In a 性视界传媒-to-Abbotsford pipeline of basketball talent, five former Tamanawis Secondary standouts are fueling the program at the University of Fraser Valley.
has motored to fourth place in , with a 8-4 record during the current winter break, thanks in large part to the efforts of Tammy-schooled players Parmvir (Parm) Bains, Sukhman Sandhu and brothers Navjot and Sukhjot Bains (no relation to Parm Bains).
What鈥檚 more, the squad鈥檚 assistant coach is none other than Manny Dulay, another Tamanawis grad who excelled for the Cascades during his five-year career there, ending in 2017.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, what鈥檚 happening at UFV, and I鈥檓 one of the biggest fans of it,鈥� Dulay said of the Cascades鈥� Tamanawis connection. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud of where Tamanawis has come and what UFV is doing, and if you told me back in 2012, my first year at UFV, that after I gradated there鈥檇 be four Tamanawis players on the team at once, I would have probably called you crazy, but yeah, somehow, some way, that worked out.鈥�
Dulay figures it鈥檚 a 性视界传媒 first to have four players from the same high school on the same team at the U Sports level.
Navjot Bains is the eldest of this 性视界传媒-raised foursome, and close pals Sukhjot, Parm and Sukhman all played on the Tamanawis team that made it to the quad-A provincial final four in 2014.
鈥淚t was awesome,鈥� Parm, 22, recalled of that high school tourney, 鈥渂ut it was a bitter ending because we were expecting to win it. We were ranked number one and we were winning pretty much every game up until provincials, so it was a bitter ending when we lost in the semi-finals, but overall it was a great experience there, you know, playing with your best friends.鈥�
Parm, a five-foot-10 guard, played for other local college teams before he took a one-year break. In late 2017, encouraged by Navjot, , and currently leads the team in points per game (15.2).
鈥淭his will be my second year, and it鈥檚 going well, for sure,鈥� Parm said in a recent phone interview. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just been coach Adam (Friesen) has been real confident in me and allowing me to play my game, and you know, just putting in a lot of work, it鈥檚 been translating.鈥�
The unknown Cascade who made the grade: One big break was all Parm Bains needed to lead UFV hoops in scoring!
鈥� Howard Tsumura (@htsumura)
Parm said he enjoys having Dulay on the bench.
鈥淗e鈥檚 really good and understands the game really well,鈥� Parm explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pleasure learning from him, because he was a point guard, too, and a really smart one, and he always has really good advice, always positive.鈥�
In a peculiar player-coach relationship, fifth-year forward Navjot Bains is a year older than Dulay, who is 24.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of interesting, yeah,鈥� Dulay said. 鈥淗aving Nav there brings back the memories of playing sometimes, some of the games we played together. I still tell him that he has to call me Manny, he doesn鈥檛 call me coach,鈥� he added with a laugh.
Today, Dulay coaches the junior boys at Tamanawis, and last summer married , a Fleetwood Park grad who went on to play basketball at both the University of Nebraska and UBC. Together, the pair run in 性视界传媒.
鈥淲e coached at an academy before, and we met through that, just really close friends, and then that blossomed into a marriage,鈥� Dulay explained.
Years ago, Dulay recalls watching Parm, Sukhman and Sukhjot play the game, as juniors.
鈥淚鈥檝e known these kids for awhile,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 mean, I wished they came right out of high school so they could have played when I was playing (at UFV), but each of them had their own path there, and they all tried different things. It鈥檚 crazy how life works, but somehow, some way, it happened. The thing is, they鈥檙e all best friends, and sometimes teammates just say that so it looks good in the media, but those three, especially, they鈥檙e actually best friends. Like, when I鈥檇 go hang out at Nav鈥檚 house, I鈥檇 always see Parm, Sukhman and Sukhjot together, and it鈥檚 amazing to see three best friends not only playing on the same team, but also starting together, it鈥檚 unbelievable.鈥�
At UFV, Dulay finished his career third all-time in Canada West for three-pointers made (242) and led the nation in threes as a senior (78), but says he can鈥檛 take much credit for leading the other Tamanawis grads to the university.
鈥淥bviously I know that I might have made an impact on them 鈥� you know, done something to influence them to come,鈥� Dulay said, 鈥淏ut they all earned it, and coach Adam has wanted them since they were in Grade 12, and I know that because we鈥檇 talk about it all the time when I was playing, trying to get all those guys to UFV.鈥�
馃彅馃弨 MBB RECAP | The Cascades are so 馃敟 right now! They stretched their win streak to seven games, defeating UBC Okanagan 80-60 tonight!
鈥� UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades)
Parm Bains (27pts) & Mark Johnson (24) both post personal season-highs for points!
READ MORE 鉃★笍
On a seven-game win streak, the Cascades return to action on the weekend of Jan. 4-5, in a pair of home games against Brandon. .
鈥淲e definitely have bigger goals than just making playoffs,鈥� Parm Bains insisted. 鈥淲e do want to contend for a championship and go to nationals, for sure.鈥�
Noted Dulay, in a separate conversation: 鈥淲e鈥檙e on a seven-game win streak, so we gotta hopefully ride that wave.鈥�
For Dulay, the connections to his former high school don鈥檛 seem to end.
鈥淚 trained a lot of the senior players over the summer, and then Harleen鈥檚 younger brother, Jeevan, is pretty much their best player,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o he鈥檚 my brother-in-law 鈥� just more connections with Tamanawis, right.鈥�
Meantime, Tamanawis will host its Holiday Invitational tournament from Dec. 27-29, in the gym at 12600 66th Ave., 性视界传媒. The McElhanney-sponsored event involves seven teams, including 13-time Washington State champ Garfield High School of Seattle, plus local teams Fleetwood, Charles Tupper, Pitt Meadows, Burnaby South, Centennial and the home-court Tamanawis squad. .
