Men's Basketball Introduces 2017-18 Recruiting Class
Centennial Colts Men's Basketball Head Coach Trevor Challenger has brought in five first-year student-athletes to his program. After losing eight players from a year ago, Challenger quickly went to work recruiting this past summer and has assembled a strong mix of youth and veteran players. The group includes guards Nathan Collins, Parker Brooks, as well as forwards Walshak Yusuf, Hussein Madhi, and Edose Etomi.
"We're looking forward to working with our new 2017-18 class of first-year players," said Coach Challenger. "With this group of players, we are bringing in some guys that I believe will be a huge part of our future success. Although a few of them haven't experienced high-level basketball in Canada, they are coachable, have high character and are willing to learn. These young men will mesh very well with our returning group, and I am very excited about their potential. Our goal is to continue to build the Colts into an elite program nationally."
Parker Brooks – Point Guard, 5'8, Mississauga, ON
Brooks, a Mississauga, Ontario native attended TNG Prep in Athens, Tennessee during the 2016-17 season. Before heading south, he suited up for Meadowvale Secondary School and also played club ball with the Mississauga Monarchs. Parker will be looked upon to provide support from the backcourt.
Nathan Collins – Combo Guard, 6'0, Scarborough, ON
Collins attended Mary Thomson High School where he electrified the crowd every night, averaging more than 30 PPG. This high-scoring guard was set to attend prep school at New Faith Christian Academy in Riverdale, Georgia last season but decided to stay home in Canada for a fifth year. He has played with the top AAU powerhouses in Toronto, such as People's Basketball and Canada Elite. Coach Challenger has high hopes for Collins and thinks he will be ready to make the jump to university in a few years.
Edose Etomi – Forward, 6'5, North York, ON
Etomi has only played ball in Canada for two seasons after moving here from Edo-State, Nigeria. Coach Challenger recruited him from the Mega City Basketball League in Toronto. He only started playing basketball four years ago but brings great character and has a tremendous upside. Coach Challenger expects a solid OCAA future for his rookie forward.
Walshak Yusef – Forward, 6'5, Scarborough, ON
Yusef walked onto the squad during open tryouts. Yusuf is 6'5 and he brings a fierce power game to the Colts. He also has a soft touch around the rim for a low post player. Yusuf went to Neil McNeil Catholic School in Scarborough, where he played basketball and volleyball. Recruited heavily to play volleyball, he attended UOIT in Oshawa in 2016-17 to study Kinesiology. He decided to focus on school rather than play. This summer he decided to transfer to Centennial to be closer to home and study pre-health with hopes to return to University next year.
Hussein Mahdi – Forward, 6'5, Scarborough, ON
Mahdi, another walk-on, attended Chinguacousy Secondary School, where he was the Athlete of Year in 2009-2010. Mahdi also has been a member of the FIBA 2013-14 Somalian National Team where he played a couple years. Mahdi also played for the Brampton Warriors and Caledon Cougars as a teen. Mahdi took a few years off after high school before returning to school where he attended York University in 2015-16. He then transferred to Centennial College in 2016-17 to enrol in Aviation. This season he decided to play ball once again and suit up for the Colts.