Canada West, or the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association. Either way, Charles Barton will be happy just to be back on the basketball court.
Barton, a six-foot-four guard/forward from Vernon, is the newest member of the UNBC Northern Timberwolves. He committed to the UNBC program a little more than a week ago and will be watching with interest this week to see if his team will join Canada West in 2012-13 or remain in the lower-level BCCAA. But Barton, who has already played two seasons in Canada West, is taking a relaxed approach about how his future with the T-wolves will unfold.
"It doesn't really matter to me," he said in reference to the league in which he'll compete. "If they do [get into Canada West], they do. If not, whatever. I'm basically ready to play at whatever level it takes. I'm just glad I'm playing again."
UNBC's future athletic path will be determined Thursday in Victoria, where the Canada West Universities Athletic Association will hold a special meeting to discuss UNBC's membership application and vote on it. The school is trying to gain entrance for its basketball and soccer teams.
Barton took this past season off. The previous two seasons, he ran the floor with the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack of Kamloops. With the WolfPack, Barton was a defence-first style of player. But, he also has the ability to score. When he gets up to speed with the Timberwolves, he's hoping to be a difference-maker in all areas.
"I'm looking forward to being a big contributor," he said. "I'm hoping to be a good three-guard for UNBC so we'll see. I'm hoping for the best."
Barton, who has three years of playing eligibility left, attended a UNBC identification camp in April at the Northern Sport Centre. At the time, he was also considering playing at Nanaimo's Vancouver Island University or Calgary's Mount Royal University next season. Barton said UNBC won out for several reasons.
"It was the right decision for me because UNBC is a really good school in terms of the program I wanted to go into, business," he said. "Also, I've got a buddy there, [UNBC guard] Joel Rybachuk. He's an old [high school] teammate of mine and I really wanted to play with him again too. And just the fact that they won nationals two years ago also kind of made me choose that school in the end."
Barton did scrimmage at both VIU and Mount Royal.
"I really enjoyed those schools too but in the end, I had to make the right decision for me," he said.
Barton said he may come to Prince George later this month and again in July to work out with some of his new mates. He'll move his belongings north in late August, in preparation for the school year.
