HIGH ACHIEVERS: Canada Topflight Academy basketball program scoring in many areas

By Martin Cleary

The buzzer has sounded on the eighth season for the Canada Topflight Academy, one of the nation’s top high school preparatory basketball programs.

Head coach and founder Tony House walked off the court proudly for a multitude of good reasons.

While there were no national championship trophies under seat-belt protection to bring home on the front passenger seat of his car this season, the CTA’s three teams were extremely competitive at a variety of levels.

One player has earned a full scholarship to an NCAA Division 1 university and another player is working towards that goal. And a third player has been offered a scholarship from a prominent basketball university, which is the highest university to connect with CTA.

Three student-athletes and one coach earned national all-star status and were able to participate in a game with other players and coaches from across Canada.

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A number of CTA alumni played NCAA Division 1 basketball this season, one player became the first to compete in the March Madness tournament, two players have entered the transfer portal to switch to another university for a higher level of play and several players are now on professional team rosters.

And one alum recently talked about his basketball journey at an Indigenous conference.

“It all depends how you evaluate success,” House said in a phone interview on Thursday. “Championships are always nice. But we will have at least two NCAA Division 1 scholarship athletes and two to three U Sports or junior college athletes.

“It’s a combination of success. We’re at a high level and our ultimate goal is to get the guys to the next level.”

CTA, the 2017 and 2018 Canadian prep school champion, made a strong run at a variety of national and provincial titles this season with its three teams – National Gold, Red and Junior.

The CTA junior team reached the National Junior Circuit championship semifinals as well as the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association junior championship semifinals.

“Basically, we’re a top-four team in Canada,” said House about the junior team, which is based at St. Pius X High School and coached by Dwight James.

The junior team was sparked by point guard Junior Jean-Marie and forward Trivon Strachan, who were both named to the Nike Futures team for last month’s All-Canadian Games, which were formerly sponsored by Biosteel.

Gabby Morash of the Capital Courts Academy was selected to play in the Futures girls’ game.

“I didn’t go to the game last Wednesday, but, by all accounts, they did well,” House explained. “They’ll be top of the class by 2027. We expect them to have an impact at the senior level next year.”

The National Gold senior team, which is based at Notre Dame High School and focuses on playing top prep school teams in the United States, qualified for the inaugural True North Prep National Championship in Toronto. The Gold, however, lost its opening quarter-final game to eventual champion J. Addison School of Markham, ON., and followed with a consolation game win.

The Gold played its quarterfinal without star point-guard Adriel Nyorha, who was injured. Starter Bin Basil twisted an ankle in the first minute of the second half and didn’t finish the elimination playoff game.

In December, CTA Gold won its own Top Guns tournament, which featured the top eight prep schools in Canada. Gold was ranked as high as No. 2 in the Top 25 in January.

Nyorha, Basil and Sam Akot were the strength of the Gold squad, which played 36 games this season compared to 48 for the Red team, and were named to the All-Canadian Games’ senior team.

Akot, a six-foot, seven-inch wing player, recently committed to attend the University at Buffalo in 2024-25 on scholarship and play for the Bulls in the Mid-American Conference.

House, who was named head coach of the boys’ Red team for the All-Canadian Games Next One’s Up division match, said Basil is in the process of studying NCAA Division 1 university offers and planning some school visits.

Nyorha recently received an offer from Arizona State University, which is the most significant university to approach a CTA student-athlete. Although a Grade 12 student, he plans to return for a fifth year in 2024-25 to strengthen his recruitment.

The CTA Red team debuted in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association Trillium Division (Tier 2) and reached the final, losing 95-92 to Polaris Prep in double overtime. In the regular season, Red finished second in the 10-team league with a 13-3 record.

Ateny Kuol was named the Trillium defensive player of the year and a member of the first all-star team. The second all-star team included Nyorha and Dylan Kayijuka.

Besides coaching the National Gold and Red teams and keeping tabs on the junior team, House also stayed in touch with past players, who are playing throughout North America.

Enoch Kalambay became the first CTA player to make an appearance in the NCAA championship tournament, when his Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers won three straight games at the Conference USA tournament. The Hilltoppers lost their first game at the NCAA championship tournament to Marquette 87-69, after leading 43-36 at halftime.

After helping Indian Hills Community College to back-to-back national junior college championship tournament appearances, Kalambay had an impressive first year with the Hilltoppers, averaging 18.3 minutes, 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds a game over 34 games.

Brayden O’Connor averaged 9.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks and was a key player in the America East championship tournament. The River Hawks dropped a 66-61 decision to the University of Vermont Catamounts in the final. O’Connor recorded 14 points and six rebounds against Vermont.

After playing the past two years with the River Hawks, he’s decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and hopes to be offered a scholarship at a mid-major Division 1 university. About 12 schools have shown interest in the six-foot, four-inch guard, according to House.

Louth-M Coulibaly also has entered the transfer portal but as a grad transfer. He wants to play one more year as a master’s student. He has completed four years with the College of the Holy Cross Crusaders and averaged 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 points a game for his career.

Wilson Dubinsky of South Carolina State University had a solid junior campaign for the Bulldogs with an average of 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game in 31 games.

Aiden Warnholtz, who won two national titles with CTA and followed with four U Sports Canadian championships with the Carleton University Ravens, is playing professionally with Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt in Germany. A rookie guard, he’s averaging 24.5 minutes, 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game over 30 games.

J.D. Muila, who also played on CTA’s two national championship teams, is playing professionally in Norway for Froya Basket and is a team leader with a 19.7-point- and 13.8-rebound-a-game average. He will be returning to Ottawa soon to join the Blackjacks for their 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League season.

In the last week of March, Ricky Houle was one of the speakers at the 10th Mino Bimaadiziwin Conference in Kenora.

He was honoured to talk about his life and basketball journey and be part of an amazing group of people “who have made such a positive impact with their First Nations communities and to the First Nations people.”