Levi Timmermans is heading to the prairies.
The 6’9 post for the G.P. Vanier senior boy’s basketball team recently signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies next season.
Following a dominating senior year with the Vanier Towhees, Timmermans was spoiled for choice when it came to deciding on a post-secondary basketball program.
Before signing for the Huskies, he was also in talks with coaches from Canada’s other top-15 basketball programs, including the University of Victoria, UBC, Brock University, Ryerson University, University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Vancouver Island University, and Trinity Western University.
Ultimately, Vanier’s scoring leader and team MVP this year said he decided on the U of S after visiting the campus and meeting with the program’s coaching staff earlier this year.
“The coaches were really outgoing in an attempt to make me happy,” he said. “They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and make sure I was having a good time.”
North Island Champs
Timmermans helped lead the senior Vanier team to a 3A North Island championship this winter, as well as a third-place finish at the 3A Island championship.
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Though the Towhees ultimately went out early in the provincial championships, they won or made the podium at a variety of other tournaments they competed in.
“We didn’t do well in provincials,” said Timmermans. “We had to play the no. four ranked team — North Delta — and we just weren’t ready for it. We hadn’t played in a lot of tournaments with top-ranked teams, so we fell through in the first game.
“But we had a great season. We’re all close friends and play well together. It was a great season, it just didn’t come together in the end,” he said.
According to Towhees coach Larry Street, Timmermans averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds per game this year, was named to the Island all-star team, and earned multiple MVP awards in various tournaments.
“For someone his size, it’s great to have the motor he does. He plays hard, he runs hard, and he gets after rebounds. I think he’ll get playing time [at the U of S] just from how much effort he puts in when he plays,” said Street.
He spent last summer playing for the Vancouver Basketball Academy in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball league, as an additional way to be scouted by post-secondary basketball teams.
Rather than play AAU again, Timmermans said he will prepare for his university career in the Valley this summer, training under a personalized workout program given to him by the Huskies.
“Weights five times a week, lots of shooting in the morning and that kind of thing, trying to get myself ready for it,” he said, adding that he will attend a four-day training camp with other U of S basketball recruits in June.
He said he’s most excited about playing at the USports level — the highest level of university athletics in Canada.
“It really depends on what you do in practice and how you show up in training camp,” he said. “I’d love to play a bunch, of course, but it really depends on how I do in practice.”
Street, who has been coaching basketball at Vanier for 25 years, said he is excited to see Timmermans take his game to the university level.
“He wanted to play after high school and he’s earned it. He seems pleased with where’s he going, so I’m excited for him,” he said.