Jonas Emilsson
www.KramMag.com

This season the Ernest Manning Griffins ran the table on the rest of the teams in Div III to finish with a perfect 10-0 record.

Not only did they run the table, they obliterated their competition along the way.  The closest anyone came to beating them was in the last game of the season when the James Fowler Falcons kept the deficit to six points.

It’s safe to say, they are the run-away favourites to grab hold of the championship banner at this year’s city championships.

Leading the way for the Griffins is their 6’1” forward Mike van Son.

If Calgary high school basketball fans didn’t know who he was at the start of the season, they surely did after this year’s High School Selects Game when he dazzled the packed gym with his above the rim play.

For a guy that’s a Michael Jordan fanatic, the high-flying acrobatics he displays on the hard court on a nightly basis fits perfectly.

“I like to throw it down whenever I get the chance,” said van Son.  “If I’m playing defense out on the perimeter I have a better chance because you usually get more steals out there.”

In last week’s Kram Game of the Week, van Son threw down a massive one-handed dunk for two of his game high 24 points to help his team defeat the Crescent Heights Cowboys 91-72.

But the crazy hops isn’t the only talent van Son brings to the game is far from his only talents.  The 18-year old is just as comfortable hitting the 15-foot jump shot as he is taking the ball fearlessly to the basket for a lay up.  More often than not, the result is two points.

“I like to drive the ball to the hole and hit the shot from the elbow,” said van Son.

And he’s not afraid to mix it up with the big boys under the basket either.  Against the Cowboys, van Son scored double-digit points by picking off stray rebounds and converting them points.

“Any lose balls and second shot opportunities can make a huge difference in a game,” said van Son.  “Ten lose balls can lead to 20 points.”

Being a second year senior, van Son is also the teams’ leader.  His coach, Travis Juska, relies on him to communicate with players to important messages across clearly.

“Mike has been my captain for three years,” said Juska.  “He obviously brings tremendous intensity, but at the same time he brings so much leadership that goes way beyond his years.  When I’m not able to deal with somebody or coach somebody he’s always there to step up.”

In a lot of cases, strong players donning the jersey of a smaller school fighting it out in division three get overshadowed by players suiting up for the big-name schools, but Juska believes his star pupil can hold his own against anyone currently playing Calgary high school ball.

“I’d put him in the upper echelon, if not the top of the Calgary men’s basketball,” said Juska.  “Having watched him for a number of years now, I don’t think there’s a limit to where he’s going to improve to.”

With van Son’s skill set, there’s no question that post secondary schools are paying attention, which suits him just fine because he would like nothing better than to continue his basketball career past the high school level.

“I want to play college ball, for sure,” said van Son.

To get to the next level he recognizes that there are some things in his game that he needs to work on to be successful.

“I need to work on my defense,” said van Son.  “There are a lot of quicker guys.  And I need to work on my jump shot, get it a bit quicker.”

But his positive attributes seriously outweighs the parts of his games that need to be worked on, and Juska is confident that he’ll be playing somewhere next year.

“He’s currently being scouted by a lot of colleges around the area and out of the area and I think his game speaks for itself.”

KRAM 5 with Mike van Son
What are your sneakers of choice? Michael Jordan 23s
What is your favourite movie? Space Jam
What is your favourite NBA team? Chicago Bulls
Who is your favourite NBA player? Michael Jordan
What is your favourite pre-game meal? Pasta