The growth of basketball in Yorkton is starting to show, as yet another member of a YRHS Raider basketball team has selected to a provincial team.
Senior Raider starting guard Matthew Mandziuk, 15, was recently named to Team Saskatchewan U16 – his second consecutive year as a member of the provincial team. “It feels good to be named to Team Sask., and I’m really exciting to get going and do some sessions in Regina and Saskatoon with the group of guys that I’m with,” said Mandziuk in an interview earlier this week.
Mandziuk added that he’s looking forward to this summer as he’s already fairly familiar with his fellow U16 Team Saskatchewan teammates. “I know mostly every guy on the team because I played with them last year and knew them from tryouts,” offered the grade 10 student from the YRHS. “It’s not like I’m meeting anyone new here because I’ve played with them before.
“I’ve also played against a few of them this year, so I know how they can play.”
That familiarity will go a long way towards Team Saskatchewan being successful in their two tournaments this summer – both of which take place on the East Coast on back-to-back weekends – with the first tournament in Halifax followed by a second in Fredericton.
Another thing that will aid Mandziuk and Team Saskatchewan in finding success on the East Coast this summer will be the fact that the Raider representative has experience playing out there. “I had the chance to go to Nova Scotia this year with the Raiders to play in the Coal Bowl, so I’ve played on the East Coast before,” said Mandziuk, adding that while the style of play isn’t that much different, it’s still quite the experience. “They play pretty physical out there, just like we do here, but more people come to the games to watch and it feels different.”
Mandziuk – as well as the rest of the Team Saskatchewan U16 players – will prepare for their Eastern swing throughout the summer with practices in Regina and Saskatoon.
