Metro Vancouver…..The KPU Eagles department of athletics and recreation and men’s basketball head coach Vladimir Nikić are pleased to announce the signing of Devin Cvitanovich, Duncan, BC to the Eagles for the 2015/16 PACWEST CCAA season, pending his acceptance to the university in the Faculty of Arts. The 6’7” power forward and center comes to KPU out of Brentwood College School, a co-educational university preparatory boarding school on Vancouver Island, which boasts a strong 2A basketball program under the direction of Coach Blake Gage.
“This is very exciting news for the KPU men’s basketball team. We welcome to our program a person of tremendous character, who has amazing attitude, impeccable work ethic, and has lots of basketball potential,” stated Coach Nikić, “Devin comes from a strong basketball background with Brentwood, who are Provincial contenders each year. Over the last five seasons, Coach Gage has been very successful in creating university-calibre athletes such as Jordan Charles, Ben Hindson, and Josh Charles. I strongly believe Devin will be the next big name to come out of Brentwood’s program.”
Coach Nikić welcomes Cvitanovich to the Eagles
Cvitanovich is no stranger to the pressures of high-performance basketball. The Brentwood team earned the 2013 Island championship before taking home the silver medal at Provincials. He also has experience with the Junior Vikes program run by the University of Victoria Vikes (Canada West, CIS). His accolades include multiple tournament all-star and ‘player of the game’ recognitions, and was also awarded Brentwood’s Athletic Colours award, which is given to the player who dedicates extended service and commitment to his team and performs in the pursuit of excellence.
“I really like Devin’s ability to shoot from the perimeter and he will definitely draw his defenders out the paint. Defensively, he has the ability to block shots, which will allow us to protect the rim better next year,” noted Coach Nikić, ““I believe Devin is a great fit for KPU. He will immediately bring an inside presence and his rebounding ability will be very beneficial to our fast-paced transition game. He is excellent in the pick and roll situations, which will be very effective for us when he is paired up with Wowie.”
Cvitanovich is the third player to sign to the KPU Eagles men’s basketball program for the 2015/16 recruiting class and joins key veterans as well as fellow new Eagles’ Delview Raiders point guard Wowie Untalan, North Delta, BC and TWU Spartans (Canada West, CIS) transfer shooting guard Vartan Tanielian, White Rock, BC. A well-rounded academic and athlete, Devin embodies the traits and values that Coach Nikić wants his program to exemplify.
The Eagles flock grows (LtoR): veteran Eagles Nick Smith and Trevor Schulz
with new recruits Cvitanovich and Untalan
“Off the court, even straight out of high school, Devin will bring us mature attitude, professionalism, and community values. He is an exemplary young man, with a very strong academic background,” said Coach Nikić, “His goal is always to be equally successful in the classroom as he is on the basketball court. I believe we have signed a true student-athlete and I am really looking forward to working with Devin over the next five years.”
The KPU Eagles 2015 Men’s Basketball Player Identification Camp recently met its maximum quota of 35 participants. The Camp is to be held on April 16th from 5:00pm-8:00pm in the Eagles’ Nest on the Surrey Campus.
Photo Credit: KPU Sports Information
For more information on the Department of Athletics & Recreation, please contact Junelle Mah, sports information and marketing, at 604-786-0804 or at junelle.mah@kpu.ca.
The KPU Eagles Department of Athletics & Recreation enters its 14th season of interuniversity competition. The Eagles are members of the PACWEST conference and play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with 100 student-athletes participating on eight varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, badminton and golf. KPU athletics plays its home games at the Eagles’ Nest (Surrey Campus), Northview Golf & Country Club, Newton Athletic Park, all located in Surrey, BC. The Eagles are active in the conference with staff members on various advisory committees and competing to host both provincial and national championships. The student-athletes are mainly from the lower mainland but KPU’s rosters have included student-athletes from North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
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