Basketball in Canada - Page 37

Acajack · #**721** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by begratto

I'm sure it would change if Montreal had a NBA team, but I'm really not sure there's a market for it here given the league's very low visibility in Quebec.

Basketball and the NBA are not totally absent here, but it would be by far the most "virgin" market that league has ever gone into. Way more than even Toronto (success) and Vancouver (fail) were 20 or so years ago.

TorontoDrew · #**722** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:35 PM**

I didn't know the Raptors already clinched a playoff spot!!!

Also they still have a chance to end the season on top. This has been their strongest year by far, Hopefully they are a little less green in these playoffs.

isaidso · #**723** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

In fairness, the first part in bold is something that people do all around the world these days, even though Canadians are especially "good" at it.

But the second part in italics is more of a uniquely Canadian thing!

Fair enough.

isaidso · #**724** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Brandon University Bobcats! The Glory years of the 80's!
https://gobobcats.ca/schedule.aspx?path=mbball

I remember them well. If it wasn't UVic winning it was Brandon. Both used to feature prominently at the Final 8. I saw Brandon play every time they were at the then 'Halifax Metro Centre'.

isaidso · #**725** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by begratto

As Acajack mentioned, it's mostly European (but not exclusively) club jerseys and also the occasional Montreal Impact jersey.

When we travel with the kids, we have this tradition that we get them football (well, soccer) jerseys of the country we're visiting, at the beginning of the trip. It's always a good conversation starter with the locals! Worked well in Turkey, Romania, Sri Lanka, Croatia, etc... Then they wear them at school when we're back in Montreal; it makes a great souvenir.

I'm sure it would change if Montreal had a NBA team, but I'm really not sure there's a market for it here given the league's very low visibility in Quebec.

The soccer jersey seems to be your family's version of the souvenir mug. Good idea actually.

One thing that's become evident during NHL expansion is that market size trumps cultural interest. It explains why Phoenix has an NHL team and Quebec City still doesn't. Cultural interest is important but leagues look at the potential economic impact of a particular market.

Basketball is far more popular in a place like Halifax but it's nowhere close to big enough to support a NBA team. Montreal, on the other hand, is the largest market in Canada/US without a team. If NBA crowds at the Forum, the crowd at the Duke-McGill game, and the huge growth in the sport in Quebec are any indication, the NBA would do very well in Montreal. The number of basketball teams in Quebec is exploding. There are even AAU teams (basketball prep schools) in Quebec now. Basketball just needs the same cultivation the sport got in Toronto. I think Quebec basketball gets more press in anglo-Canada than it does in Quebec.

Quote:

New wave of French-Canadians changing the face of Canadian basketball

Dort is the son of Haitian immigrants and he's part of a wave of first- and second-generation Canadians living in Quebec that are changing the face — and tongue — of Canadian basketball. While Ontario has traditionally been Canada's basketball powerhouse, producing the vast majority of the country's NBA and NCAA basketball talent, there has quietly been a group of French-Canadians with ties to Haiti and West Africa that is putting the province on the basketball map.

"It's very possible that Quebec produces five NBA players in the next five years," Wesley Brown, a Canadian basketball scout at the Monday Morning Scouting Report, said. "Dort, Quincy [Gurrier], Keeshawn [Barthélémy] and a few other younger guys all have potential NBA talent." These boys are all part of a Montreal-based AAU program called the Brookwood Elite. It's a program started in 2004, by Joey McKitterick, but it's become one of Canada's premier AAU programs since Nelson Ossé became a co-director in 2010.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball...ball-1.5028828

Acajack · #**726** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 9:05 PM**

It would definitely be a steep hill to climb but I am sure the NBA likes the idea of making inroads via Montreal into Quebec, a market of over 8 million people (equivalent to Virginia or New Jersey in population) from which it's largely shut out.

Acajack · #**727** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Even stranger is the look of puzzlement when I respond 'Dalhousie' when someone asks me what college basketball team I support. I went there so shouldn't that be my answer? Or the Ryerson student who responds 'Duke'!

Just thinking that I went to an Ontario university that had a pretty darn good basketball team at the time, and by a longshot the most popular university basketball team on campus was the Duke Blue Devils. I would estimate that a few other big NCAA programs were also more popular on campus than our school's team.

Random NCAA March Madness games generated more chatter in the cafeteria at lunch than the school team playing for the Canadian national championship.

VANRIDERFAN · #**728** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 9:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

The soccer jersey seems to be your family's version of the souvenir mug. Good idea actually.

One thing that's become evident during NHL expansion is that market size trumps cultural interest. It explains why Phoenix has an NHL team and Quebec City still doesn't. Cultural interest is important but leagues look at the potential economic impact of a particular market.

Basketball is far more popular in a place like Halifax but it's nowhere close to big enough to support a NBA team. Montreal, on the other hand, is the largest market in Canada/US without a team. If NBA crowds at the Forum, the crowd at the Duke-McGill game, and the huge growth in the sport in Quebec are any indication, the NBA would do very well in Montreal. The number of basketball teams in Quebec is exploding. There are even AAU teams (basketball prep schools) in Quebec now. Basketball just needs the same cultivation the sport got in Toronto. I think Quebec basketball gets more press in anglo-Canada than it does in Quebec.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball...ball-1.5028828

You know, it would be nice if the National Broadcaster and nurturer of all things Canadian would toss just a little love towards U-Sports. It would be nice if our kids could prosper here in Canada instead of always looking towards the States for recognition.

samne · #**729** Posted **Mar 12, 2019, 12:26 AM**

I dont really see Montreal as an NBA franchise destination. Not much of an existing basketball culture or base to start. Not like the city is starving pro basketball.

Dont see a Vancouver-like experiment, given the current costs. Next stop is possibly Mexico.

isaidso · #**730** Posted **Mar 12, 2019, 1:14 AM**

^^ We'll have to disagree on those points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Just thinking that I went to an Ontario university that had a pretty darn good basketball team at the time, and by a longshot the most popular university basketball team on campus was the Duke Blue Devils. I would estimate that a few other big NCAA programs were also more popular on campus than our school's team.

Random NCAA March Madness games generated more chatter in the cafeteria at lunch than the school team playing for the Canadian national championship.

It's too bad considering the level of U Sports basketball. The top teams wouldn't look out of place in the NCAA tournament. Duke's tour of Canada earlier this year opened some eyes. It's likely that most in the crowd had never been to a Canadian university game before and were surprised that they (McGill excluded) didn't get blown out. Perhaps this is the only way to get Canadians behind U Sports basketball.

isaidso · #**731** Posted **Mar 12, 2019, 1:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

You know, it would be nice if the National Broadcaster and nurturer of all things Canadian would toss just a little love towards U-Sports. It would be nice if our kids could prosper here in Canada instead of always looking towards the States for recognition.

The CBC is abysmal when it comes to supporting U Sports. Turn on any CBC newscast and there's giddy commentary about college basketball almost daily. As the public broadcaster you'd assume that they'd be talking about college basketball in Canada but they're not. If you brought up Canadian college basketball you'd be met with blank stares.

I used to support the CBC but they've turned into a colossal joke. Now if you want the latest on NCAA sports, Donald Trump tweets, and/or foreign monarchy they're all over it. They have a lot of nerve asking Canadian taxpayers to fund them.

JHikka · #**732** Posted **Mar 12, 2019, 1:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

It's too bad considering the level of U Sports basketball. The top teams wouldn't look out of place in the NCAA tournament. Duke's tour of Canada earlier this year opened some eyes. It's likely that most in the crowd had never been to a Canadian university game before and were surprised that they (McGill excluded) didn't get blown out. Perhaps this is the only way to get Canadians behind U Sports basketball.

As of right now only Carleton could keep up and they would arguably maybe be a top 20 school in the US. They just won their 14th national title in 17 years and won the final by nearly 40 points...it's Carleton and then everybody else way behind them.

We had this exact same discussion on this forum not long ago.

USports is always going to be behind NCAA as long as top Canadians continue going south. University sports just aren't as well supported by alumni and the general public as they are south of the border.

king10 · #**733** Posted **Mar 12, 2019, 1:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

As of right now only Carleton could keep up and they would arguably maybe be a top 20 school in the US. They just won their 14th national title in 17 years and won the final by nearly 40 points...it's Carleton and then everybody else way behind them.

We had this exact same discussion on this forum not long ago.

USports is always going to be behind NCAA as long as top Canadians continue going south. University sports just aren't as well supported by alumni and the general public as they are south of the border.

Ryerson beat Carleton this year and have been pretty good the past couple years as well.

TorontoDrew · #**734** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 2:35 PM**

Only 14 games left until the RAPS go into the playoffs. We still have time to catchth BUCKS at 3 GB.

samne · #**735** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 4:03 PM**

Doesnt matter if they catch Bucks. Confident theyd beat them without home court advantage.

Its having home court vs. warriors thats more important.

samne · #**736** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 4:08 PM**

Would be great to see Canadian U Sports winner get a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Acajack · #**737** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 4:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by samne

Would be great to see Canadian U Sports winner get a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Would it? (No strong feelings about basketball, just wondering...)

TorontoDrew · #**738** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by samne

Doesnt matter if they catch Bucks. Confident theyd beat them without home court advantage.

Its having home court vs. warriors thats more important.

Well beating the Bucks and and the regular season at the top of the league would be a nice achievement.

suburbanite · #**739** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 4:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by samne

Doesnt matter if they catch Bucks. Confident theyd beat them without home court advantage.

Its having home court vs. warriors thats more important.

Very confident view for a team that still has a lot of question marks surrounding them. The way Bud has the Bucks set up now is a nightmare matchup for the Raptors. I think a win against them would almost certainly take 7 games.

isaidso · #**740** Posted **Mar 13, 2019, 5:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

As of right now only Carleton could keep up and they would arguably maybe be a top 20 school in the US. They just won their 14th national title in 17 years and won the final by nearly 40 points...it's Carleton and then everybody else way behind them.

We had this exact same discussion on this forum not long ago.

USports is always going to be behind NCAA as long as top Canadians continue going south. University sports just aren't as well supported by alumni and the general public as they are south of the border.

Carleton have been the best for many years but there are usually a handful of teams that wouldn't look out of place at the NCAA tournament. I don't think it's limited to Carleton.

As good as U Sports basketball has become I agree that the gap can't close completely if the best talent head to the NCAA. Players don't think they'll get noticed by NBA scouts if they stay in Canada but that seems to be changing too.

We're not at the point where NBA scouts sniff out Canadian schools but with more Canadians opting for Canadian schools that might change. There's also the glamour and entertainment value of the NCAA. Canadians just don't support college sports like Americans do and the production value is many levels higher down south. You won't even find cheerleaders and school bands at the Final 8 and if they do show up they're not the polished squads one sees at a NCAA game. They're not even as polished as one sees at US high schools. Cheerleading and bands are side shows but Americans seem to understand that this its the entertainment industry while we do not.

Things are slowly getting better. We don't hear hockey organ music being played at the Final 8 any more. Baby steps.