Renowned Basketball Tournament Marks 60th Year
St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) is getting set to host a major basketball tournament renowned for welcoming some of the top teams in the province.
From January 12 to January 14, 2023, the Dan Prendergast Invitational Senior Basketball Tournament will take over the SMCS gymnasium for its 60th year, after deferring the past three years due to the pandemic.
“The tournament is important for the school community and for our basketball student-athletes to display their skills,” says Kirt Charter ’82, Head of the Modern Languages and Classics Department and Sr. Basketball coach.
“The competition will be good,” he adds. “Despite the exodus of many of the province’s best players to prep school programmes, there are still many outstanding players who participate in OFSAA-sanctioned high school programmes.”
The tournament was named after the late Dan Prendergast, OSM, former teacher and vice principal at SMCS. Prendergast also coached the basketball team from 1962 to 1989 and was recognized as one of the top basketball coaches in the country.
“The tournament is named after an exceptional human being who was not only my coach, but a mentor,” says Charter. “It is a privilege and an honour to keep his name alive through this tournament.”
This year, the tournament will include: St. Michael’s College School, North Toronto Collegiate, Assumption Catholic Secondary School, Northern Secondary School, Downsview Secondary School, Corpus Christi Secondary School, George S. Henry Academy, Holy Trinity School, Ursuline College Chatham, Richview Collegiate Institute, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, and St. John Henry Newman Catholic High School.
The Blue Raiders Sr. Basketball team have been preparing for the tournament with practices over the Christmas holidays and other high-intensity sessions.
“The difference is in reviewing systems, rotations, and assignments just prior to tournaments so that everyone continues to sing from the same song sheet,” says Charter.
“We’ve been practicing every day and working hard during Christmas break to keep ourselves in shape and ready for the tournament,” says Enzo-Nolan Taffo, Grade 12. “I’m very excited that our school could hold this tournament after COVID.”
Read five fast facts about this year’s tournament:
- In its 60th year, the tournament stands as one of the oldest in the province
- Current faculty who have competed in the tournament in the past include Charter, Emile John ’87, Vice Principal, Greg Hook ’80, Chief Operating Officer, and Chris Bergin, SMCS teacher who competed on a visiting school team
- Many NCAA Division 1 players have participated in the tournament including young alumni, Danilo Djuricic ’17 (Harvard University), Duane Notice ’12 (University of South Carolina), and Malcolm Duvivier ’13 (University of Akron)
- SMCS has won the tournament 12 times
- 12 teams will participate in a three-day tournament from Richmond Hill to Chatham, Ontario
Watch the 60th annual Dan Prendergast Invitational Senior Basketball Tournament live on the SMCS YouTube channel:
Day 1 – https://youtu.be/RIrwWOSOL9U
Day 2 – https://youtu.be/YWu6FZDcKYQ
Day 3 – https://youtu.be/BepD8jubfR0
Check out the tournament schedule here.
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