Clarkson prep program attracts top basketball players
Clarkson Chargers
Staff photo by Rob Beintema
Mississauga News
MISSISSAUGA — Earl Moncrieffe remembers how difficult it was for elite Canadian basketball players to earn scholarships to play university ball in the United States around 30 years ago.
Now, as head coach and creator of Clarkson Secondary School's prep program, he's trying to make it easier for the next generation of prospects.
"I was a top-three point guard in Canada and I didn't get a scholarship until April or May, so it was tough back then," said Moncrieffe, who played for Toronto's Eastern Commerce in the mid-1980s before accepting a scholarship to Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania.
"Even back then, our high school team might have lost only one game that year."
Clarkson's prep team, which consists of seven players who travelled to tournaments throughout Ontario and the United States, is approaching the end of a successful first season.
The team went 9-1 against prep schools in the States that have specialized schedules to prepare their athletes for basketball at the NCAA level.
In recent years, many of Canada's top basketball players have left their high schools early to attend prep schools in the States so they can get more exposure to the country's top college programs.
Moncrieffe, who has 30 years of coaching experience, including time spent with the Mississauga Monarchs, approached Clarkson with the idea of forming a prep team to eliminate the need for players to move south of the border to play.
"We wanted to set it up so those (talented players) can stay here," he said. "Ultimately, what the kids really want is to be able to play the top level of basketball."
Moncrieffe admits the team struggles financially and has a hard time finding competition because they're an unknown commodity, but the players make an impact wherever they can.
Many of the players transferred from other schools in Mississauga, such as guard Osman Sillah, who originally came from Father Goetz to face tougher competition in the States.
"You usually hear that the States have a higher level of competition, but we play to our competitors level," Sillah said.
"So when we play against better competition, we have guys that will step up. It hasn't been too big of a difference. The competition's harder but we were prepared for it."
When they're not playing in U.S. tournaments, the team tries to find matches against similar programs from the GTA, Orangeville and Waterloo.
Moncrieffe's main goal is to help his players earn scholarships and he realizes that they have to perform as well in the classroom as they do on the court.
That's something forward Lewis Diankulu has bought into. Both he and Sillah are looking towards playing at junior colleges in the States next year.
"(Education) is the most important part of it," said Diankulu, who attended Ste. Famille before joining Clarkson. "I want to have a plan B if I make it because when you get old and you can't play basketball anymore, you need your education to fall back on."
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