As they head into their B.C. championship tournament, the PGSS Polars have their minds on the present and their eyes on the future.
The PGSS senior boys basketball team will be at the Langley Events Centre on Wednesday for the start of the quadruple-A provincials. With just one active Grade 12 player on their roster, the Polars will likely be the youngest squad in the 16-team event and will be absorbing all the educational moments and storing them up for next season and the one beyond.
"Really, it's all about the experience, especially at this age," said Polars coach Nav Parmar. "They're all Grade 10s and 11s so being at a provincial tournament at their age right now will help immensely next season and the year after that. We're not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We know it's going to be a tough task and we're just hoping to compete every game and leave the floor without any regrets."
For provincials, the Polars' lone Grade 12 player will be Manraj Buttar, a six-foot-two power forward. PGSS did have one other Grade 12 in uniform this year, small forward Sonu Jhander, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury prior to last month's zone championship series against the Correlieu Clan of Quesnel.
"He used to provide about 15 to 18 points a game for us," Parmar said. "It was a tough loss but I just told the other guys that now it's their opportunity to come in, pick up the slack and develop their own games [at provincials]."
The Polars are seeded 15th for the tournament and will play the second-ranked Gleneagle Talons of Coquitlam in their opening game, set for 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
"Every game is going to be tough, not only the first one," Parmar said. "We're talking about the best teams in the province, going at it for the crown."
The Tamanawis Wildcats of Surrey are favoured to win the B.C. title. The championship final will be played Saturday at 8 p.m. Tournament games will be shown via webcast at www.langleyeventscentre.com/4ABoysBBall.
One PGSS player who will have the spotlight shining on him during provincials is Tyrell Laing, a Grade 10 guard who has scored 50-plus points on multiple occasions this season.
"We know he's going to get his points and I know exactly what he's going to bring to the table every game," Parmar said. "He brings that energy and sets the tone for us and I know nothing's going to change but now there will be a lot more eyes on him. I hope that he has a great tournament and that scouts out there fully see the potential that he has for the next two years because he hasn't even scratched the surface of what he can become."
Laing typically fills a point guard position but Parmar plans to use him as a shooting guard at provincials, and for next season as well.
"I want him to come off screens more, I want him to play off-ball more," Parmar said. "We'll just be a more dangerous team that way because it uses up so much energy if he has to bring the ball up [the floor]. I want to make his life a bit easier."
Other members of the Polars are Inderpal Bassi, Ryan Fisher, Johnny Tatla, Simarjot Gill, T.J. Gill, Amandeep Seehra, Karan Gill and Trevor Foster.
