A Hoops Journey

Happy Summer to all our listeners! We hope the next two months create memories and you get the chance to relax! We kick off July with Mitch’s former teammate and roommate on the road, Winnipeg Wesmen Head Coach and current Winnipeg Sea Bears Head Coach AND General Manager Mike Raimbault!! Mike’s story is a unique one; a Brandon native who grew up watching the Bobcats from a young age, eventually t...

This episode is all about a young up-and-coming hooper on the women’s side, but someone who has been with our National teams since she was 17, Merissah Russell! What a fun episode, the energy Merissah brings to this one is so good, and you can see why she is a do-it-all type on the court!  Once basketball became the focus (and not volleyball like her big sister), Merissah pursued the next level an...

Today we go back with a guy who used to coach summer camp with Mitch, current pro player in Hong Kong coming off a championship run, one of Kits finest, Tommy Nixon!  Mitch and Tommy have a bit of a story about how they met each other, and they enjoy reminiscing on those times. Tommy recently just completed a playoff run with is SCAA pro team, a club that has been around for over 100 years. After...

From Burnaby to overseas, we chop it up with former Byrne Creek Bulldog, U Sport hooper at Laurier and now pro baller Majok Gum! Majok has a great story, early on learning the game at the YMCA in Surrey and then moving to Burnaby and playing for the Bulldogs, his career took off. After 3 great high school years with back-to-back final 4s and one finals appearance, Majok decided to attend Laurier U...

Episode 183! Today we are celebrating 6 YEARS of podcasting, thank you to each of our listeners, guests and subscribers!  No better way to celebrate than having a young up and coming coach with an amazing playing resume, Tevonn Walker.  Tevonn comes out of Quebec and we all know the lineage and hoopers that have been developed out of that area. After a solid year at CCAA Vanier College, he made th...

From Courtenay to California, Langley and now Haida Gwaii! Today we have the story of a guy Mitch had the chance to coach on the BC U17 team… wayyy back, and now is a coaching colleague, Mr. Cal Westbrook. Cal’s love for competition and the game was evident early, and a few coaching mentors in his area on Vancouver Island helped nurture his basketball career and ability to compete. Some early bloo...

If you know, you KNOW! Collin Charles is one of the most famous players to ever come out of the Toronto area, and for good reason! Collin and his high school teammate Jamaal Magloire broke down the doors in good fashion for Canadians, and carved out great paths for themselves Growing up in the Regent Park area with his Grandma, Collin loved hockey as a young person but quickly realized the cost th...

What a story we have today, a young hooper beyond his years and growing everyday, Jacob  Holt. The Vancouver College grad is currently in Germany after a great season in the NBL with the Brisbane Bullets!  After high school Jacob decided to attend Santa Clara and after two seasons there he transferred to Sacramento State where he averaged 17ppg and 6rpg in his senior year! Turning pro was the next...

What a journey we have to share today! Nathan Johnson has been on the coaching grind for some time now, and is only really just getting started!  After the former U Sport player walked away from playing, his first stop was an assistant coaching role at Lakehead with former guest Scott Morrison and from there it took off!  Experiences in Asia, Montverde, Orangeville, a grad assistant role under leg...

Today, we chop it up with one of only TWO Canadian Division 1 head coaches, Stonehill College’s Chris Kraus. Chris has a deep lineage of basketball; his father was a coach at legendary Markham High School, and Chris followed the team around at a young age.  Because of that situation, it seemed like basketball was always going to be, and although Chris was involved in a bunch of sports he couldn’t...

HELLOOOO! What a banger we have for you today, as we sit down with Brooklyn native, Division one coach and current broadcaster for the Toronto Raptors (Since 1998), Jack Armstrong!!!  Mitch and Jack have a great conversation, and it covers a ton of ground, from life, to adoption, coaching, the Raptors, pretzels, broadcasting, and so much more!  If you didn’t know, Jack is a former Division one bas...

Scarborough, stand up! What a beauty we have for you today with a Canadian National Team rock, a deep thinking, hard-working point guard currently overseas in Spain, Trae Bell-Haynes! We actually catch Trae a couple of days after a matchup with former guest and Canadian legend himself Melvin Ejim (Trae’s squad got the W If you’re wondering). The episode starts from there, and it makes perfect sens...

The layers to basketball in Canada grow each year, and today we have someone who’s connecting a lot of dots in the hoops world around us, Cailey Theos! The current “Manager, Partnership Marketing & Community Impact” at Canada Basketball has a great story, and that job title doesn’t come close to all the things Cailey has on the go!  After breaking her dad’s heart and choosing the rival Univers...

I lied on this one! Our SECOND National Champion to join us on the show (Shoutout to@kylewiltjer) we have one of the best to do it in the late 90’s, a smooth guard from Brampton Mr. David Thomas! David has a great story from time in high school to figuring out what College to attend. In the end he chose Michigan State University, home of legends like Magic Johnson and many others. What came to fru...

Today’s episode comes in hot with one of the best Canadian hoopers to ever do it, and currently do it, Ms. Bridget Carleton. We get the chance to chop it up with the former All-American, Overseas pro, long time National Team Member and current WNBA star about so many different parts of her journey. From small-town roots but a big heart, Bridget realized basketball was the sport she wanted to pursu...

“The Golden Generation: How Canada Became a Basketball Powerhouse” Get your copy today! We sit down with the author of this recently released book and discuss how and why he decided to write it, the process and all in between. Oren, a Western University grad and Toronto native, loved sports growing up as a kid and basketball started to really catch his eye when he attended powerhouse Oakwood High...

Let’s go! Today, we mix it up with the current head coach at Mohawk College, a former D1 player, skills and life coach, Mihai Raducanu! We have a great conversation when the Romanian born who found himself in love with the game early, and once his family immigrated to Hamilton, it was over. Spending his high school years around great coaches and players, including former guest Kyle Julius Mihai st...

Episode 170 is live! - 3 Oregon State Championships  - 2011 McDonald’s All-American  - University of Kentucky (2012 National Champion) - Gonzaga University (A cool 20.6 and 6 RPG in his senior year)  - Houston Rockets - 10+ years as an overseas pro, and still rolling The overall resume has to be one of the best we’ve seen on AHJ, but the dude we chop it up with is even better. Kyle Wiltjer grew up...

Taking things behind the scenes with the side of our game that cannot be overlooked: strength and conditioning. Episode 169 has us sit down with current Lake City Stars and Canada Basketball Strength Coach, Garrett Blakey. Garrett’s story is great; he has had strokes of luck but within that a lot of hard work and determination has him where he currently is. Fresh off the 2024 Paris games we go bac...

If you are any sort of hoops junkie, then this is an episode for you! Carly Clarke has been a U Sport athlete, Coach of the year, National  Champion and led a team to an UNDEFEATED season. On top of that, Carly has been steadily involved with our Women’s National program, where she most recently has come off leading Canada to the U23 Global Jam Gold Medal! A proud and true “East Coaster”, Carly de...

We go back and have a part two episode with a guest who last time was just coming off coaching the London Lightning and overseas in Asia, to now being the Head Coach (CEBL COY) and General Manager of the Vancouver Bandits, Kyle Julius.  This episode has it all, we answer a bunch of questions from the listeners, from the state of hoops in BC, to club ball, to what it takes to play or coach at the n...

Episode 166 takes us all the way to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Manny Dosanjh finds himself as an assistant coach with Western Michigan!  Manny has a great journey, starting in Brampton, Ontario, with immigrant parents who allowed him to explore his interests in the game. Manny loved hooping and found himself to be talented, earning a scholarship to a small JUCO in Michigan.  After JC Manny walked...

Finally, AHJ has the chance to connect with current @canadabasketball 3x3 player and overseas pro, Grant Audu. We were grateful to carve out some time with Grant as he was just back from a huge 3x3 circuit. Grant has a great journey, from figuring out where to go for school in the States to coming home and playing ball at UBC, he’s proud of how far he has come and has some reflection that could ha...

BUCKETS AND BORDERS! A surprise mid-week episode as we have the opportunity to talk with Justin Lee, one of the many leaders behind B and B. DISCLAIMER - Those in the local Vancouver community, get down to Brit Secondary, July 26th for the court reveal . The day starts at 11:00AM and we need the Hoop Heads out! In a short amount of time, Buckets and Borders has gone from a pair of twin brothers pu...

Episode 163 is here, and we have the chance to sit down with one of the best from BC, current @cebl and overseas pro Mr. Mason Bourcier!  For those not aware, Mason comes from an (all things considered) small town, Kelowna, BC. Guys like Parker Simpson and girls like Taya Hanson were the ones Mason noticed early on and who he attached to. From there a deep, hard working mentality, almost obsessive...