A trio of local basketball players are set to move on to the next level.
Brothers Bishop and Logan Whitmell will be moving on to play Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) basketball, while Elijah Suffel is moving on to play Ontario University Athletics (OUA) basketball.
The Whitmell’s, who played high school basketball at White Pines in addition to being members of the Steel City Slam locally as well, will be joining the men’s basketball team at Sault College.
‘With our current COVID-19 situation, not knowing what the future holds, for me it is a great situation to be at home, with family and have an opportunity to continue to play with my brother, while helping Sault College establish a competitive program in the OCAA,” Bishop Whitmell, who was also being recruited by Fanshawe College, said in a prepared statement.
“Bishop is a team-first guy,” said Steel City Slam president Jeff Giovanatti. “He is very dynamic and can play and defend one through five. Sault College is very fortunate to get someone like Bishop. He’s committed, he’s willing to learn, and he will accept any role necessary to help his team to succeed. I’ve seen this when he’s suited up for us in club tournaments as well as when he played for the White Pines Wolverines.”
A 6’6” guard, Logan Whitmell has earned a reputation as a player with a soft touch around the basket with an ability to be consistent from three-point range.
“Logan is a playmaker and will pose problems for other teams as he is a tough matchup,” Giovanatti said. “In addition to this, he can shoot the ball extremely well from beyond the arc. He will force teams to extend their defense, which will help Sault College immensely.”
A 6’4” small forward, Suffel will head to North Bay to join the Nipissing Lakers.
“I am able to shoot the ball well, finish well at the rim, and be quick on my feet,” Suffel said in a prepared statement from Nipissing. “I like to include all my teammates during the game and be a team player."
Lakers coach Thomas Cory, a Sault native, said there’s a lot to like about Suffel’s game.
“There are a lot of things that we really like about Elijah, including his ability to rebound at both ends of the floor and his ability to shoot the three,” Cory said in a release. “Elijah’s willingness to be coached and pushed will help with his transition to U Sports. Elijah has consistently improved year-in and year-out. Elijah’s dedication to academics the last two years is the place we’ve seen the biggest growth from him.”