss to the host University of Winnipeg Wesmen last night – the Huskies held an early lead up 5-0 two minutes into the first quarter.

Tied at 12 minutes with 3:38 to go in the opening 10 minutes, Huskies big man Jesse Denscombe picked up his second foul and headed to the bench.

The outsized Huskies were hard fought to keep the Bisons from attacking the middle or from controlling the offensive boards, Bisons taking a 29-18 first quarter advantage.

The Bisons defence also played tough man-to-man defence on Huskies leading scorer point guard Zach Alder-Waldher, picking him up early to take away his three point shot forcing the quicksilver guard to either drive the lane for a tear drop jumper or dish off to a cutting teammate in traffic.

Alder-Waldher led the Huskies with 23 points, 10 assists and six steals. Louis Barham had 15 points and 13 rebounds while Demaine Nelson had 11 points and 15 rebounds.

“We had mental breakdowns throughout the entire game,” said Huskies coach Mike Connolly. “We would have a run and bring the score to within three or four points and then relax. There are no excuses…we had the opportunities and we blew it.

“This is a good learning lesson in that we were playing a higher level of intensity and higher level of ability. We lost focus defensively, relaxed, would lose a guy in transition and they made us pay."

Fourth year guard Xavier Smith led the way with 19 points for the Wesmen, followed by Kurtis Sansregret with 14

Keyano versus Minot State University (1-14) at 12 p.m. tomorrow for seventh place status. The Beavers top players are 6-0 guard Yonas Behre from Toronto and 6-foot-6 Texas forward Josh Johnson each averaging 14 ppg.

Huskies Fall Short at Wesmen Classic

12/28/2011 - You are a basketball team that averages 86.1 points per game.

Come big tournament time 34 of those points have now vanished due to missing players…be it academically ineligibility, injuries or a player leaving the team for family reasons.

It’s now time for everyone to step up a notch and that is exactly what the Keyano Huskies did tonight losing to the host University of Winnipeg Wesmen 78-70 at the 2011 Coca Cola Wesmen Classic.

“We had a lot of people complimenting  us on the way we played tonight,” said Huskies head coach Mike Connolly, of his second year team which plays in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. “We did some good things defensively but we also had some problems scoring.”

It took the Wesmen 4:48 into the first quarter to finally hit the scoresheet at the Duckworth Centre, the Huskies leading 5-1.

At the end of one period the Wesmen led 18-12.

Huskies Zach Alger-Walder, who leads the ACAC in assists 6.56 per game along with dropping in 22.33 ppg, picked up foul trouble early and had to sit most of the second quarter, the Wesmen heading into the lockeroom after 20 minutes leading 38-28.

With 3:15 to go in regulation Huskies' Jesse Denscombe hit a jumper to close the Wesmen lead 73-70.

Unfortunately those were the final points for the Huskies.

“The last three minutes we played great defence and they (Wesmen) were forced to shoot before the (24 second) shot clock went off,” said Connolly. “But they got the long rebound and that hurt us.

”They (Wesmen) are a good team and a physical team.”

Alger-Waldher led the Huskies with 19 points while Louis Barham had 14. Demaine Nelson and Dwayne Coutinho, who averages two points in ACAC play, each had 11 points.

Nelson had an incredible 17 rebounds.

Eric Zimmerman led the Wesmen with 15 points.

“We have to keep our focus as we missed some easy shots,” said Connolly. “We had some mental mistakes and that is what basketball is all about.”

Missing from the Huskies lineup were Kevin Dia (10.8 ppg), Santos Huran (9.00 ppg), Reece Gavin (7.14 ppg).

Keyano College will face the University of Manitoba in the consolation semi final tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Huskies in the air

12/26/2011 - Keyano Huskies men's basketball team left today for Winnipeg, Manitoba where they will play in the 45th Wesmen Classic starting tomorrow (story a few moves of the mouse below). Mike Connolly had some last minute comments pertaining to this big time classic.

“We are looking forward to the (Wesmen Classic),” said Keyano Huskies head coach Mike Connolly. “We are playing against better competition that are bigger and better athletic teams then we are used to (in ACAC).

"We will have to play basketball smart while using our own size and athleticism. It will make us understand the game and fundamentals. If we play sound basketball we will come away learning that we can play better and that is our goal heading into the second half (of ACAC regular season play).'

Keyano Huskies men's basketball first opponent at the 2011 Wesmen Classic in Winnipeg are the Host Wesmen. They play the host team Dec 28 at 6 p.m. Game will be broadcast live on Canada West TV

2011-draw-univ.pdf

Tournament Draw for Wesmen Classic

2011-WesmenClassicmediaguidewithcover.pdf

Wesmen Classic Official Media Guide

Head Coach Mike Connolly on Winnipeg Sun radio talking about upcoming Wesmen Classic

Beating the Odds

by Curtis J. Phillips, Fort McMurray CONNECT

12/09/2011 - You’re a hulk of a man. Invincible.

Standing 6-foot-9 and tipping the scales at 210 pounds or so you are an imposing specimen.

You are a collegiate basketball player whose job is to come off the bench, grab some rebounds while banging a few bodies at the same time.

Life is good.

You are 19 years-of-age and playing on what looks like a championship team.

Early into the 2009-2010 season your throat becomes a bit sore. A while later you start to fill run down.

A quick visit to the doctor, who orders some blood tests.Nothing unusual you think.

A few more tests later and the results of an aspiration biopsy come back positive for thyroid cancer!

“It (diagnosis) did not really hit me until they were actually getting me ready for the surgery in the hospital,” recalls Keyano Huskies men’s basketball player Jesse Denscombe, now 21 years-of-age and with a clean bill of health with check-ups every six months, of the life changing event two years ago. “They took out the right side of my thyroid and we were hoping that it did not or would not spread.”

Playing in his second year for the NAIT Ooks at the time, the Calgary native lost 20 pounds following the surgery and had to sit out the remainder of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference season.

“I was back shooting (basketballs) around with friends in the gym a week after the surgery,” recalls Denscombe, who said the whole process, from diagnosing his sickness to the operation, occurred over a four month period. “But then I had to sit on the bench (for the Edmonton-based Ooks) and watch. It was tiring sitting on the bench and not being able to play.”

Denscombe played in 13 games prior to his surgery while averaging 4.2 points per game and 3.8 rebounds.

Denscombe returned to the hardwood for the 2010-2011 season in which the Ooks defended their ACAC provincial title.He appeared only in nine games while averaging two points.

For the 2011-2012 season, Denscombe, along with Ooks teammate Reece Gavin, headed north up highway #63 to look for some more playing time while also concentrating on their studies.

Sidelined a few games by a hand injury, Denscombe has appeared in seven of the Huskies 10 games (6-4 record) to date while averaging 10.86 points per game and 7.29 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive .547 per cent from the field.

He will be the first to admit that having had cancer has changed, not only his outlook on life but his approach to the sport he loves.

“Every time and every chance I get to go on the floor, I play my hardest for every second and give it my best for I truthfully know that thismay be my last shift I could ever play again. If we are at practice and I see guys not running I try to push them as hard as I can to compete at the highest they can because they do not know that this may be their last time out there.

“Everything I do now is with full potential in case you may never have that opportunity again. Your outlook on life is different.”

Denscombe said he selected the sport of basketball because “I liked the fact that I could hit people in basketball…likewhen I am boxing out on a rebound I can hit people. I can also play against people and match up with people you have my strength and size.”

Such is his strength, that he shattered a glass backboard and took down the rim a few weeks ago against the host Lethbrdige Kodiaks while following up on a missed layup by teammate Zach Waldher.

“That is every basketball players dream,” said Denscombe of the rim wreckage. “At first I did not know what happened and then I just felt all of these little pieces of glass falling around me.”

The dunk was caught on video and is now a YouTube hit under the title “Dunk shatters basketball backboard.”

Not bad for a kid whose life appeared to be shattered itself only two years ago.

Catch you on the rebound.

Huskies Sweep Eagles

12/04/2011 - Keyano Huskies men ‘s basketball team swept the host The Kings University College Eagles this past weekend in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference regular season play to advance their record to 6-4 at the first semester break.

It took nearly three-and-a-half minutes for the Huskies to get on the scoreboard Friday, thanks to a Demaine Nelson lay-up, and at the end of the first quarter the host team up 14-13.

Holding a slim 36-30 halftime lead the Huskies shifted gear with four minutes remaining in the third quarter with Kevin Dia dropping in some long shots and adding an assist to give the Huskies a 12-point advantage inroute to an 81-60 victory.

Louis Barham led the Huskies with what head coach Mike Connolly referred to as “a quiet” 20 points and 14 rebounds in 33 minutes play.

Adding to the scoring was Cam Smith and Saleem Farhat each with 12 points.

Farhat, a graduate from Fort McMurray Composite High School, was making his return to the hardwood after sitting out for more than one year while recovering from ACL surgery. He managed seven minutes playing time on the court and gives the Huskies another outside marksman.

For Saturday’s matchup the Huskies had the services of point guard Zach Waldher who had to sit out Friday’s game while serving a one-game suspension for the first game due to having three technical fouls this season.

Waldher did not disappoint as he was the sparkplug to the Huskies offensive engine scoring 27 points while adding out 10 assist in a 91-57 victory. Santos Huran had 15 points in 19 minutes and centre Jesse Denscombe had a solid game with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Huskies shot 11 for 31 from behind the three point line and a respectable 20 for 27 from the free throw line.

Huskies return to the hardwood Dec 26 when they play in the 45th University of Wesmen Classic.

“I am personally ready for the challenge,” says Waldher on then Wesmen Classic which will feature university teams from Canada and United States of America. “Guys may know about me on the college level but I want to see where I stand nationally with the guys at the university level. Let’s give it my best shot.”

Waldher averages 21.25 points per game while dishing out a league leading 6.63 assists. Both stats rank him in the Top 10 in Canada.

The Keyano College Huskies will face the King's University College Eagles this weekend in Edmonton in ACAC action on what will be the last weekend for conference games this semester. Both teams will be looking to end their half season on a high note and take that momentum into 2012.

The men's Huskies would similarly like to end their semester on a high note, but they'll treat this weekend the same as any other.

"King's has upset some teams, I think they are considerably better than last year," said men's coach Mike Connolly. "I think if we defend well it should be good situation. The key this weekend, like any weekend, is our defence and if we can stop their penetration and transition we'll be in great shape."

The Huskies are hoping for a pair of wins this weekend to improve to 6-4 on the semester, which makes for a good record for the first half. Although they have a better record than King's, they'll be without top point guard Zach Walder who is facing a one-game suspension for the first game due to having three technical fouls this season.

They'll also be missing Reece Gavin who has a sprained ankle.

On the brightside, the Huskies will have Fort McMurray's Saleem Farhat returning to the lineup for the first time this season. Farhat was recovering from ACL surgery and will see action for the first time this season against the Eagles.

"We're pretty excited to give him a shot because he's earned some time in practice and he's earned a shot playing at almost 100%," said Connolly. "It'll be tough to be 100% because of the knee, so I don't think he'll be the way he was before, but he's been shooting the ball very well at practice and we're looking forward to having him on the court."

The men's Huskies will have a signficantly shortened break over the holidays. They'll start training again on Dec. 26 to prepare for at the University of Winnipeg Wesmen Classic.

The men's team will play at 8 p.m. tonight and 3 p.m. tomorrow and the women's team will play at 6 p.m. and 1 p.m.

November, 28. 2011 - Zach Waldher is more than able to talk that talk and walk that walk. He is confident not cocky….there is a huge difference.

The 5-foot-8 quicksilver guard with radar range has shown his amazing talent early into the 2011-2012 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference basketball season averaging 20.4 points per game, a league leading 6.14 assists and 1.43 steals per game.

Last year when best friend Louis Barham brought his jump shot and acrobatic dunks to Keyano College from south of the border, Waldher soon followed.

They had cemented the lifelong bond while members of Clark College Penguins in Vancouver, Washington playing out of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

Barham, from Palmdale, California, was an instant hit in the ACAC and would go on to make All Conference while leading the Huskies with 15 points per game.

Even though the stats are not recorded, the 6-foot-4 leaper, who earned the nickname Kangaroo Kid, probably led the league in dunks.

Waldher, from Longview, Washington was redshirted and in his civvies sat beside head coach Mike Connolly during games acting as a sounding board.

During the last few months I have gotten to know Waldher a wee bit more…be it quick chats, playing games of H-O-R-S-E. or visiting local schools as part of the Huskies Outreach Program.

He has a passion for the game and for life.

His stats from 2009-2010 show us that he is a prime time player when he averaged 13.5 points per game for the Penguins and led the team in assists with 6.0 per game. His high game for that year was 26 points vs. Tacoma.

The kid can stroke it from long range as attested by the nine of 11 three-point shots for 27 points last spring at the Frozen Hoops All Star Games against an all-star team from the local Fort McMurray high schools.

A three-sport high school athlete fort the Mark Morris High School Monarchs – basketball along with football running back/defensive back and baseball centre fielder – Waldher fell in love with hoops at a young age.

“Actually baseball was my best (scholarship offer to several schools) and I was good in football (two-time all-league) but basketball is my love.

"Basketball for me was a way for me to escape. If things are going on at home or going on in life and every time on the court I felt that comfort “

Growing up in a single parent family Waldher had several “mentors and role models” including former University Portland Pirates point guard Casey Frandsen and his AAU coach Roosevelt Smith Jr..

“He (Smith) let me into the YMCA gym when my family was dirt poor,” recalls Waldher, who picked up his first basketball at the age of eight. “He would have me sweeping the floors whatever to get that YMCA membership.”

A gym rat since then, sitting the bench last year was tough for Waldher.

“It was miserable sitting at first and I am not going to lie… it was real hard. But Coach Connolly humbled me a little bit and taught me the system and I had a chance to mentor some of the younger guards.

“I learned a lot sitting…learned what head coaches have to do and what is needed to be a leader.”

Waldher is focused for the season.

“You can never be perfect at the game. You can always work on your jump shot or defence but the thing is that people will always remember if you won that championship. They won’t remember if you dropped 40 points or beat the No. 1 team….they only remember if you won the championship and that is what we are here to do next year.” 

Keyano Huskies' Zach Waldher attacks the big men of Concordia Thunder

Photo by Erwin Kuhr