National success for Cheng could benefit Lancers

In his debut as a national team head coach Chris Cheng led Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U16 America's championship.

Source: FIBA Basketball

"To be our national head coach is such an honour and rewarding experience." said the University of Windsor bench boss in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to work with this group and welcome others that will help us achieve podium success at next year's World Cup."

Canada went 3-0 in pool play beating the Dominican Republic, Uraguay and Brazil. They silenced the home crowd beating Mexico in the quarter-finals and earned a trip to the championship game with a hard fought 65-58 win over Argentina.

In the other bracket, the United States was rolling opponents scoring an average of 115 points per game. The American didn't relent in the final winning their 8th straight gold medal humbling the Canadians 118-36.

The silver medal was Canada's best effort since 2019 and the country's fourth silver at the tournament. "I am proud of this team and what we accomplished this summer. It was a valuable learning experience for everyone including myself." Cheng said.

At the end of July Cheng will be in Memphis with Team Canada continuing with player identification and development for targeted athletes for next year. He'll also be at the U15 and U17 National Championship in Sherbrooke, Quebec for further player idents for Team Canada and future Windsor Lancers.