Coach Miles Talks Campion Core

The Campion Bears knocked off the two-time reigning champions d’Youville Panthers with a 55-45 decision to win the 2014 Sheridan Cup.

St. Edmund Campion are rolling. Since the turn of the new year Coach Miles and company have knocked off both #1 at the time Oakwood 60-52 @ the St. Mike’s Invitational on Jan 12th and #3 at the time d’Youville 55-45 @ the Sherdian Cup on Feb 1st.

Hoops Hype sent staff to Sheridan College last weekend and caught up with head coach of Campion Omar Miles. Celebrating his birthday with a double header, in between group stage games Coach Miles briefly discussed some Campion basketball.

The former Wilfred Laurier point guard now head coach provides Canadian basketball fans with some in depth intel on a team that is currently firing on all cylinders at the right time of the season. After earning their third tournament title this season it means one thing, St. Edmund Campion are ready for OFSAA TODAY! Read up:

HHC: Group of death here at Sheridan Cup. 8AM versus Ascension then back at it for 1PM facing Xavier. Nice Birthday gift from tournament organizers. Your thoughts on the circumstances?

Omar Miles: Our guys get up for class and we start at 8:12AM  so if we have a game that starts at 8 we should be ready to play a good team like Ascension. Plus I’ve had my guys practicing the last two mornings at 6:30 to prep them for an 8 o clock game.

HHC: Ascension, a couple big wins this year, always tough year in year out, hard working bunch any keys to that success?

Omar Miles: If I had to play them in the playoffs I would have a sleepless night trying to prep for them. Super athletic, long and they get after it. They have to have the same type of attitude as their coach Freddy. He gets them going I told our guys you just have to be more discipline then they are, play smarter and not try to play the up and down game but also control the tempo which I like.

HHC: Xavier deciding game in the group next any scouting reports on them?

Omar Miles: I remember they have a big guy that’s pretty good I coached against him in Junior. I should have a guy to match him in Andrew Anderson if not maybe another guard. We all hang our hats on our defense.

HHC: Now let’s talk Campion roster. The next level guys like Marcus Anderson and Keshaun Saunders get a lot of the hype for Campion, but with a guard like Curwin Elvis, you can kind of fill that void if Marcus sits. Talk to us about 2015 6’6″ Andrew Anderson it looks like this kid is irreplaceable on your team, thoughts?

Heart and Soul: Andrew Anderson turned down Athlete Institute offers to return to Campion. A leader by example makes him almost irreplaceable.

Omar Miles: Love his motor and I call him my JYD. Same type of attitude, no quit and always getting after it. He may have a bad first half but probably the only player I can chew out and it’s a yes coach I understand. I’ll get it, you don’t have to worry and I love that attitude… Certain guys you have to motivate differently, he has his own motor and own motivation. I have to pull him back a little, calm him down, which is a good thing, he goes, goes, goes and sometimes you got to bring him in but I don’t ever have to motivate him he’s a good self motivator and it’s perfect for us.

HHC: How about 2015 6’3″ CJ Bennett what does he bring to the table?

Omar Miles: Very talented, right now lacking that motor that we talk about in Andrew Anderson. I got to light the fire under his butt and he is always responsive but I need him to be a bit more of a motor and motivating himself to get after it.

HHC: 2016 6’5″ Dylan Gregory had a solid game this morning what does he bring to the table, kind of epitomises your depth right?

Omar Miles: He’s only been playing basketball for three years. Talented, trying to get him to go both ways meaning going right or left. He is really lefty dominant but he has the size and the physical ability. Now he just has to put it all together. Again he’s learning the game, he hasn’t played enough games. He’s trained but not enough basketball games at the elite level. So this year he’s playing for Brampton Elite outside of our basketball so this will be really be back to back basketball seasons that he will be playing at a high level.

HHC: Now the guys who get a lot of hype as far as next level goes and deservingly so. Canada Basketball was high on 2015 6’2 Marcus Anderson can you elaborate what makes him special?

Omar Miles: He has to be the best guard defender in the country. He just harasses and harasses guards. I just tell him keep your aggressiveness till the second half and we just punish guys that way. Offensively he’s still trying to learn the point guard position and for me being a point guard and now coaching I want him to be the coach on the floor and that’s a transition that he’s just going through. Going from two guard and playing rep ball with a guy like Keshon Montague from D’Youville and other guards in Brampton now he has to become that lead point guard if he wants to play at the next level. You know what he was the last cut for the Canadian Cadet team and he was close. I’m sure you know what, they could have used him.

HHC: 2018 6’4″ Keshaun Saunders the household name on both sides of the border and special because he is so young. Called up to the senior team this weekeded, is that something you took into consideration maybe earlier in the season?

Omar Miles: I always want to give kids opportunities. It was difficult to have him on our senior team because we do have a lot of depth. Each of our guys play rep ball or club basketball so I didn’t have enough minutes for him. He also needs to learn how to become a leader, because he plays on a really, really good Bounce grade 9 basketball team and they have guards and the leadership is what is going to take him to the next level, he has the talent, he is very coachable and thats what I love. He had some big plays in the morning game and he is playing against seniors that are 3-4 years older. Future is bright and if he doesn’t stay at Campion at least I can say we got a good one or two years out of a Keshaun Saunders which build the profile of our basketball program but also there is going to be more kids coming up.

Game Report vs Ascension CLICK HERE

Game Report vs Xavier CLICK HERE

Game Report vs D’Youville CLICK HERE

Campion’s basketball history began in the year 2004. In its short history, Campion has made a name for itself in Peel basketball and the rest of Ontario. To Support Campion Basketball on Twitter Follow @CampionBball