(The Durham Playground, Oshawa, On) Brampton City Prep (BCP) North defeats Excel Hoops 109-71 to capture their first NJC National Title
BCP North – Janoy Walkes 2026 G (#00)
Awarding Janoy Walkes the NJC National Championship Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award was a no-brainer after his 22-point performance in the final. The big wing was dominant all tournament long, and the championship game was no exception. Walkes scored at a prolific rate, and he did it from all over the court. He forced Excel Hoops defenders to respect his shot with two first quarter threes, and used his strength and lightning-quick first step to get to the rim for the rest of the game. Rarely do you see a high school freshman who scores as naturally as Walkes from every level. He has a deadly combination of an automatic outside shot, the ability to take two dribbles into the perimeter and pull up from midrange and take it right to the paint where he can outduel big men in the air and finish tough layups. Keep two eyes on Brampton City Prep’s Janoy Walkes as he approaches the post-secondary level.
BCP North – Quinten Ethier 2026 F (#15)
Quinten Ethier is a constant contributor to this BCP North team. The forward was selected to the U15 provincial team for a reason, and he proved it against Excel Hoops in the NJC National Championship Final on Saturday. Ethier has the height and strong frame of a player who lives in the post, but he’s got the skill set of a guard. His shot was on full display with three first half triples to help BCP North stretch the floor and establish a significant lead early in the game. Ethier’s ability to keep the Excel big men off the glass eliminated second scoring chances for the opposition, while he was active on the offensive glass as well to extend possessions for his team. 10 of his 19 points came in the fourth quarter alone to quell any hopes of a comeback en-route to BCP’s first NJC National Championship.
Excel Hoops – Kenan Gilao 2026 F (#32)
Kenan Gilao was a real bright spot for Excel Hoops in their lopsided NJC finals loss. With lead guard Daunte Jones sent to the bench with early foul trouble, the 6’7” big man put the offensive load on his shoulders. 16 of his 26 points came in the first half, where he kept the game as competitive as he could early on. He has an extremely reliable mid range jumper for a guy his size and the game sense to find the soft spots in the opposing zone where he puts that shot to use. Ever the competitor, Gilao showed a ton of heart on the defensive side of the ball as well. A drawn charge prevented a BCP fastbreak layup, and his length enabled him to block and change several shots in the paint. It wasn’t Excel’s day, but they got a stud in Kenan Gilao.
Excel Hoops – Drelyn Downey 2026 G (#1)
Excel Hoops guard Drelyn Downey has rare explosiveness at his position and he uses that to his advantage. Downey is always liable to come flying in from the perimeter to grab an offensive board, where he can consistently beat out opposing big men in the air with a combination of timing, bounce and strength. Against BCP in the NJC finals, where he scored 24 points, he showed the kind of hunger that sets good players apart from great ones. Downey scored via a handful of offensive rebounds— and some were the result of following his own missed shot. With all of his points coming from within the three-point line, Downey showed a strong pull-up jumper, stopping on a dime and knocking down the shot from 15 feet on multiple occasions. He joins the upper echelon of NJC players with his performance against BCP North in the finals—once his outside shooting stroke becomes more consistent, Downey will give his opponents fits.
NJC Notes:
Kudos also goes out to Excel Hoops Prep, who by advancing to their second NJC National Championship game, have taken home gold (2021-22) and silver in the last two NJC seasons.
Photos courtesy: fifisvisuals
