VIDEO: The Charlatan speaks with Leo Rautins
Though Aaron Doornekamp and Ryan Bell are now both members of the Carleton Ravens alumni, they’re still wearing the red and white.
The former Carleton basketball stars now don the Maple Leaf rather than the Raven as they prepare for the upcoming FIBA World Championships with the Canadian national team.
“It’s amazing to represent your country playing a sport you love,” said Bell, a four-time national champion with Carleton. “It’s my first time ever playing in Canada since I’ve been with the national team so I’m excited to get these games going.”
After winning their first three tune-ups on Canadian soil earlier this month , these preparatory games will include tournaments in Greece and Turkey before the 2010 FIBA World Championships get underway Aug. 28, also in Turkey.
Doornekamp said he is also “very excited” for what the future holds with the Canadian national team, but he isn’t quick to forget about the past. And why would he be? The 6’7” forward was also a four-time champion with the Ravens, and was named the 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Player of the Year in 2008.
“Playing at Carleton helped a lot,” he said. “I got to play with a lot of really good guys and good players. They helped me get where I am now, so hopefully I can help them out too.”
Every summer, Doornekamp returns to Ottawa to train with former and current Ravens players, and Bell, an Ottawa resident, does the same.
“I loved playing over there,” said Bell. “It was a great experience, a great group of guys and a great coaching staff. I played a lot of basketball for those five years that I was there, so it helped me mature a lot.”
Clearly, Doornekamp and Bell still have fond memories of Carleton, even though they have both now become important components of the national team. Neither players have secured their position on the team’s final roster for the Worlds, but if Canadian head coach Leo Rautins’s comments are any indication, they both have as good a shot as any to crack the squad.
Rautins describes Bell as a versatile “utility guy,” someone who can defend well and play in multiple positions. “If somebody gets hurt, he steps up and he’s always ready,” said Rautins, who is also an analyst for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. “And he’s a great team guy. Everyone has a lot of respect for him and love having him in the mix.”
Meanwhile, Rautins said Doornekamp looks better than ever, after a successful first season playing professionally with Pepsi JuveCaserta in Italy. But he said he isn’t the least bit surprised, as it turns out Rautins was part of the reason Doornekamp opted for Italy after graduating from the CIS.
“When the opportunity in Italy came up, we all said, ‘you’ve got to go there,’ ” said Rautins. “He was smart enough to listen and in one season, that parlayed into something really good for him. He’s just shown up this year and he looks stronger, more confident and really comfortable. I’m excited. I think [Doornekamp] has great potential.”
While Doornekamp will be returning to Italy next season, Bell is looking for a new place to play after a year with Honka Playboys in Finland. And while Rautins said he believes winning championships at Carleton helped both players improve their craft, he thinks their experiences in Europe have been second to none.
“Winning takes work and winning takes dedication and both of these guys have that,” he said. “There’s no question that’s been a big part of it but it’s also about their growth outside.”
“They’ve both been a part of a program every summer for three for four years now and I think going over to Europe and playing, that’s when you really start expanding your game and then your confidence grows,” Rautins said.
“For a guy like Aaron to go from CIS to playing in one of the top pro leagues in the world, that’s a big step. And then to have success, that just leads to so many good things.”
And Rautins may see more good things from the former Ravens duo, as they vie for a spot on Canada’s final World Championship roster.