Bobcats work Dayo in, day out to improve

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This article was published 14/09/2023 (933 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Quebec to Brandon pipeline continues.

Again, the reason is one of the Brandon University Bobcats’ most valuable alumni. Former BU men’s basketball player Mikee Dosado, who coaches at Vanier College in Montreal, connected CEGEP standout John Dayo with Bobcats coach Gil Cheung.

The speedy guard is one of five Quebec natives on the roster and looks ready to push for immediate court time as a rookie.

“You put him in with Khari (Ojeda-Harvey), you put him in with Jahmaal (Gardner), whatever it is, he can complement them, he can run the point, he can play the wing too,” Cheung said. “The biggest thing is he’s willing to go and pick up 94 feet (on defence). He’s working at it so it’s a bonus we have this season.

“The biggest adjustment is not the basketball part, it’s everything else but he’s been fitting in with our guys right away. He’s organized, he’s mature and he’s been pretty good so far.”

Dayo was a swimmer growing up and started playing basketball in Grade 6 when he was exposed to the massive Filipino hoops community in Montreal.

He went to the Filipino Basketball Association of North America’s annual tournament on Labour Day weekend — which features teams from across the United States and Canada — and was hooked.

“It was my first competitive basketball, that’s where it started,” Dayo said.

“It was really exciting. It was something new and I was really amazed by it, to see how many Filipinos that could play basketball.”

The five-foot-11 guard said he had a great coach in high school who helped get him to Dawson College for a few seasons of CEGEP Division 2 ball. The following summer, the D1 coach called him up and he started for the school’s top team last season.

Now, he’s joining a team that went 12-8 last season, its best record since 2009. But the Bobcats no longer have their Canada West defensive player of the year and first-team all-star Anthony Tsegakele. The Gatineau, Que., product signed a professional contract in France this summer and while he was released from the club, he’s ineligible to return.

The rest of the Bobcats are back, along with Dayo and Jayden Larosilliere, also a CEGEP transfer.

Dayo, 20, quickly realized what he needs to do before the season opener on Nov. 2.

“My shooting has to improve,” he said. “I have a pretty good shot but this is a shooting team so I gotta work on my shooting even more. And defence, I heard last season their rebounding and defence wasn’t as good. With my help and my improvement on defence, I can help the team.

“I’m a pass-first guard so I feel like my passing can help a lot. As well, my speed: I can space out the floor with my speed as well. Honestly, just make opportunities for other players easier.”

While Brandon lost Tsegakele, it got Gardner back for his fifth year of eligibility.

The New Yorker was an elite offensive weapon, averaging more than 20 points per game in 2022-23. If it wasn’t for a back injury late in the first round of the playoffs that hindered him in the quarterfinals, Brandon could very well have advanced past Winnipeg to the final four.

He waffled over his decision but ultimately decided to run it back at BU.

“It’s huge. He’ll be a veteran leader for us and is one of the more dynamic scorers you’ll see anywhere, but just a great kid that is excited to play his last season back in Brandon,” Cheung said.

“He’s one of the premier guards in the country.”

Sultan Bhatti, Ojeda-Harvey and Jack McDonald are back after starting the bulk of last year’s games, while guards Travis Hamberger, Dominique Dennis and Elisha Ampofo have started camp healthy and hungry.

Silas Owusu-Acheaw, Gimli’s Blake Magnusson and Neelin Spartan grad Max Winters can certainly see the path to more minutes opening up without Tsegakele in the paint.

“It’s also a big opportunity for a lot of our guys. A lot of the guys have been here for three years so it’s an opportunity for lots of rebounds, lots of shots, lots of minutes and you can see how hungry the guys are at camp,” Cheung said.

“We’ll have to change the way we do stuff, especially defensively but we are who we are. We’re going to play really fast, try to get the ball up quick, shoot a lot of threes. It’s just defensively it’s no secret. Can we keep the ball out of the post and get some (rebounds) up there?”

The Bobcats kick off the pre-season schedule in Regina in two weeks, against the host Cougars and Lethbridge Pronghorns.

They come home for a clash with the University of Northern British Columbia on Oct. 19, then play the Manitoba Bisons and Winnipeg Wesmen at the U of W the next two days.

Brandon visits Valley City State in North Dakota the following weekend, then heads to the U of M for the first game that truly matters.

Its home opener is against Thompson Rivers on Nov. 10.

Over the next few weeks, Cheung is looking for guys to step up and fight for minutes. He has a few takeaways so far.

“Dom’s looked great to start camp,” Cheung said. “Big Max here has come a long way in a month-and-a-half. He’ll be in a spot to challenge to get on that roster, get some minutes. Eli continues to get better, he’s made the biggest jump from Day 1 until now. Until we see some game action, it’s hard to tell.

“Sully’s changed his body from three years ago. He can play an entire game, he can take the bumps and bruises. We know he can shoot but he’s added a lot to his game. We’re excited.”

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