By Larry Moko
A couple of basketball imports from France are making their presence felt this season – one in the National Basketball Association and the other at St. Jean de Brébeuf Catholic Secondary School.
Phenom Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall NBA draft choice in 2023, plays for the San Antonio Spurs. At 7-foot-4, the 20-year-old is averaging 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds as a rookie. And at the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic high school level, Grade 12 student Joey Nsenda has been impressive in his own right as a 6-foot-5 forward/centre for the Brébeuf Braves.
Nsenda came to Canada in August from Avignon (southern France near Marseille).
On Monday, Nsenda tossed in eight points to help visiting Brébeuf defeat the Bishop Ryan Celtics, 60-44. It was the fifth-consecutive league victory for Brébeuf and its ninth straight overall including tournament action.
“The last three games in particular Joey has really impacted the game on both ends,” Brébeuf coach Jae Dunphy said. “He can block shots and change shots at the rim because of his athleticism and length.
“He’s starting to get a little more comfortable on the offensive side of the game.”
The Braves never trailed after Nsenda’s hard-fought reverse layup basket late in the third quarter gave Brébeuf a 37-36 lead. Then, on Bishop Ryan’s next possession, he emphatically blocked a shot.
“Basketball is very different in Canada. In Europe, it’s more system-based and ball-movement based. In Canada, it’s more putting individual skills together to make the team.”, said Nsenda.
The win moved Brébeuf (7-5) into a third-place tie with the Bishop Tonnos Titans. Bishop Ryan remains in sixth place with a mark of 4-7.
Said Dunphy: “I think it took Joey a while to get used to the way the game is played here. It’s more pick-and-roll-heavy and a little more isolated.
“I think he was a little unselfish to a fault early in the season … moving the ball and moving the ball instead of realizing, if he had a mismatch, it was time to take advantage.”
And there was one other adjustment the Frenchman faced. “Probably just getting comfortable in Canada,” the Brébeuf coach said. “He’s not used to the cold weather.”
Brébeuf outscored the home team 23-8 in the fourth quarter to pull away. And that offensive outburst was sparked by Kevahn Taylor who scored 15 of his game-high 26 points in the final eight minutes.
Other top scorers for Brébeuf were Raef Calura, with six points, along with Mpiana and Isaiah Patrois-Holding, with five apiece.
Josh Taylor and Majid Mobaraka tossed in eight points each for Bishop Ryan, while DeShawn Mills scored seven and Adam Adili contributed six.
The Braves opened the regular schedule with three straight losses, but their current nine-game win streak includes wins over MacNab, Westdale and Grimsby Blessed Trinity during a December tournament at Brébeuf. There was also a ‘W’ earlier last month on the final day of a tournament in London.
“We’re feeling pretty good right now,” Dunphy said. “The mind set of rebounding and communicating wasn’t there in the beginning when we were missing a few big bodies.
“The players knew that they had talent, but I don’t think they were ready to put the work in yet. It took a few punches in the nose to realize, hey, it’s not going to be easy on any night in this league.”
In other senior basketball results Monday, the St. Thomas More Knights downed the ACMT Jaguars, 73-45, the Cathedral Gaels topped the St. Mary Crusaders, 68-47 and the St. John Henry Newman Cardinals defeated the Titans, 54-41.
Photos by Bob Butrym, RFB Sport Photography
More photos on the HWCDSB Athletics Facebook page
