FIBA 3x3 tourney brought three years of thrills to Saskatoon

Gasper Ovnik drives the ball for Team Piran.

    As soon as Adin Kavgic’s long two-pointer went in, the party was over for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament.

    The 32-year-old forward’s shot from beyond the arch finished off a 21-14 championship game victory for Slovenian’s Team Piran against Serbia’s Team Vrbas on Sunday at the intersection of 4^th Avenue and 21^st street.

    The win allowed Team Piran to take home a US$30,000 prize for first place. Team Vrbas was awarded US$20,000 for second place.

    This marked the third straight year Saskatoon has hosted a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters stop, and Saskatoon’s three-year agreement with FIBA to hold this event has come to an end.

    The three editions of the tournament have allowed hoops fans in “The Bridge City” to see a unique brand of high-action basketball in a three-versus-three format.

Anze Srebovt passes the ball to a Team Piran teammate.

    All games go to 21 points or whatever the final score is after 10 minutes. Shots inside the arch are worth one point and shots outside of the arch are worth two points.

    There is a 12-second shot clock, and the ball has to be cleared beyond the arch. After a basket is scored, it is live for the other team to take possession where the ball falls.

    Under these rules, it feels like the play is non-stop.

    Locally, the tournament received an extra boost thanks to the success of Team Saskatoon during the first two years.

    In 2017 and 2018, Team Saskatoon was comprised of Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers, Nolan Brudehl and Edmonton, Alta., product Steve Sir.

    Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl are best remembered in Saskatoon for helping the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team capture their first and to date only U Sports national men’s basketball title in 2010.

    At the FIBA World Tour Masters stop in Saskatoon in 2017, Team Saskatoon made the event’s championship game falling to 21-14 to Team Ljubljana from Slovenia.

The FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters stop contains a cool dunk contest.

    During that run to the title game, it felt like Team Saskatoon was experiencing a Huskies nostalgia tour. With the noise that was present, you would have thought you were at a Huskies playoff hoops game at the Physical Activity Complex on the U of Saskatchewan campus.

    The two sections of stands that are brought down from the SaskTel Centre for this hoops event were overflowing with spectators when Team Saskatoon hit the court.

    In 2018, Team Saskatoon made it to the semifinal round of the playoffs falling 21-15 to Team Novi Sad from Serbia.

    Team Saskatoon went into this year’s tournament with a revamped lineup. Linklater was the only returnee, and the 36-year-old said this year’s event in Saskatoon would be his final FIBA 3x3 tournament.

Michael Linklater in action with Team Saskatoon in 2018.

    Linklater, who also plays professionally with the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, said he will be retiring from competitive basketball once the Rattlers season comes to an end.

    Along with Linklater, Team Saskatoon’s roster contained Troy Gottselig, Willie Murdaugh and Shane Osayande.

    Gottselig was another former member of the Huskies 2010 U Sport national championship team, and he played with Team Saskatoon when it was first formed in 2010.

    Osayande was a more recent graduate from the Huskies program and currently plays with the Rattlers.

    Murdaugh, who is 49-years-old, was another former member of Team Saskatoon, who came out for a final hurrah.

Steve Sir in action with Team Saskatoon in 2018.

    Sir was still playing in the tournament with his hometown Team Edmonton.

    The new look Team Saskatoon failed to qualify for the playoff round losing both its pool play games in the event’s opening day on Saturday.  

    Team Saskatoon fell 22-18 in its first game to Team Liman from Serbia and dropped a 16-14 final to Team Kranj from Slovenia.

    While Linklater didn’t experience a storybook finish at this year’s tourney, he will go down as a player who had a huge positive impact on his First Nations community. Linklater showed what type of doors could be opened in basketball as a player.

    Despite the fact Team Saskatoon didn’t take part in Sunday’s playoff action, spectators still came out filling about 80 per cent of the stands. The local Serbian contingent vocally supported teams from their home country.

The FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tourney bring out the crowds.

    The action on the court was phenomenal with four out of the seven playoff game being decided by either one or two points.

    The dunk and shootout contests were sweet.  Justin Darlington from Ajax, Ont., won the dunk contest taking home a US$2,500 prize. Kyle Landry of Team Edmonton claimed the shootout contest to capture a US$500 prize.

    The championship game looked like it would come down to the wire as Team Piran led Team Vrbas 15-13 with three minutes to play. Team Piran closed the contest with a 6-1 run to pick up the win.

Adin Kavgic cheers his championship clinching shot.

    Guard Gasper Ovnik from Team Piran was named the MVP of the event.

    You can bet the popularity of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament played a part in the CEBL electing to put a team in Saskatoon.

    For the last two years, Saskatoon’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour stop has included a sizable beer gardens that has hosted an outdoor party.

    As the FIBA 3x3 World Tour stop was held in conjunction with the Taste of Saskatchewan festival, downtown Saskatoon became an extra busy place.

    FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament became something a sizable number of people in Saskatoon looked forward to in the summer. It could also be argued the fact it was held in “The Bridge City” for a three-year stay insured it didn’t become a stale event.

Team Piran is all smiles after a championship victory in Saskatoon.

    With three-versus-three basketball becoming a new sport for 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, that style of basketball will continue to draw interest in the future.

    The fact the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters stop enjoyed the success it did might mean Saskatoon could one day host some other FIBA event. For now, it was great to see how warmly the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament was received in this three-year run.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Impressive facelift for Gordie Howe Sports Complex continues

Kelsey Murphy (#85) jets upfield at SMF Field in 2017.

    The Gordie Howe Sports Complex seems to be busy at all hours these days.

    While athletes and sports groups utilized the facilities in the evenings and nights from Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday, construction crews are busy working on numerous improvements during the day from Monday to Friday.

    The most noticeable site on the complex is the rise of a new multi-sport indoor athletic performance and training centre that neighbors Gordie Howe Kinsmen Arena. The walls are up on the building, and workers will likely be working on the inside of the structure during winter.

    The press boxes for Saskatoon Minor Football Field are near completion as the football season approaches for the Saskatoon Hilltops, who have won the last four straight Canadian Junior Football League titles.

    The stands at Cairns Field have been demolished. In their place, the base structure is currently being set up for a new multi-sport centre.

    You can also see the outlines of the new track being built at the new track and field facility. The long and triple jump pits have been completed.

    Another outdoor a field turf field is being constructed for football, two infields for baseball and an overflow parking lot, which will be located west of SMF Field.

The new training centre being built at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    It is amazing to see all the improvements that are being made to Saskatoon’s long time sports park. It almost becomes a challenge to keep track of them all.

    The improvements have been overseen by the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, which is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to improve the facilities and amenities at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. The Friends of the Bowl Foundation has initial roots dating back to 2011 when discussions were held about improving what was then known as the Gordie Howe Bowl football facility.

    The first focus was refurbishing Gordie Howe Bowl, which was an eyesore. The refurbishment began on that facility in 2014, and it was renamed Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Gordie Howe Softball Diamond sees a lot of use.

    If the renovation and improvements happened just to SMF Field, the work of the Friends of the Bowl Foundation could be deemed a success. That fundraising entity had built such momentum that wheels went into motion on improving the rest of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    When the master plan for the complex is complete, a total of $62-million will be put into renovating and improving the complex. The fundraising efforts have been ongoing since Friends of the Bowl started and $42-million has been raised towards the ultimate final goal.

    Positive momentum keeps building as improvements and renovations quickly occur after large chunks of funds are raised. Saskatoon is going to end up with a sports complex that could end up being the envy of Western Canada.

    Chairperson Bryan Kosteroski and board member Johnny Marciniuk have been the faces of the volunteer board of directors for the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, and they have played a huge part in providing leadership to this big picture project.

A sign touting the work at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    In the end, all the volunteers and everyone who has donated and will donate to make the final vision of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex a reality can take a bow and be owed a big thanks from the rest of the citizens of Saskatoon. There might not be a way to show gratitude for what has taken place.

    If you want to contribute a donation to continue the efforts to refurbish the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, you can do so by clicking here.

Saskatoon falls to champ Novi Sad in 3x3 semis, other notes

Team Saskatoon guard Steve Sir gives a thumbs up to the hometown crowd.

    It seemed like Team Saskatoon was going to ride the hometown crowd to victory against a tougher field at this year’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament stop in “the Bridge City.”

    On Saturday, Team Saskatoon posted a 2-0 record in pool play before a jam packed and vocal group of home supporters on an outdoor court set up at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 21^st Street entering Sunday’s playoff round.

    In Sunday’s playoff round, Team Saskatoon downed Minnesota 3Ball 14-12 to set up a date with powerhouse Novi Sad from Serbia, who top the FIBA 3x3 World Tour rankings. During that semifinal encounter, Team Saskatoon put up a valiant fight, but Novi Sad was as good as advertised pulling out a 21-15 victory.

Michael Lieffers, middle, drives the lane for Team Saskatoon.

    Last year when Saskatoon hosted a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament for the first time, the local squad made the event’s championship game falling 21-14 to Team Ljubljana from Slovenia.

    Novi Sad proceeded to advance to the event’s championship game in an all-Serbian clash against Liman and prevailed 20-18. 

    Liman guard Aleksandar Ratkov fired up a two-point shot from behind the arch in the final seconds looking to force overtime, but the attempt was off target giving victory for Novi Sad.

    Both teams were back by sizable pro-Serbian contingents. Novi Sad took home US$30,000 for the win, while Liman took home US$20,000 for second place.

Team Saskatoon point guard Michael Linklater, left, sizes up a defender.

    While Team Saskatoon was unable to make the final like it did last year when a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament was held in town for the first time, they made their home supporters proud.   
    Made up of University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team grads Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers and Nolan Brudehl and Edmonton, Alta., product Steve Sir, the Team Saskatoon foursome showed they will be a force once again on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

    They are pushing to represent Canada at the 2020 Olympics in Toyko, Japan, when 3x3 basketball will make its debut in the games.

    Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl are best remembered locally for helping the Huskies win their first and to date only U Sports national men’s basketball title in 2010.

Novi Sad’s Dusan Bulut dishes off a pass in Sunday’s final.

    Even though Team Saskatoon wasn’t able to make the title came at their hometown FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament stop, the event was a huge success. A large beer gardens were added to this year’s event, and they were packed on Saturday’s opening day of competition.

    The stands for the tournament’s championship game were packed, which was big considering the local squad was eliminated in the semifinal round.

    Saskatoon is schedule to host another FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament next year, and it will be an event a large number of people in town will have circled on their calendar.

    With Sunday’s tournament win, Novi Sad has won 13 titles at FIBA 3x3 World Tour events. Dejan Majstorovic led Novi Sad with eight points in the championship final, and he was the tournament’s top scorer with 35 points.

Novi Sad enjoys the spoils of a tournament championship win.

    Majstorovic’s teammate Dusan Bulut had five points in the final and was voted the event’s MVP.

Kalamazoo, Mich., U.S.A., product Doug Anderson won the dunk contest and claimed US$2,500. Lazar Rasic claimed the shootout contest and took home US$500.

• On Sunday in Calgary, Team Saskatchewan won the gold medal game of the Football Canada Cup 31-26 against host Team Alberta. This marked the first time Saskatchewan has won the Football Canada Cup since it was established back in 1995.
• Saskatoon products in guard Kaitlin Jockims and forward Ashley de Sousa Martins are currently attending tryouts for Canada’s under-18 women’s basketball team at York University on Toronto, Ont. Jockims played out of Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate and de Sousa Martins suits up for Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate. Jockims is a standout winger for the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Saskatoon Stars. The tryouts run through to Saturday. The players that make the team will represent Canada at the FIBA under-18 Women’s America Championship, which runs Aug. 1-7 in Mexico City, Mexico.
• Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, has been invited along with 19 other players to be part of the U Sports all-star team that will take part in Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase, which runs Aug. 2-11 in Calgary, Alta. Last season in her final U Sports campaign, Willoughby led the Huskies in scoring with nine goals and 10 assists in 26 regular season games. She posted a career high a plus-10 in the plus-minus department. Willoughby is the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the Huskies women’s team with 111 points. The U Sports all-stars will play two games against Hockey Canada’s National Development women’s team and two games against Japan’s national women’s team. This marks the third straight summer Willoughby will be taking part in a camp run under Hockey Canada’s umbrella.
• On July 16, the family of Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Ryan Vandervlis, who was badly burned in a campfire accident on June 15, was moved from intensive care to the burn unit at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alta. Doctors are optimistic he will make a full recovery. Hurricanes captain Jordy Bellerive and Hurricanes alum Matt Alfaro, who plays for the University of Calgary Dinos, were also hurt in the accident. They were released from hospital before the end of June.
• Jim Pedersen, who was a long time scout with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, passed away on Saturday. The news of Pedersen’s passing was confirmed by his family on Sunday. Pedersen, who was 81-years-old, left a positive impact on Saskatchewan’s hockey scene. His funeral is set for Friday at 2 p.m. at the Milestone Memorial Centre.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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FIBA 3x3 World Tour keeps Huskies alums in the game

Nolan Brudehl fires up a shot from downtown.

    A year ago, they received a well-deserved heroes’ welcome.

    Way back on March 21, 2010, Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers and Nolan Brudehl helped the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team down the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 91-81 for the U Sports national title at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. That marked the first time and to date the only time the Huskies have captured a national title in men’s basketball.

    That contest was the last time that trio played together as members of the Huskies as Linklater exhausted his U Sports eligibility. Back on that day when the Huskies were crowned national champions, no one would suspect that trio would be playing together seven to eight years down the road.

Michael Lieffers looks to dish off the ball.

    In 2012, Linklater and Lieffers began playing in three-versus-three basketball tournaments and quickly qualified for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. Brudehl joined his former Huskies teammates on the circuit in 2015. Last year, they rounded out their four-player team adding Steve Sir, who is a star outside sharpshooter from Edmonton, Alta.

    Playing on the FIBA tour as Team Saskatoon, the players built a following from “The Bridge City,” who tracked their every move.

    A year ago, the foursome of Linklater, Lieffers, Brudehl and Sir finally got to play in front of a home crowd as downtown Saskatoon hosted a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament. For the Huskies grads, it marked the first time they played together as a unit in Saskatoon since that 2009-10 U Sports national title campaign.

    When Team Saskatoon hit the court for the two-day event at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 21^st Street, the two sections of stands that were brought in from the SaskTel Centre that could seat 1,000 spectators were filled, and an overflow crowd of people circled the half court.

The local fans backed Team Saskatoon last year.

    The cheers the local team received were deafening and special all at the same time. For the trio of former Huskies, the cheers were a flashback to their days playing at the Physical Activity Complex on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan.

    The cheers carried the feelings of a thank you for the accomplishments the players brought to the city in the past. There was a feeling that it was great to see them playing in a competitive environment again and there was a will by the fans to help push the players on to greater heights in the present and future.

Steve Sir (#3) drives the lane for Team Saskatoon.

    It seemed like the feeling of attachment and support for the players was stronger than it had ever been.

    Team Saskatoon didn’t disappoint.
    They won four straight games to qualify for the tournament’s championship final. During that run, they claimed an electric 14-13 overtime victory over Team Hamilton to close the first day of competition.

    In the final, Team Saskatoon fell to 21-14 to Team Ljubljana from Slovenia.

Michael Linklater (#4) goes for a shot from beyond the arch.

    While Team Saskatoon wasn’t able to pull out a win in the final, their local follows got to see firsthand that the four players on the squad found an outlet to continue their playing careers after university. For the trio that played for the Huskies, it is normal for players that graduate from the U Sports ranks to transition to a phase of life as a non-athlete.

    A handful of grads might play in Canada’s national team system or professionally.

    Today, Team Saskatoon gets to live that experience of being the home favourites once again. Saskatoon again hosts a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters basketball tournament with action slated to start at 12 p.m.

    Team Saskatoon faces Team Montreal at 3:15 p.m. and Team Riga from Latvia at 5 p.m.

    The tournament concludes on Sunday with all the playoff games. The action starts at 12 p.m. and the championship final is slated for 4:15 p.m.

Team Saskatoon plans to deliver thrills for the hometown supporters.

    The field at this year’s tournament is expected to be harder than last year’s event. The players on Team Saskatoon will be hard pressed to repeat their magic from a year ago.

    With the backing of a supportive and vocal hometown crowd, the local squad might ride that wave of enthusiasm to victory in Sunday’s championship final.

    If you want to follow the exploits of Team Saskatoon now and after Saskatoon’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament wraps up, you can follow Linklater’s Instagram account at michael_linklater or his Twitter account @MrLinklater.

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    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Sports teams closer to families in social media age

The Estephan and Gennaro families enjoy the Broncos’ WHL title win.

    It was one of the coolest sights when the Swift Current Broncos won the WHL championship back in May.

    During the post-game celebration, you looked around and saw all the players and coaches had their families on the ice surface with them at the Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current. Everyone was enjoying the moment, and snapping pictures on their phones.

    The vibe was real positive, and the thought that runs through one’s head is, “This is great.”

    For myself the next day, it hit me that the players were really close with their families. That thought had run through my mind on a number of different occasions during the last four sports seasons.

Broncos family members took lots of pictures of WHL title memories.

    That Broncos celebration happened on May 13. Just two weeks later on May 27 at the Memorial Cup tournament in Regina, I was on the ice surface of the Brandt Centre, when the Acadie-Bathurst Titan celebrated winning major junior hockey’s biggest prize.

    The celebration was almost a carbon copy of the one the Broncos had, when they won the WHL crown.

    I believe the strengthened family links is one of the good things that developed from the social media age. Players and coaches are in contact more with their families due to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

Titan family members flooded into Regina for the Memorial Cup.

    In circuits like Canada’s major junior hockey ranks, most players leave their homes to travel to a new centre to pursue their sport. Before social media existed, players’ family members back home didn’t learn about what was happening in that players’ life unless there was a phone conversation or a letter was mailed away.

    I can remember the days when players arrived at WHL training camps in August, and they wouldn’t see their families again until the Christmas break. Often, the news of what was happening in a player’s life was limited.

    With social media, the families back home have instant news about the life of a player, who is living away from home.

Families and friends cheer on the Pats in the 2017 WHL playoffs.

    The communication through social media makes family members more engaged with the life of a player. That engagement creates extra motivation for family members to make road trips to see the player play live.

    During the 2017 WHL playoffs, I worked a large number of games involving the Regina Pats, who advanced to the WHL Championship series that year. I saw the Pats play more than any other hockey team in the 2016-17 campaign.

    I hit a point I was recognizing the family members of the Pats players, when the Pats played on the road. I was impressed how many family members physically followed the Pats from centre to centre through that run.

Hilltops safety James Vause (#24) enjoys a PFC title win with his family.

    I remember one father of a Pats player coming up to me after a game in Swift Current and passing on a thank-you for covering the Regina team’s games.

    My experience was almost exactly the same this past WHL post-season covering games involving the Broncos. I couldn’t believe how many of the players’ families followed the Broncos all over the place.

    In past eras, families were present in the lives of the players but not to the extent I am seeing now.

    When I was a beat writer for the Medicine Hat News covering the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, I remember the families of the Tigers team that won the 2007 WHL title frequently being present in the rink.

    When the Tigers won Game 7 of the 2007 WHL Championship series 3-2 in double overtime at The Arena in Medicine Hat, I don’t remember the players’ families being present on the ice for the post-game celebrations.

The “Chippendads” cheer the Huskies women’s basketball team in 2016.

    I remember interviewing Tigers goalie Matt Keetley and watching Keetley point into the crowd and say how happy he was to see his family in the spot he pointed to.

    At that point in time, Facebook was in its infancy. Twitter wasn’t very well known and Instagram and Snapchat didn’t exist.

    Following that Tigers victory in 2007, it seemed like everyone want to get to the post-game party as quick as possible.

    When the Broncos and Titan won their respective WHL and CHL titles this past season, it seemed like everyone wanted to soak in those moments with their families, and no one wanted to leave the rink. You would also see people racing to post photos of the moment on their Instagram accounts.

The Willoughby family enjoys time together after a Huskies win.

    In both cases, it seemed like all the players on the Broncos and Titan had quickly snuck in and out of their dressing rooms to get their phones during their respective victory celebrations.

    I haven’t just noticed this in major junior hockey. I have covered the Saskatoon Hilltops the last four Canadian Junior Football League seasons, and the Hilltops players, coaches and staff are really connected with their families. The Hilltops have won the CJFL title for the past four straight seasons, and it seems like the family members have been present every step of the way including road games and team practices.

    I see it with teams in U Sports. During each of the past four seasons, it was common to see family members of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams sitting all over the Rutherford Rink at every game.

Kianna, left, and her mom Kim Dietz enjoy the Stars SFMAAAHL title win.

    The fathers of the players of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team have become mini-celebrities at games sitting together court side and becoming known as the “Chippendads.”

    During my time at the University of Regina in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I remember players from U Sports athletic teams always being pumped to go out and party after the Saturday night game, which usually closed the action for the weekend. Now players in U Sports head off to spend the post-game doing something with their families.

    In the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League, players’ families follow teams on that circuit in droves. The parent and family groups that back the Prince Albert Northern Bears, Saskatoon Stars and Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats are outstanding.

Roughriders DL Jordan Reaves, right, with dad, Willard.

    Even during my limited interactions with the CFL, it seems the families are more present. I remember interacting with members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2005, and it seemed the players couldn’t wait to go out and party after the game was done.

    There was a lengthy period of time in the late 1990s to the middle of the 2000s where I would always see members of the Roughriders or other CFL teams out for a party after games.

    During my interactions in the current day, players on the Roughriders are more focused with meeting up with their families after games and going out for a post-game meal at a nice restaurant.

    In pretty much all cases at each of these levels of sport, the families that are supporting the players are all awesome. They are all great and positively supportive of the players.

    I’ve had experience with bad parents and families during my time covering sports, but almost all the experiences in recent years have been outstanding.

    I hope players, coaches and staff members of sports teams can remain as connected to their families in the future similar to what I have seen in the present and at least in the past four years.

Back in the Express with FIBA tourney advancer

Nolan Brudehl, left, and Michael Lieffers celebrate and OT win last year.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with an advancer story for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters basketball event.

    For the second straight year, a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters basketball stop is being held in downtown Saskatoon. Last year, the local Team Saskatoon entry advanced to the tournament final before falling 21-14 to Team Ljubljana.

    The Team Saskatoon squad containing Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers, Nolan Brudehl and Steve Sir will be back for this year’s tournament, which is set for July 21-22 in downtown Saskatoon to be held in conjunction with Taste of Saskatchewan. 

Michael Linklater (#4) drives into the open for Team Saskatoon.

    Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl were all members of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team that won the U Sports national title in 2010. Sir is based out of Edmonton, Alta., and travels to join the other three.

    The tourney features teams from around the world, and it drew big crowds last year, especially when Team Saskatoon hit the court. It is expected big crowds will turn out again this year.

    My story on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters basketball even can be found right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Huskies nostalgia tour takes over FIBA 3x3 tourney

Host Saskatoon side thrills fans on run to final

Nolan Brudehl (#6) and Michael Lieffers (#5) celebrate an OT win.

    The Huskies heroes almost wrote a storybook end to a gallant homecoming.

    For a couple of days, Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers and Nolan Brudehl seemed to relive their time playing hoops at the University of Saskatchewan. Joining forces with Edmonton product Steve Sir, the foursome made up the local entry at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament.

    The trio of Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl were all members of the U of S Huskies Men’s basketball team that won the U Sports national championship in 2010. At the moment, that year marks the only time the Huskies in their history have won a U Sports national title in men’s basketball.

Michael Lieffers crushes a jam for Team Saskatoon.

    On Saturday and Sunday at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 21^st Street in downtown Saskatoon, droves of people turned out to see the local side play. Two sets of portable stands were brought in from the SaskTel Centre and some smaller sets of stands were built to accommodate the spectators. When Team Saskatoon played, the stands overflowed and people were jam packed in the streets leading up to the venue.

    It was obvious a lot of the locals still remembered what took place with the Huskies in 2010. A number of faces were in the crowd that are regulars at Huskies basketball games.

    When athletes graduate from the Canadian university ranks, it is not very often they continue their athletic career at an elite or high level. Moving on to another phase of life as a non-athlete is the norm.

Michael Linklater drives the lane for Team Saskatoon.

    Over the past five years, the Saskatoon side has played on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour winning two event titles and posting three second place finishes. Word spread in Saskatoon that the Huskies grads were doing well on the circuit.

    The World Tour stop marked the first time the trio would play competitive games together as a unit in Saskatoon since the 2010 U Sports championship win. There was a big curiosity factor to see how Team Saskatoon would do. Could a team made up of mostly Huskies grads stand up in an elite three-versus-three tournament run by FIBA containing some top teams from around the world?

    To the joy of the local fans, Team Saskatoon won four straight games to advance to Sunday’s tournament championship game. In the final, they fell 21-14 to Team Ljubljana from Slovenia.

Nolan Brudehl goes in to hit a layup for Team Saskatoon.

    While a victory by Team Saskatoon would have put a nice capper to the weekend’s events, the local fans had every right to leave proud knowing their side fits right in with the best the FIBA 3x3 World Tour circuit has to offer.

    When the local side hit the court for their two round robin games on the event’s opening day on Saturday, the atmosphere had a very Huskies nostalgic feel to it. The giant Huskies blow-up dog was at the entrance of a fan fest area, the Huskies had a booth in that area as well, and a number of people were wearing Huskies gear. It seemed the fans came to see the local side do all the things they used to do wearing Huskies green and white.

Steve Sir was a sharpshooter for Team Saskatoon.

    While Sir wasn’t from Saskatoon and had never been a member of the Huskies, he became an adopted Huskie when he dropped in seven points in Team Saskatoon’s 15-11 opening victory over Team Winnipeg.

    Team Saskatoon’s second game on Saturday had even more of a Huskies feel to it. The local side was introduced to the crowd pretty much in the same identical way the Huskies hoops teams are introduced for their games. The University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association handed out green and white thundersticks to the spectators.

    With the noise the crowd made, you felt like you were at a soldout or near soldout hoops playoff game at the Physical Activity Complex on the U of S campus. In that match with Team Hamilton, it seemed like the players from Team Saskatoon were trying too hard to make things happen at the start and missed a bunch of shots early on.

    After trailing early, the locals eased into the flow of the game and pulled out an electric 14-13 overtime win. When you saw the crowd rise to its feet and explode into pandemonium, it felt like the clock was turned back to the Huskies days in 2010.

    Team Saskatoon rolled off two more wins on Sunday, which featured all the playoff round action.

Michael Lieffers (#5) makes a block for Team Saskatoon.

    In the quarter-finals, the locals slipped past Team New York Harlem from the United States 17-15 and dumped Team Gurabo from Puerto Rico 21-10.

    As Team Saskatoon rolled, Sir was knocking down shots, Linklater was dishing out assists and driving to the rim, Lieffers was throwing down jams and Brudehl was scoring from the inside and the outside. They all showed great hustle on defence as well.

    A hot shooting Ljubljana squad stopped the host side’s homecoming from having a storybook ending. Tomo Cajic and Jasmin Hercegovac each scored eight points in the championship victory for the Slovenian side.

Fans salute Team Saskatoon after an OT win on Saturday night.

    Team Ljubljana, which posted a 5-0 record at the tourney, claimed a first place US$20,000 prize, and Hercegovac took tournament MVP honours.

    Linklater topped Saskatoon with six points in the championship game.
    Team Saskatoon took home a US$10,000 cheque for second.

    Overall, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Saskatoon Masters tournament was a success in its first go.
    The overflow crowds that came out for the Team Saskatoon games ensure the stands were filled for all the event’s other matches.

The members of Team Saskatoon salute their fans.

    Organizers for the 2018 and 2019 editions of this tournament in Saskatoon have to be very optimistic about what is to come.

    For the inaugural event, the foursome that comprised Team Saskatoon made their mark.
    For the trio of Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl, everything that happened on Saturday and Sunday had to be very spine tingling familiar.

    For a short two-day period, it was great to go back in time and relive the past.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Let’s not lynch Roughriders’ kicker over recent misses

Crapigna has been CFL club’s most consistent performer

Tyler Crapigna (#21) boots a winning field goal for the Riders in 2016.

    Dumping kicker Tyler Crapigna will not cure all that ails the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

    The 24-year-old Nepean, Ont., product has come under fire from some in Rider Nation due to a pair of late game field goal misses, which have contributed to the club’s 0-2 regular season start. In the Roughriders 17-16 regular season opening loss to the Alouettes in Montreal on June 22, Crapigna missed a 45-yard field goal attempt on the game’s last play, which would have given the visitors victory.

    When the “green and white” held their first regular season game at new Mosaic Stadium on Canada Day, Crapigna hit the upright on a 33-yard field goal attempt on the Roughriders’ second overtime possession to cause a battle with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to remain tied. Bombers kicker Justin Medlock hit the winning field goal from 28 yards out on his team’s ensuing possession to lift his side to a 43-40 victory to disappoint most of the sellout crowd of 33,350.

    Overall, Crapigna has hit 7-of-9 field goals this season, which means his only misses have been those two late game attempts. He has taken way more heat than deserved from the loud vocal minority.

    In the loss to the Bombers, Crapigna hit a 30-yard field goal on the Roughriders first overtime possession to force a 40-40 draw to keep the contest going and show his past reputation for hitting kicks in the clutch.

    Since making his regular season debut in the Roughriders third last regular season game of the 2015 campaign, Crapigna has connected on 47-of-55 field goal attempts for an 85.5 per cent success rate. At this moment, Crapigna would rank as the CFL’s fourth all-time most accurate field goal kicker, if he had 100 career attempts under his belt. Medlock ranks first at 87.9 per cent.

    Compared to a few others who have played at some time with the Roughriders, Crapigna’s career field goal percentage bests the 81.38 per cent career rate put up by Christopher Milo, the 80.47 per cent career rate of Paul McCallum, the 80.34 per cent career mark of Luca Congi and the 78 per cent success rate posted by all-time great Dave Ridgway.

Tyler Crapigna on the scoreboard at Taylor Field last season.

    Any CFL general manager that releases a kicker that is making close to 86 per cent of his career field goals has to have his head examined. Since Crapigna made his debut with the Roughriders, the team has posted a 6-17 regular season record and hasn’t managed to appear in any playoff games.

    It can be argued all of Crapigna’s field goal attempts are clutch kicks, because they are needed to help keep the Roughriders in games.

    As far as late game heroics are concerned, Crapigna started to establish a good reputation in the last of his three appearances in 2015. In the Roughriders final regular season game in 2015, he nailed a 39-yard game tying field goal with eight seconds to play in the fourth quarter help his side go to overtime with the Alouettes in Montreal locked in a 24-24 draw. Saskatchewan won that contest 30-24 with an OT touchdown catch from star receiver Weston Dressler, who now plays for the Bombers.

    Last season, Crapigna made three game winning field goals for the Roughriders. In Week 5 on July 22, 2016 at Taylor Field, Crapigna hit a 53-yard field goal with 69 seconds to play to give the Roughriders a 30-29 victory over the eventual Grey Cup champion Ottawa Redblacks.

    In Week 14 on Sept. 24 at Taylor Field, Crapigna hit a 29-yard walk off field goal to give the Roughriders a 20-18 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In Week 16 on Oct. 7, 2016 at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Crapigna hit a 39-yard walk off field goal in overtime to give the Roughriders a 32-30 victory over the host Redblacks.

    The only game Crapigna struggled in during the 2016 campaign was the 28-25 Labour Day Classic loss to the visiting Bombers on Sept. 4, 2016. In that contest, Crapigna was 1-for-3 in the field goal department. When the Roughriders tied that game at 25-25 on an 85-yard punt return touchdown from Kendial Lawrence with 48 seconds to play, Crapigna missed the conversion that would have given Saskatchewan a one-point lead.

    The miss there didn’t matter much, because Medlock kicked a field goal on the contest’s final play to win it for Winnipeg.

Tyler Crapigna nails a kick off during training camp in June in Saskatoon.

    Despite the odd hiccup, Crapigna has been the Roughriders most reliable player. Saskatchewan has to get a lot better at finishing more offensive drives with touchdowns and stopping the pass on defence before worrying about the placekicker.

    If Crapigna does have a 1-for-3 or 1-for-4 outing when the Roughriders host the Tiger-Cats this coming Saturday at 8 p.m. at new Mosaic Stadium, the kicker questions will be raised again, which is the nature of professional sports.

    At the moment, his two misses this season create fears that a franchise that is 8-30 since the start of the 2015 campaign could spiral downhill to miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

    In the present, Crapigna should be backed with a vote of confidence. In the place kicking department, he is the Roughriders guy, and he has done enough to create belief. A betting person would put money down thinking the McMaster University grad is going to have a long and successful career in the professional ranks.

Hilltops’ Schnitzler added to Roughriders roster

Tom Schnitzler returns a fumble for a touchdown for the Hilltops in 2015.

    Saskatoon Hilltops defensive end Tom Schnitzler is getting a big head start in preparing for his Canadian Junior Football League season.

    The 21-year-old Saskatoon product was added to the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster on Tuesday as a territorial junior player at linebacker. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Bishop James Mahoney High School has been a key part in helping the Hilltops win the last three straight CJFL championships.

    Last season, Schnitzler recorded 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks and knocked down five passes in eight regular season games with the Hilltops. In 2015, he posted 10 tackles, four sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown in eight regular season games.

    The Hilltops open their regular season on Aug. 12, when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder at 7 p.m. at new Mosaic Stadium. Their home opener is slated for August 26 at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field against the Ottawa Sooners. Schnitzler is in his final year of CJFL eligibility.

Murphy statue to be unveiled at Bombers home field

Cal Murphy statue to be unveiled at Investors Group Field.
📝 | https://t.co/vsU9wQLPHI pic.twitter.com/UrPzpgaLdb

— WPG Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) July 4, 2017

    The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will honour the late Cal Murphy with a bronze statue of his likeness at the team’s home stadium, Investors Group Field.

    Murphy, who was an iconic coach and general manager in the CFL, passed away on Feb. 18, 2012. He spent over 30 seasons in the CFL collecting nine Grey Cup rings.

    During his time in the Canadian professional football ranks, Murphy was best remember for his 14 seasons with the Bombers from 1983 to 1996. Over that span of time, Murphy was either the Bombers head coach or general manager, and he was a key figure in helping Winnipeg win Grey Cup titles in 1984, 1988 and 1990.

    He is second all-time in Bombers history in career coaching victories posting an 86-51-1 record with the team as the sideline boss. After leaving the CFL having served as the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1999, Murphy became a scout for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in 2001, and he help that position until his death. He earned a Super Bowl ring during his time with the Colts.

    The Bombers will unveil the statue of Murphy on Sept. 21, 2017, and it will be located outside Gate 3 of Investors Group Field and will be surrounded by a seating area for fans.

Back in the Express with Huskies hoops grads

Michael Linklater, left, and Nolan Brudehl are all set for 3x3.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a story on a trio of graduates from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball that continue to play the sport on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

    Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers and Nolan Brudehl were all members of the Huskies team that won the 2010 U Sports national championship tournament, and they form the core of a team that plays on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.
    The Saskatoon side is rounded out by Edmonton product Steve Sir, who used to play professionally in Europe.

    The foursome will compete in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters event that is slated be held in Saskatoon on July 15 and 16 in conjunction with the Taste of Saskatchewan festival.
    The FIBA 3x3 games are played at a very fast pace.

    The story the FIBA 3x3 team and the upcoming hoops event can be round right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.