The Niagara Knights men's program will have a new look when the OCAA season gets underway on Friday night. The Knights will travel to Brampton to take on the rival Sheridan Bruins to kick off the regular season.
With four key additions in the lineup, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic that the Knights can improve upon last year's regular season result. Niagara closed out the regular season in fourth place in the OCAA's west division with the 12-6 regular season, finishing behind Sheridan, Mohawk, and Humber.
The Knights have made a number of strong additions that will improve the overall skill and athleticism throughout the roster. The additions of Van Hutchinson Jr (Nassau, Bahamas), Jordan Wilson (Nassau, Bahamas), Kevin Cooper (Nassau, Bahamas), and Payam Saboni (London) will bring a combination of size and scoring to the Niagara lineup.
Combined with returning players such as OCAA All-Rookie Jordon McDonald (Mississauga), Lequan Hylton (Mississauga), and DJ Morrison (Scarborough) back in the mix the Knights will play an exciting brand of basketball. "We will be an exciting team to watch," said Head Coach Keith Vassell. "We have the ability to go to the hoop for a dunk, or shoot a perimeter three."
The Knights enter the season with heightened expectations after closing out last season after finishing 5th at the 2016 OCAA Championship. The Knights have also captured two consecutive consolation victories in the pre-season this year, earning the distinction at both the St. Lawrence Invitational and Durham Tip-Off Tournament in the pre-season.
The season opener will be a great measuring stick for the Knights, who need to leapfrog the Bruins should they want to improve upon last year's result. The Bruins were the OCAA West's first place team entering the championship, and edged the Knights in the opening round of the OCAA Championship. The Bruins went on to finish fourth.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8pm on Friday, October 21st at Sheridan's Davis Campus in Brampton. The Knights will travel to Mohawk on October 29th before returning home for the 2nd Annual Blue & White Home Opener on November 3rd. The home opener will see a packed gymnasium on hand to support the Knights against the visiting Humber Hawks.
