December 5, 2023
The Tsumura Basketball Invitational Tournament will have a slightly different look this week when the annual early-season event tips off.
After expanding to 64 teams in 2022 for both the Boys and Girls Tournaments – featuring one 16-team bracket and two 8-team brackets for each, this year’s event boasts two 16-team brackets: the Super 16 and the Select 16 for each Tournament.
Also new this year will be the inclusion of two out-of-province teams in the boys’ field with the addition ofCalifornia’s Santa Margarita Eagles and Calgary’s St. Mary’s Saints.
The boys’ teams are on the court December 6 to 9 while the girls play their games the following week, December 13 to 16.
“As we now move well into our second decade of the TBI, I ask the student-athletes, their parents, the coaches and all of our fans to drink up the incredible atmosphere that you alone produce through your presence over our two weeks of annual competition,” states the Tournament’s namesake, Howard Tsumura.
“We will feature (some of) the most accomplished teams in B.C., all learning those all-important early-season lessons on how best to play to their greatest strengths as a team, and I salute the efforts of all our teams taking those first big steps towards the grand possibility of a return trip in February and March of 2024 to this very same facility.”
Among the 32 boys’ teams are the top 9 in the BC School Sports 3A pre-season rankings, as well as four of the top 10 teams in the 4A rankings and two of the top 10 teams in the 2A polls. Both the defending 2A and 3A provincial champions are among those teams, also.
The Super 16 field for the boys’ bracket are: the Brookswood Bobcats (Langley), Burnaby South Rebels (Burnaby), Byrne Creek Bulldogs (Burnaby), Dover Bay Dolphins (Nanaimo), Elgin Park Orcas (Surrey), Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey), Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey), Kelowna Owls (Kelowna), Lord Byng Grey Ghosts (Vancouver), St. George’s School Saints (Vancouver), St. Patrick Celtics (Vancouver), St. Mary’s Saints (Calgary, Alb.), Santa Margarita Eagles (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Spectrum Thunder (Victoria), Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) and Walnut Grove Gators (Langley).
The Select 16 field has A.R. MacNeill Ravens (Richmond), Centennial Centaurs (Coquitlam), Claremont Spartans (Victoria), G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack), Heritage Woods Kodiaks (Port Moody), King George Dragons (Vancouver), North Delta Huskies (Delta), St. Michaels University School Blue Jags (Victoria), St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights (Burnaby), Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver), Sir Charles Tupper Tigers (Vancouver), South Delta Sun Devils (Delta), South Kamloops Titans (Kamloops), Steveston-London Sharks (Richmond), Sullivan Heights Stars (Surrey) and the Wellington Wildcats (Nanaimo).
Among the 32 girls’ teams, both the 2A and 4A defending champions will be taking the court at LEC.
For the TBI Girls’ Super 16 bracket, the teams are: the Argyle Pipers (North Vancouver), Brookswood Bobcats (Langley), Burnaby Central Wildcats (Burnaby), Charles Best Blue Devils (Coquitlam), G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack), Kelowna Owls (Kelowna), Langley Christian Lightning (Langley), Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver), Okanagan Mission Huskies (Kelowna), Reynolds Roadrunners (Victoria), Riverside Rapids (Port Coquitlam), St. Michaels University School Blue Jags (Victoria), Seaquam Seahawks (Delta), South Delta Sun Devils (Delta), South Kamloops Titans (Kamloops) and the Yale Lions (Abbotsford).
And for the Select 16 bracket, the field consists of the Abbotsford Christian Knights (Abbotsford), Abbotsford Traditional Titans (Abbotsford), Britannia Bruins (Vancouver), Clayton Heights Riders (Surrey), Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey), Heritage Woods Kodiaks (Port Moody), Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey), Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey), Maple Ridge Ramblers (Maple Ridge), M.E.I. Eagles (Abbotsford), Notre Dame Jugglers (Vancouver), Oak Bay Breakers (Victoria), R.A. McMath Wildcats (Richmond), St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights (Burnaby), Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver) and the Walnut Grove Gators (Langley).
All TBI games are free to attend. For those unable to make it out to LEC, game can be streamed free of charge at TFSETV.ca.
For schedule and scores, please visit www.langleyeventscentre.com/tbi
Image Source: Langley Events Centre
