basketball
OUR history
For more than a century, Ridley College has been an athletic powerhouse carrying a strong reputation for competitive sporting success.
In the 1800s, during the school’s establishment, our founding members recognized the role that sport plays in developing character strengths, cognition and vitality. Today, sport remains at the very heart of the Ridley experience.
Ridley's athletic stature, combined with its robust educational experience, is one of the primary reasons student-athletes seek out Ridley College—they know their academic, athletic and personal goals will all be equally supported. Unlike traditional sports academies, Ridley College approaches sport holistically, balancing a winning combination of learning, training and competing. Players from across Canada and beyond have been exploring Ridley College for the school’s ability to propel personal, academic and professional careers.
RIDLEY basketball
The Prep Basketball programme at Ridley has produced provincial, national and international champions, as well as well as numerous postsecondary careers. As such, we attract promising young student-athletes from across Canada and around the globe who are more than confident that they can continue to develop not only on the court, but also in the classroom.
In recent years, our Prep Boys Basketball Programme has enjoyed tremendous success as a member of the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA), the province’s premier high school basketball league. Our student-athletes are also exposed to elite-level competition at international showcase events in the United States and the Bahamas.
Despite their on-court success, our programme is most proud of the number of student-athletes consistently moving on to postsecondary opportunities including the NCAA and USPORTS.
Ridley College Prep Basketball continues to flourish due largely in part to our first-class resources and facilities. Preparation for this level includes daily on-court practices as well as multiple off-court sessions, which include strength training, active recovery and video. Training and competition are supported by a dedicated coaching staff with national and international experience, Ridley’s athletic therapy and school medical team, a strength and conditioning coach and other professional instructors.
Away from the court, players are educated by Ridley’s dedicated professional faculty and supported by academic advisors, tutors and boarding life staff.
Joshua Loblaw ’21 McMaster University
SCHOOL profile
Since 1889, Ridley has provided students with enriching learning and life-shaping experiences and has prepared them for success at some of the top universities and colleges around the world. With almost 800 students from 59 countries, Ridley College is a truly international, co-educational day and boarding school. Students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 are engaged in vibrant, challenging and forward-thinking academic, co-curricular and residential life programmes.
Ridley is one of four in North America authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum programme in addition to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
UPPER SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
8:1
STUDENT:FACULTY
SCHOOLSNAPSHOT
797 STUDENTS
55%:45% DAY:BOARDING
OUR MISSION: We prepare meaningful and flourishing lives by teaching the habits of mind, body and spirit, and the values needed to lead in a global society.
361 BOARDING STUDENTS
ACCREDITATION
18
AVG. CLASS SIZE
59 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
• Ontario Ministry of Education
• International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO): IBO World School since March 2011
• Founding member Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS)
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) member
ACADEMICS
• Student-centred, inquiry-based learning
• Learning Centre and individualized academic support
• Guidance and University Counselling (SAT test centre)
• Ridley is a Cambridge Testing Centre
• 150+ academic course offerings
• 25 IB course options
• Additional languages offered: French, Spanish, German, and Mandarin
• Large number of offerings in Group 3 (Business & Management, Economics, Environmental Systems, History, Psychology) and Group 6 (Film, Theatre, Visual Arts)
$3 million in tuition assistance 20% of students receive scholarships and bursaries 75+ co-curricular activities in the arts, athletics, leadership, and community service
facilities
• Three FIBA-sized courts and one full practice court
• High-performance fitness centre
• Spin room
• Yoga studio
• Athletic therapy clinic
- Ultrasound machine
- Two Normatec compression sleeves
- State-of-the-art cold tub
• 24-hour health centre
• NHL-sized ice surface
• Squash centre
• Tennis courts and playing fields
FITNESS & STRENGTH CENTRE
GRIFFITH GYMNASIUM PLAYING FIELDS
admissions
HOW TO APPLY
Explore the Opportunities a Ridley Experience Offers
Our admissions process is structured to allow us to get to know you and your family — your experiences, interests, needs and expectations. Through this process, we strive to explore the possibilities for you at the school and determine whether Ridley is the best choice for your education.
To complete our application process, prospective students are asked to please submit the following:
• Online application: ridleycollege.com/admissions/how-to-apply
• Year-end academic reports for three years, including the current school year
• Confidential Recommendation Form
• English as an Additional Language (EAL) Assessment Form, if English is not your first language
Students are encouraged to complete the Character Skills Snapshot to supplement their Ridley application. While not required, the Snapshot will provide the Admissions Office with a more holistic view of the applicant.
Once your application has been submitted, you will be contacted by the Admissions Office to schedule an interview and/or a campus visit.
If you have any questions about Ridley or the entrance requirements, please contact our Admissions team at admissions@ridleycollege.com.
MORE THAN JUST AN APPLICATION
The admissions journey begins with your application and evolves through ongoing communication as we build a relationship and work together to discover if Ridley is the right fit for you. Along the way, we review your profile, provide information, answer questions and arrange customized visits to the Ridley campus.
Although our admissions process begins with an application, it involves more than just facts and figures on a form. We have designed our process to help us understand each candidate as a student and, more importantly, as an individual. While we value and respect past achievements, we strive to understand future potential, seriousness of purpose and possible contributions to the Ridley community, as well as to the greater social good.
YOUR GUIDES THROUGH THE PROCESS
Our Admissions Officers are your personal guides through the process. They’ll be with you every step of the way as you discover what the Ridley experience can mean for you. We understand that there may be unique circumstances that require our consideration and flexibility, and we are always available to work with you as needed.
TUITION ASSISTANCE
An independent school education is a significant investment in a child’s future. Although some families are able to make the investment as part of their financial planning, we understand that others may need help. Ridley College offers bursaries and scholarships to eligible students.
DEDICATED AWARDS
Each year, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff donate to a number of dedicated scholarships and bursaries. As a result of this generosity, Ridley directs more than $3 million to bursaries and scholarships every school year.
REGIONAL AWARDS
Our tradition of promoting and honouring academic achievement has led to the creation of international and region-specific merit-based scholarships. We are proud of the fact that over 20% of the Ridley student body receives a merit-based scholarship and/or bursaries each year.
Peter Moses ’20 Dalhousie University
CONTACT INFORMATION
(905) 684-1889 ext. 2207
(866) 603-1889 Toll free in North America
admissions@ridleycollege.com
Ridley College
P.O. Box 3013, 2 Ridley Road St. Catharines, ON, Canada, L2R 7C3
We look forward to hearing from you!
basketball PREP BOYS
Jonathan Avgousti '20 University of Western Ontario
LEAGUE INFO
LEAGUE INFORMATION
The Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) is the province’s premier high school basketball league where student-athletes are exposed to the highest level of elite competition here in Canada.
Power 5 Conference is an affiliate of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and is comprised of programs from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. Ridley College is the only Canadian member.
International showcase events across North America and the Bahamas.
COACH profiles
VICTOR RASO Basketball Director & Head Coach
vistor_raso@ridleycollege.com
Victor Raso is in his first year as the Basketball Director and Prep Boys’ Basketball Head Coach. In addition to this position, Victor in also the Head Coach and General Manager of the Niagara River Lions of the CEBL. During his time with the River Lions, he has amassed various coaching honours and coached and mentored many national team athletes. In addition to professional basketball, Coach Raso has also led the Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School programme to multiple City, Regional and OFSAA championships.
In his playing years, he was an OUA-All Star with McMaster University before transitioning to Carleton University to win back-to-back national titles while completing his MBA. He earned his third championship with the programme as the Ravens Assistant Coach. In 2021, Victor represented Canada in the international stage as both an assistant and head coach of the Edmonton Stingers in the FIBA Basketball Champions League of the Americas.
As the longest tenured Head Coach in the CEBL, Raso has accumulated a track record of successes. He was named the CEBL Coach of the Year in 2019 and has led Niagara to be the only CEBL team to appear at every Championship Weekend.
JOEL FRIESEN Assistant Coach
joel_friesen@ridleycollege.com
Coach Friesen was fresh off an eight-year professional playing career before joining Ridley in 2021. Joel spent his first four seasons competing in the National Basketball League of Canada, where he won three Championships. He also played three seasons in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, where he was the league's first ever draft pick.
His international playing experience includes playing in Taiwan, China, and Ukraine as well as representing the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team as an alternate in 2017 and in Chile during the World Cup Qualifiers in 2018.
Throughout Coach Friesen’s playing career, he was fortunate to gain valuable coaching experience through Canada Basketball’s Junior Academy, the University of Alberta’s Junior Bears and the University of the Fraser Valley’s Junior Cascades. Joel is currently a mentor with the National Basketball Youth Mentorship Program and has his own skill development and consulting service: JF Hoops.
NICHOLAS RONALD Program Assistant
nicholas_ronald@ridleycollege.com
alumni
A COMMUNITY AND A LEGACY
Your relationship with Ridley College does not end when you graduate. As alumni of Ridley, you are part of a multi-generational community of over 8,000 proud men and women in nearly 100 different countries. Wherever your life takes you, there’s a strong probability that you will come across another ‘Old Ridleian’ (OR).
Immanuel Ouldele '22 Simon Fraser University
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
CLASS OF 2016
Shamar Burrows - Dalhousie University
CLASS OF 2018
Cameron Bett - England National Team U15 | Queen’s University
Marcus Upshaw - Team Ontario U17 | Ryerson University
CLASS OF 2019
Malcom Bailey - Team Ontario U17 | Colgate University
Jaden Bediako - Team Canada U18 | Team Ontario U15 & U17 | Santa Clara University
Noah Wharton - Team Ontario U15 & U17 | University of Calgary
Anthony Daudu - University of Toronto
Tomi Johnson - Team Ontario U17 - University of Toronto
CLASS OF 2020
Peter Moses - Acadia University
Kiano Heath - Team Quebec U15 | Bishops University
Alex Root - McGill University
Kennan Larmand - Niagara College
CLASS OF 2021
Mugina Karugire - Ontario Tech
Johhny Augusti - Team Ontario U15 & U17 | Western University
Joshua Loblaw - McMaster University
Cormac McMahon - Brock University
Dylan Kalambay - University of Calgary
Immanual Oludele - Simon Fraser University
D’Angelo Cortese-Affoon - University of British Columbia Okanagan
Adam McDonald - University of Fraser Valley
CLASS OF 2022
Dolu Johnson - Dalhousie University
Gabrielle Marcotullio - Dalhousie University
Topaz Nnani - St. Mary’s University
CLASS OF 2023
Daniel Thompson - University of Waterloo
Noah Wharton, University of Calgary
Malcolm Bailey, Colgate University
Cameron Bett, Queen’s University
Jaden Bediako, Santa Clara University