Four or five years ago they were raw rookies.
Now, even though they're still in their early 20s, they're the old guys on the UNBC Timberwolves, whose U Sports men's basketball wisdom and proficiency gives the T-wolves cause for optimism they will be a dominant force on the court this season.
Long in experience and deep in talent, the T-wolves are counting heavily on their seniors - four in their fifth year and two about to begin their fourth university season - to move the gold and green to into the high-rent district of the Canada West Conference.
Guards Jovan Leamy and James Agyeman, and forwards Vaggelis Loukas and Austin Chandler are UNBC's Big Four heading into their last season. Guards Anthony Hokanson and Sage Gosal are the two fourth-year guys. Combined with steady influence of third-year guard Vova Pluzhnikov, they give head coach Todd Jordan plenty to work with in his starting-five rotation.
"Our biggest strength is just a lot of experience returning for us this year," said Jordan.
"We lost(fifth-year starters) Dan Stark and Marcus MacKay to graduation but we still return the majority of our core group, guys who are a year more experienced and that goes a long way.
"We've had a fairly productive preseason... there was definite value in us winning those games. It does show progress in our program that we can have a 5-1 preseason. We do want some confidence and some swagger going into the season and it does help."
The Timberwolves tip off their seventh
U Sport/CIS season tonight in Calgary against the Mount Royal Cougars in the first of a two-game set.
Leamy moved to Prince George from Toronto last year after a year away from the game and found his stride as a T-wolf. Despite starting just four of their 20 games he led UNBC in scoring, averaging 15.1 points through 15 games playing an average of 22 minutes per game.
"He's a really talented guy and it took him a while to get his feet under him," said Jordan.
"It was a big lifestyle change coming from Toronto and him coming back this year with a year of experience with the team, which has helped him to settle a lot better. His body is in a better place than it was a year ago just from working with our strength staff and just having that consistency of a year of training with the team, he's looking good."
The six-foot-six Chandler missed all of last season after ankle surgery but has fully recovered. He brings a defensive presence and adds to the height factor on a team not blessed with an abundance of tall trees. Loukas, who stands six-foot-five, is poised to break Dennis Stark's all-time record as the T-wolves top rebounder.
Headed by third-year guard Tyrell Laing, the T-wolves have plenty of bench strength.
Laing will be counted upon to eat some big minutes and proved last season in games against UVic and UBC-Okanagan he's capable of sparking the offence like he did so often his high school career at PGSS.
He's learned what it takes to be a factor on defence at the university level.
The list of newcomers includes Kyler Eckess, a second-year guard from Prince Rupert who didn't play last year, and Kaelen Mcneight of Vancouver, who red-shirted with the T-wolves last season.
Chris Ross of North Vancouver, a shooting guard and provincial all-star who led his Seacove high school team to a double-A provincial bronze medal, is getting his feet wet this season in U Sports, as is Duchess Park grad Colburn Pearce, whose athleticism and tenacity is pointing to an eventual starting role with the T-wolves. Six-foot-seven forward Spencer Ledoux of Kamloops complete the UNBC rookie crop. Saymon Loki, a six-foot-six single-A provincial MVP from Smithers, will red-shirt at UNBC this season.
"We're as versatile as we've ever been, we have a group of guys who can switch stuff a lot more defensively than we have in the past and guys came in in really good shape so we're excited about the dynamics of what we can do with our roster," said Jordan. "It's right up there with as strong of a team on paper as we've ever had. If the guys bring it every night the potential is there to have a very solid season."
Off and on, Jordan has been associated with the T-wolves since 2001 - first as a player and then as as an assistant coach in the B.C. college league. He's was hired as head coach in 2010 and was at the helm when UNBC joined the Canada West pack in 2012. Aaron Brouwer, Dale Dergousoff and Nav Parmar return as the assistant coaches.
The T-wolves finished 10th in Canada West last year and made the playoffs with a 10-10 record.
They'll make their home debut next weekend when they host the Winnipeg Wesmen in a two-game series at the Northern Sport Centre.
