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Toronto Raptors

New year in sports to deliver joy, excitement, adventure

January 5, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch, experience and appreciate.

Here is a sampling of what’s ahead in 2021:

Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice will host the United States Premier Hockey League. (File)

Elite junior hockey at Center Ice
The AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel may best be known for housing the 2017-2018 U.S. women’s national ice hockey team in its historic run to winning an Olympic gold medal.

The 150,500-square-foot facility — the largest ice rink south of New York — also will play host to another prestigious hockey group in 2021.

The United States Premier Hockey League — one of the nation’s top junior-level development programs — announced plans to play a six-weeklong, 20-game schedule across Center Ice’s four sheets of ice, beginning in January.

Using a “Hub City” concept, teams and players throughout the country will lodge at nearby Saddlebrook Resort, in between games and practices at Center Ice.

Some these players will wind up playing collegiate and maybe even professional hockey.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills (File)

Zephyrhills tennis center to host pro tournament
The newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center soon will begin living up to its promise of being a national and international draw.

The multimillion sports complex will host a $25,000 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit Event from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31.

The competition will feature 32 women’s singles players and 16 doubles teams — which encompasses some of the world’s top pros who are also slated to compete in the Australian Open.

The prestigious tourney is expected to be an annual affair at the facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

(Courtesy of Tampa Bay Sports Commission)

Super Bowl LV in Tampa
America’s most-watched sporting event — the Super Bowl — will take center stage at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7.

The community and economic impact to the surrounding area — even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — is sure to spread northwards through Hillsborough and Pasco counties, in the form of hotel stays, restaurant patronage and leisure about town. Several ancillary Super Bowl events and outreach programs have already been scheduled in those areas, too.

Also, don’t be shocked if a former local prep star (or more) is a part of contending teams in the 55th edition of the NFL championship game.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet hones his shooting at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center. (File)

Toronto Raptors call Tampa home, temporarily
As if history wasn’t already made with Super Bowl being in Tampa this year, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are playing at least the first half of its 2020-2021 home slate at Amalie Arena on Channelside.

A limited number of fans are being allowed to the games, so it’s a good opportunity to be a part of a rare occurrence and see some of the sport’s most talented players in the world, not too far from your backyard.

There’s also a further local connection: The Raptors had their two-weeklong preseason training camp at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center, back in December.

The Bishop McLaughlin varsity boys basketball program may be a state title contender. (Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School)

Bishop’s ballers
The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball team has quickly established itself as one of the area’s highest-scoring and high-flying squads since beginning its 2020-2021 season in November.

The team features a junior trio of bona fide Division I prospects in 6-foot-4 guard Antonio Davis Jr., 6-foot-7 forward Dillon Mitchell and 6-foot-4 guard Emanuel Sharp, who last year led the state in scoring (31.9 points per game) while at Tampa’s Blake High School. An example of the Hurricanes dominance: They defeated Land O’ Lakes High School 80-34 in an early December contest. The team is coached by former USF and Israel pro standout Derrick Sharp.

With all that talent, perhaps a state title is in the team’s reach come early March? Wait to see.

Florida’s high school spring sports, like track and field, are expected to make their long-awaited returning after being canceled last March amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (File)

Spring can’t come soon enough
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out most, if not all, of last year’s Florida high school spring sports season throughout Florida from March onward, as a matter of health and safety.

The long-awaited return of these athletic events — baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball, water polo, boys weightlifting — should yield special (and emotional) moments for countless athletes, fans, coaches and parents alike.

Perhaps a few records will be broken and championships won by locals will occur along the way, too.

Worth noting: The area generates its fair share of the state’s strongest baseball, softball and track and field programs, among others.

Bored? Take a hike
Still suffering from pandemic-induced cabin fever? Perhaps some fresh air and outdoor exercise in a local park or preserve can clear the homebound blues.

Hillsborough County’s Hiking Spree continues through March 31. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

That can be done via Hillsborough County’s fifth annual Hiking Spree, which challenges participants to complete at least eight trail hikes from November through March 31.

The Hiking Spree’s trail list this year features 25 different trails at 20 locations throughout the county.

And, several of those sites fall within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Carrollwood Village Neighborhood Park, Peterson Road Park, Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, Lake Rogers Conservation Park, Lake Dan Nature Preserve and Cypress Creek Nature Preserve.

Participants may hike on their own, or in a group setting with friends and family. Some sites have entrance and parking fees. Hikers may repeat any trail twice for credit, as long as the hikes occur on different dates.

Aside from the feeling of accomplishment, those who complete the hiking extravaganza earn their choice of a patch, medallion for a walking stick, or a dog bandana.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High alum (File)

Lutz native again leads Tampa Bay Rays
The new year should again generate another fruitful campaign for Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High School alumnus.

Prospects remain high for a Cash-led club that reached Game 6 of the 2020 World Series and finished with the best record in the American League during a pandemic-delayed and shortened season.

Also, expect to see and hear more of the reigning AL Manager of the Year in the new year, given the MLB is seeking terms resembling pre-pandemic levels, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 to 162 regular season games, plus spring training.

However long the 2021 slate, the Rays will be fighting its third-straight playoff berth under the 43-year-old Cash, entering his seventh season as Rays skipper.

Sunlake High School product Tommy Mace is now a standout pitcher at the University of Florida. (File)

Preps to pros
The annual MLB Draft creates an opportunity for boyhood dreams of becoming a professional baseball player to become true.

Each year, about a handful of area high school or college prospects are taken in the draft —offered anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to play America’s greatest pastime.

At least one name to watch in the July event is former Sunlake High School right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace, now a senior at the University of Florida. Various baseball outlets believe the 6-foot-6 Mace has the potential to be a first round pick, which could mean a signing bonus of several million dollars.

In three varsity seasons at Sunlake from 2015 to 2017, Mace posted a 19-6 record, 1.65 ERA and 196 strikeouts across 165.2 innings pitches. He also guided the Seahawks to the 2017 Class 7A regional finals.

Bay Scallop season in Pasco County runs from July 16 through July 25. (File)

Seeking an outdoor adventure? Try scalloping
Grab a snorkel, a swim mask and some fins because recreational scallop season returns again this summer in Pasco County.

The now annual 10-day bay scallop season in Pasco County is tentatively scheduled from July 16 through July 25. It begins the third Friday in July each year.

The county’s scallop zone encompasses all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River.

The outdoor family friendly activity of hunting for scallops is often referred to as an underwater Easter egg hunt.

Requiring only basic swimming skills, the idea is to float along the top of the water until you spot scallop shells in Florida seagrass beds lying several feet underwater, then you grab them by hand, or with a landing or dip net.

Pasco is the southernmost county in Florida to offer a scallop season.

Published January 06, 2021

2020 had shining moments in sports, despite COVID-19 (Part 2)

December 29, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

New recreation facilities opened, prep teams competed for state titles and local athletes accomplished memorable achievements, despite challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here is a look at some of the top moments in sports, from across Pasco and Hillsborough counties, in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. (This is part two of a two-part series.)

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus ready for play
Spacious, bio-cushioned hardwood floors sparkled under the lights.

Multisport electronic scoreboards operated without a hitch.

Myriad ceiling-hung basketball goals and volleyball nets were mechanically lowered and raised in minutes.

Area youth and adults will have access to the field house during weekdays, with the opportunity to participate in recreation leagues, camps and clinics. (File)

Centralized cheerleading/dance springboard floor was square for stunts and tumbling.

Adjacent outdoor multi-use grass fields were manicured and marked up for soccer, lacrosse and other events.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County was officially game ready upon an Aug. 27 ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the site, at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Featuring 98,000 square feet of indoor space, the complex is hyped as a destination for local youth, school teams and adult athletes, while also playing host to a diverse set of regional, national and international level sports tournaments year-round, primarily in basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.

Underscoring its scope: the multi-use sports complex is large enough to hold either 16 volleyball games or eight full-court basketball games at any given time.

Two 35,500-square-foot gyms are separated by a cheer/dance studio, athletic training center and second-level mezzanine, set below 37-foot-high ceilings.

Furthermore, spacious floors can be converted to accommodate other sports, such as pickleball (up to 16 courts), futsal (up to eight courts), as well as large-scale wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA) or karate tournaments.

The $29 million field house is the centerpiece of a $44 million public-private project.

In time, it will be phased to include seven outdoor multi-use fields and a 128-room hotel situated on 80 acres of land donated by the Porter family, one of the area’s leading cattle ranchers who established Wiregrass Ranch in 1942.

The athletics campus is a public-private partnership between the county, who owns the land and facility, and RADD Sports, a private sports management company tasked with handling day-to-day programming, maintenance and operations.

The complex is open for public use and local leagues Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday will generally be reserved for attracting out-of-area tournaments.

Zephyrhills celebrates tennis center grand opening
An Oct. 17 grand opening celebration of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center was serenaded in maybe the most Zephyrhills way possible — with a slew of skydiving parachute landings on the nearly 10-acre property, at 6585 Simons Road.

If the special event was any indication — even with the COVID-19 pandemic — the state-of-the art tennis complex may put the city on the map not unlike how the airborne extreme sport has for decades.

The new Sarah Vande Berg Wellness and Tennis Center hosted its grand opening celebration on Oct. 17. A gym, various wellness treatments, and opportunities for instruction are offered at the new facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

Over 400 mask-wearing visitors turned out to get a firsthand look at a finished product five years in the making — accomplished through myriad partnerships between city, state, and private investment and donations.

The $4.9 million tennis complex is labeled, “Tampa’s first boutique-style racquet sports and wellness club.”

It lives up to the billing through:

  • 11 regulation-sized outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface)
  • Eight outdoor pickleball courts
  • Four outdoor padel courts
  • Outdoor multipurpose turf field
  • The nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse, featuring a full-service restaurant/cafe, fitness center, salt room, yoga room, cryotherapy chamber and pro shop.

Though membership-based, guest users are encouraged to make court rentals and partake in other frills.

Besides being a public asset, the complex is expected to draw regional, national and international amateur and professional tournaments in tennis, pickleball and padel.

The facility is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, on Oct. 11, 2015.

The tennis center venture is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

The municipality owns the state-of-the-art tennis facility, but Collard is responsible for its day-to-day operations and programming.

Lutz native Kevin Cash manages Rays to World Series
Lutz native/Gaither High alum Kevin Cash came full circle with his baseball career when he managed the hometown Tampa Bay Rays to the sport’s grandest stage —the 2020 World Series.

The Rays did lose in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in late October at Globe Life Field, in Arlington, Texas.

The feat was still monumental, nonetheless.

Lutz native/Gaither High alum Kevin Cash managed the Tampa Bay Rays to the 2020 World Series, in Arlington, Texas. He was also crowned 2020 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

The Rays manager had done yeoman’s work in guiding the squad to its second and deepest World Series appearance in franchise history — the other coming in 2008, where the team lost in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Amid a logistically, emotionally taxing, pandemic-delayed, 60-game shortened season, Cash navigated historic feats out of a young, diverse team with a low payroll, dearth of superstars and household names that encountered a slew of injuries.

To place in perspective: Tampa Bay’s $28.3 million prorated payroll — third lowest in the Majors — paled in comparison to the $108.4 million sum of the Dodgers.

Also, the Rays had 15 different players serve a total of 20 injured-list stints. (On Sept. 1, they set a team-record-tying — not in a good way — 13 players unavailable for action.)

Weeks after guiding the Rays to the American League’s best regular season record (40-20) and the franchise’s second World Series berth in history, Cash deservedly was crowned 2020 AL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

The 42-year-old Cash received 22 of 30 first-place votes and 126 total points in the BBWAA’s scoring to win over former Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria (61) and current Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo (47).

Cash’s ties to the local community run deep, meanwhile.

He grew up in the Valley Ranch Drive neighborhood across from Lake Park in Lutz, along North Dale Mabry Highway.

He was a 12-year-old second baseman on the 1989 Northside Little League team that reached the 43rd Little League World Series.

He would later star at Gaither and Florida State University through the mid- and late- 1990s before enjoying an eight-year MLB career as a journeyman catcher.

Following his playing career, Cash became a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays (2012) and then bullpen coach for the Cleveland Indians (2013-2014), before landing the Tampa Bay managerial gig in 2015.

Toronto Raptors hold training camp at Saint Leo
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought much angst to the sports world and beyond in 2020, it also led to some unique, if not positive, occurrences.

One of the most notable was the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Toronto Raptors hosting training camp at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center, from Dec. 1 through Dec. 11.

Toronto Raptors veteran guard Fred VanVleet hones his jump shot inside Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the franchise was unable to start the 2020-2021 regular season in Toronto due to Canada-U.S. border restrictions.

Needing a temporary home in the states, Raptors players voted that they preferred to begin their 2020-2021 season in Tampa over cities such as Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale, Louisville, Nashville and Newark.

As the franchise readied its temporary home at Channelside’s Amalie Arena and makeshift practice facility at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, the Raptors needed someplace nearby to hold its two weeklong training camp.

That’s when some deep coaching ties came to assist.

Saint Leo men’s basketball coach Lance Randall has known Raptors head coach Nick Nurse for over 20 years — a relationship dating back to when the pair were coaching against each other in Europe.

It was sometime in mid-November when Randall received a random text message from Nurse, inquiring about the college’s basketball facilities as a possible camp site as the team made preparations for a move stateside.

Randall subsequently went into recruiting pitch mode, self-assured the Bowman Center would be a slam dunk for the Raptors.

The Bowman Center has 10 basketball hoops, two-full sized courts and a 4,444 square-foot weight room.

The facility also has a balcony overlooking the practice gym, which allowed team scouts and management to get a bird’s-eye view of all the action.

Add to that a serene setting devoid of distractions in rural East Pasco County off State Road 52, some 35 miles north of the team’s downtown Tampa hotel stay.

Multiple in-person visits by Raptors officials to campus sealed the deal, the amenities clearly to their liking.

For the duration of Raptors training camp, buses shuttled players, coaches and officials to Saint Leo, generally between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., each day.

As many as four shuttle buses could be seen parked at any one time next to the Bowman Center.
Raptors management strived to normalize the temporary setting, wrapping the university’s fitness center, end mats and other portions of the arena in team logos and its signature red and black color scheme.

On the whole, the Raptors came away quite pleased with the university’s athletic facilities and community welcoming.

“I think it’s been great,” Raptors all-star power forward Pascal Siakam said of the training camp experience at Saint Leo. “I would say we’ve been blessed to be able to have a facility like that. Definitely a shoutout to Saint Leo for letting us use the gym and be a part of what they have here.
“I think it’s been great just being here and having everything under one roof. I just know, obviously, we appreciate it as a team.”

Published December 30, 2020

Toronto Raptors training camp a slam dunk at Saint Leo

December 15, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

When it comes to melding professional sports and higher education, Saint Leo University has been known as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ exclusive educational partner.

The partnership, which began in 2019, has featured traditional in-stadium and in-market advertising, digital and social features. and other unique fan elements. Most visible elements can be seen along massive interstate billboards and signage throughout Raymond James Stadium.

Saint Leo men’s basketball coach Lance Randall leveraged his friendship with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse to help lure the NBA franchise to hold preseason camp at the university campus. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University athletics)

Over the last month, the university scored another professional sports franchise partner, albeit for a brief period.

Saint Leo’s on-campus Marion Bowman Activities Center served as preseason training camp host for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, from Dec. 1 through Dec. 11.

The Raptors journey to Saint Leo and the Bay Area came by way of circumstance.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the franchise was unable to start the 2020-2021 regular season in Toronto due to Canada-U.S. border restrictions.

Needing a temporary home in the U.S., the Raptors’ players voted to begin their 2020-2021 season in Tampa over cities such as Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale, Louisville, Nashville and Newark.

Raptors “home” games — at least initially —  will be played at Amalie Arena, the homesite of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, at 401 Channelside Drive in Tampa. The scheduled 72-game regular season begins Dec. 22 and is expected to run through May 16. The Raptors announced at least 17 home games will be played at Amalie Arena in the first half of the NBA season.

Besides the home arena, the Raptors, too, needed someplace nearby to hold its two weeklong training camps while construction was underway on a makeshift practice court inside a hotel ballroom at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, in downtown Tampa.

And, that’s when some deep coaching ties came to assist.

Coaching connections
Saint Leo men’s basketball coach Lance Randall has known Raptors head coach Nick Nurse for over 20 years.

It’s a relationship dating back to when the pair was coaching against each other in Europe, more specifically in the British Basketball League. Both also coached England’s Birmingham Bullets at separate times in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They’ve remained friendly ever since.

“There’s not a ton of American coaches over there (in Europe),” Randall recently told The Laker/Lutz News, “so you tend to get to be closer with guys that are American when you’re over there and make some sort of connections and bonds.”

(Courtesy of Toronto Raptors)

It was sometime in mid-November when Randall received a random text message from Nurse, inquiring about the college’s basketball facilities as a possible camp site, as the team made preparations for a move stateside.

Randall subsequently went into recruiting pitch mode, self-assured the Bowman Center would be a slam dunk for the Raptors.

The Bowman Center has 10 basketball hoops, two full-size courts and a 4,444-square-foot weight room.

The facility also has a balcony overlooking the practice gym, which allowed team scouts and management to get a bird’s-eye view of all the action.

Add to that a serene setting devoid of distractions in rural East Pasco County, off State Road 52, some 35 miles north of the team’s downtown Tampa hotel stay.

Raptors representatives were on-campus within a week of the original text conversation, touring the facility with Randall and other university officials. They also took a look at Lake Jovita and some of the surrounding areas.

The NBA franchise clearly liked what it saw from the in-person visit.

“We have a great gym for getting better,” Randall said. “We have a lot of baskets, we have a great floor, and it just kind of made sense. And, the students are off-campus, so from that standpoint, it just kind of fell into place.”

The timing also worked for Randall’s own program.

With the status of the NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference season and games in limbo, Randall had no qualms with having his team conducting some routine practices at Academy at the Lakes, in Land O’ Lakes. End-of-semester final exams also took place during the time of Raptors training camp, meaning Randall’s squad was due for a break anyway.

Home away from home
For the duration of Raptors training camp, buses shuttled players, coaches and officials to Saint Leo, generally between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., each day.

As many as four shuttle buses could be seen parked at any one time next to the Bowman Center.

Raptors management strived to normalize the temporary setting, wrapping the university’s fitness center, end mats and other portions of the arena in team logos and its signature red and black color scheme.

Toronto Raptors veteran guard Fred VanVleet hones his jump shot inside Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center. (Courtesy of Toronto Raptors)

Practices were closed to the media and public, but both Randall and Saint Leo athletics director Fran Reidy were able to view some action from afar, at least in the early portion of training camp.

For them, it was a surreal experience witnessing an NBA team on Saint Leo’s hardwood floor, let alone one that won an NBA title in 2019 and has secured a playoff berth seven years running.

“It’s great to watch pros who really do work,” said Reidy. “You know, they didn’t get there by accident, right?

“When I was watching these guys, they’re working at their game, they’re not going through the motions. There’s guys that work out before the team practice or after the team practice on their individual part, and obviously they work on the team concept in the middle, but it is interesting to see how hard these guys work.

“To see guys that were winning an NBA championship a year ago (in 2019) in your gym with arguably one of the best coaches in the league, it was really fun to watch,” Reidy said.

Randall added: “They really just kind of locked in. They’re very professional about how they do things and they’ve been a great group, just a really classy organization. They’ve got a culture of winning and doing things the right way, and really it’s embodied everything they do, even just simple things like meeting and greeting.”

From a coach’s perspective, Randall also was captivated by the team’s “attention to detail, and the ability to facilitate those details on a moment’s notice.”

It was a valuable learning tool for his own basketball staff, he said.

On the flip side, Raptors players and coaches came away quite pleased with the university’s Southern hospitality.

In a recent Zoom media conference during camp, Nurse joyfully mentioned that Randall’s wife had baked chocolate chip cookies for the entire team.

“That’s how special the touches are around here,” said Nurse, the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year. “They’ve been gracious, gracious hosts.”

Nurse praised the Bowman Center’s basketball facilities, too. He noted how its 10 hoops are distinctly spaced out in the arena, which allowed the team’s 20-man roster to get adequate individual work in without encroaching on each other.

“We’ve got 20 players here, you’ve got a lot of bodies,” said Nurse, “so you need a lot of baskets to keep everybody active, and getting required shots in and form shooting work, and all that stuff going.”

He added: “The facilities here are perfect, really perfect, and we’re happy and fortunate we chose here and that they were able to accommodate us.”

Raptors all-star power forward Pascal Siakam likewise came away satisfied with Saint Leo’s digs.

“I think it’s been great,” Siakam said of the training camp experience at Saint Leo. “I would say we’ve been blessed to be able to have a facility like that. Definitely a shout out to Saint Leo for letting us use the gym and be a part of what they have here.

“I think it’s been great just being here and having everything under one roof. I just know, obviously, we appreciate it as a team.”

Branding boost
Those types of responses gratified Saint Leo’s athletics director, confirming the university’s sports facilities and amenities are top-notch and pro-caliber.

“We do have really good facilities. We’ve known that for a long time. Anytime we can get other people to campus, they realize the same thing. But, when a professional team comes to campus, I think it validates what you’ve been saying,” said Reidy.

Besides validation, the partnership in with the Canadian-based NBA franchise has yielded other benefits for the private Catholic university with an undergraduate on-campus enrollment of 2,000-plus.

Saint Leo naturally has gotten quite an exposure boost over the last several weeks — becoming the subject of much local, regional, national and international media attention.

Reidy believes it all could be a windfall for recruiting new student-athletes in the future.

And, not just in hoops, but even in sports like men’s lacrosse, which has seven Canadian-born players on its 2021 roster.

“We have a bunch of Canadians on our (men’s lacrosse) team, so this certainly is not going to hurt our recruiting,” Reidy said. “Because the Raptors have been here, now those kids will know that, ‘Well the Raptors were at Saint Leo, then it must be the real deal,’ so it has been a really good brand for us, really helped us at a time when we haven’t played any sports (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), we were kind of in need of a little spark, and this has been a very good experience.”

This is actually not the first time Saint Leo has played host to an NBA team.

The New Jersey Nets in 1996 held preseason training camp at the college, lodging at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

That partnership also happened by way of a coaching connection.

Then Nets rookie head coach John Calipari had served as a graduate assistant in 1982 at the University of Kansas under Ted Owens, Saint Leo’s athletic director at the time.

2020-2021 Toronto Raptors roster
Players

  • OG Anunoby, forward
  • Aron Baynes, center-forward
  • DeAndre’ Bembry, guard-forward
  • Chris Boucher, forward-center
  • Oshae Brissett, forward-guard
  • Terence Davis, guard
  • Henry Ellenson, forward-center
  • Malachi Flynn, guard
  • Jalen Harris, guard
  • Alize Johnson, forward
  • Stanley Johnson, forward-guard
  • Alex Len, center
  • Kyle Lowry, guard
  • Patrick McCaw, guard
  • Malcolm Miller, guard-forward
  • Norman Powell, guard
  • Pascal Siakam, forward
  • Matt Thomas, guard
  • Fred VanVleet, guard
  • Yuta Watanabe, guard-forward
  • Paul Watson, guard

Staff
Nick Nurse, head coach
Adrian Griffin, assistant
Sergio Scariolo, assistant
Jim Sann, assistant
Chris Finch, assistant
Scott McCullough, trainer

Published December 16, 2020

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Farm Share, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sheriff Charities, the Pasco County NAACP, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay will partner for a free food distribution on May 26 starting at 9 a.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Dade City. Food will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. The event is a drive-thru, rain or shine. … [Read More...] about 05/26/2022 – Food distribution

05/26/2022 – Lawn fertilization

Keep Pasco Beautiful will host a workshop for HOAs, homeowners and anyone who wants to learn how to properly maintain their lawn, on May 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Patel College of Global Sustainability, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Room 136, in Tampa. Panelists will include members from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the University of Florida Pasco Extension Office, who will explore a range of fertilization topics. For information and to register, visit EventBrite.com. … [Read More...] about 05/26/2022 – Lawn fertilization

05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

The “Let’s Do Good Memorial Day Concert” is scheduled for May 28 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Tunnel to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, and builds custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. The foundation is committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and aiding the victims of major U.S. disasters. The event will include vendors, gifts, a Forget-Me-Not Garden, and more. Entertainment will be provided by Fred Chandler, Charles Goodwin, Cruz Er Mac, Mike Henderson, and Travis White. Special guests include Congressman Gus Bilirakis and State Sen. Danny Burgess. Rain date is Sept. 10. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

05/28/2022 – Pet supply drive

Munchies Natural Pet Foods, 1722 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host a Pet Supply Drive on May 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to benefit the Pet Peace of Mind Program at Gulfside Hospice. Gulfside team members will be on site to offer information about the program and to collect donated supplies, such as pet food, cat litter, treats, basic supplies and other items. The donations will be distributed to hospice patients, to help provide care for their pets. For information about the Peace of Mind program, visit Gulfside.org, or call 727-845-5707. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Pet supply drive

05/28/2022 – Seafood Festival-CANCELLED

The North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Summer Seafood Festival is scheduled for May 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, between the outlets and At Home. There will be seafood, crab races, a kids zone, live bands, craft beer, a local market, a Nautical Art Show, and a crab claw-eating contest. For information, call 727-674-1464. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Seafood Festival-CANCELLED

05/30/2022 – Memorial Day Ceremony

Lexington Oaks Community Center, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host a Memorial Day Ceremony on May 30 from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., in front of the big flag. There will be patriotic songs and readings, and the playing of "Taps."  The event is weather permitting. … [Read More...] about 05/30/2022 – Memorial Day Ceremony

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🪺 Two Lutz residents who are members of the Tampa Audubon Society, maintain and monitor 25 bird boxes throughout Lake Park. Bluebirds and other species of birds use them to lay and hatch eggs during nesting season 🪺 https://lakerlutznews.com/lln/2022/05/101807/

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FEATURED STORY of the week! 🗞️ Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles is leaving the top job in the county, after five years of serving at the helm. He and his wife, Mandy, are moving overseas to be involved in church development work. https://lakerlutznews.com/lln/2022/05/101809/

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"It's not Wednesday until you read The Laker!" This week's stories are in! https://lakerlutznews.com/lln/

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