Kings Basketball 2021/2022 Season Preview
2019/2020 Season Review (Absence of competition in 2020/2021 due to COVID-19)
The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings (10-11) placed fourth in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Men's Basketball South Division during the regular season and qualified for the playoffs.
At the ACAC Championship, the Kings finished sixth.
2019/2020 Awards
King (5)
ACAC Men's Basketball Second South All-Conference Team – Tyronn King, Spencer Klassen
2020/2021 Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics Awards (Even though there was no formal competition last season, RDP Athletics celebrated academic achievements, leadership, and community involvement)
Red Deer Polytechnic Men's Team Fitness Challenge – Kings Basketball
2021/2022 Season Preview
Head Coach – Darren Graham
As the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Basketball team prepares to begin the ACAC 2021/2022 season, the coaches and student-athletes are working hard to reach lofty aspirations.
"The goal is to be a champion right from the get-go. I know that takes a lot of work and that's easier said than done," explained Darren Graham, Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Basketball Head Coach. "We want to behave like champions on and off the court."
With a year absence from ACAC competition due to COVID-19, the team is thrilled and motivated to participate in the upcoming 16 game campaign.
"It has been great being on the court, competing and not just practicing. You forget the challenges that COVID-19 has created in the world when you play basketball for the sheer joy of the game," said Graham, who won an ACAC Championship as a student-athlete with the Kings Basketball team in 1998. "We are super excited to play in front of fans and capitalize off that energy. We are working to bring our best game forward – 40 minutes a game, each and every night."
Assistant Coaches – Hakim Sewaya, Ed Major, Jessie Bonsu
Returning players from 2019/2020
Seven student-athletes from the 2019/2020 team will wear the crown, once again, this year. Collectively, they are looking to improve on their fourth place regular season finish in the south.
"We have a solid returning group," explained Graham, who became the Kings Head Coach in 2019. "The Kings have a core leadership group that we term CASL, it's an acronym for Core Values and Servant Leadership."
Second-years Brett Hochhausen, MacGregor Manyluk and Cole Wicker, third-year Payton Baltzer, fourth-year Kevin Szymanek, and fifth-years Cody White and Tyronn King are back from the 2019/2020 team.
"Our leadership group is made up of five guys – Ty, Cody, Kevin, Payton, and Brett. Four of them are from central Alberta and Ty is from Toronto. They will rotate captaincy," said Graham. "They bring experience and character, and they know how to be a student in the classroom and an athlete on the court. Each one of them has a little pod of players that they are mentoring, and I've been really impressed."
King, a 2019/2020 ACAC Men's Basketball Second South All-Conference Team selection, will be an integral member of this year's squad. The six-foot-one Legal Assistant student averaged 18.8 points per game two years ago, which ranked sixth in ACAC South Division scoring.
New players in 2021/2022
When looking to augment the roster, Graham searched for student-athletes who could add depth and make the Kings tougher to play against.
"One of the focuses of recruiting this year is adding defence, experience, and grit," said Graham. "We want to be the best defensive team in the league."
Two seasons ago, the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings had the fifth best team defence of the eight squads in the south, allowing 85.8 points per contest.
Along with the returnees, some additions from central Alberta will help the team in its own zone.
"Some of the local kids joining us are Logan Roberts out of Sylvan Lake – he's a really gritty defender," said Graham. "Parker Weinrauch is out of Notre Dame in Red Deer. He brings size – six-foot-seven and has a filled out frame. Kirk Hall out of Rocky Mountain House is a very solid defender and has already made his mark in the league. He is also a great three-point shooter."
The Kings had the sixth most potent offence in the south with 86.5 points per game in 2019/2020 and Graham feels that the new student-athletes will add depth.
"We want to get deeper into our offence, so we get higher percentage looks. Jared Gamble is from Lacombe. He is only 17 and doesn't turn 18 until December. He's shown a lot of offence – just a raw basketball player," said Graham.
"Pierce Shybunka is out of Hunting Hills in Red Deer. We wanted to take some pressure off of him by playing him on the off-guard, but he's shown his prowess for the point guard position and he's been a pleasant surprise with his ball handling and shooting. He's been a spark off the bench for sure."
Three international players will suit up for the Kings in 2021/2022, adding height to the roster.
"Antonio Benjamin is from Texas and this is his second go around at RDP. He was here in 2018 and he brings us some size at six-foot-seven. We added Guilherme Lacerda from Rio de Janeiro. He's six-foot-seven and has some springs in his legs. He can throw down a basketball pretty easily," said Graham.
"Eduardo Crespo is six-foot-three and from Sao Paulo. He is a great ball handler, very diverse, and can handle positions one through four. I think all of those guys will contribute in different areas. They all bring different skillsets and can help us in areas where we weren't as strong."
Due to injury, Azro Abuzukar is unable to compete this season.
Non-conference games in 2021
The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings picked up four wins over their exhibition schedule.
"I felt that some of our team defensive concepts and our offensive sets started to pay off on the court, especially against NAIT in non-conference action. We won that game 83-65," said Graham. "We played 12 guys and 11 saw the scoresheet so it was a diverse showing. Ty King led the team with 30 points, and everyone chipped in with rebounds, points, and steals."
Over the span of exhibition games, the Kings Head Coach has been impressed with certain aspects of the team's performances.
"I appreciate how the student-athletes share the ball. I like how they play team defence – they have each other's backs," said Graham. "I like their character, determination, and conduct on the court. They are a hard working group."
ACAC 2021/2022 Men's Basketball season
The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings will open the 2021/2022 season at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre against the Lethbridge College Kodiaks on Friday, November 12 at 6 pm.
"I'm happy with the progress so far, and I'm looking forward to the regular season," said Graham.
For more details about Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Basketball tickets, please visit the online ticketing page.
Not returning from 2019/2020
Ramiro Martinez Quintanilla Jimenez, Malik Smith, Rudy Suffo, Andrew Cunningham, Spencer Klassen, Joshua Bollers, Jouvon Edison