With teams gearing up for yet another exciting year in the NPSAA, they'll get one last chance to make their final adjustments for the season with pre-season action scheduled this week. The three day tournament taking place over October 17-19 in three venues will help determine opening week rankings and give fans an opportunity to catch the best Canada has to offer a bit earlier than expected.

For returning teams the road to the national title is a familiar path and they enter the 2012-13 campaign looking strong as ever to capture the championship.

Two-time defending champions REDA return in pursuit of an unprecedented third straight title. This year head coach Tarry Upshaw will be running his high powered program in Brampton and Waterloo and as he attests both squads will be up to the task. His Brampton team will feature top NCAA Division I recruit, Nick Madray, who returns to Canada after a year on the American prep circuit. The only holdovers from the 2012 championship team are Abendego Lufile and Mitchell Wood who will be the one-two punch of the Waterloo club. After providing some inspired play, including the block that swayed last season’s title, Lufile hopes solidify himself as the strongest scorer in the league while new comer Keith Brown will wreak havoc on opposing defences with his menacing speed.

If REDA hopes to three-peat there going to have to deal with everyone's A game and no team will be gunning tor them more than Athletes Institute Academy.

Located in Orangeville at the ACTS facility once used by REDA, the new team led by head coach Jesse Tipping and five former REDA players who will be salivating at the chance to show up their former coach every chance they get. Senior guard Gentry Thomas returns as one of the best two-way guards in the league and will certainly see more playing time with a less crowded backcourt than last seasons stacked REDA squad. With a strong core that possesses championship pedigree AIA is as equipped as any team in a bid for the national title.

A team that has shown improvements not just year-to-year but as each season progresses is original league members PHASE 1 Academy. This edition should prove no different as the PHASE 1 White will feature one of the most dominant big men returning bigger and better. Already a force in the middle D'Adrian Allen returns this season more refined and primed to take over as the focal point of the offence with the past two seasons high scorer Johneil Simpson moving on. He'll be getting some help as crafty senior guard Tevaughn Stewart will be manning the point. The former Rock Academy lead guard was integral to the programs unlikely run to the championship game last season and will bring a wealth of experience for PHASE 1 to turn to when the pressure starts building down the stretch.

With the old teams strengthening their rosters for deep runs the newer teams will have a chance to matchup against the competition for the first time in the tune-up games.

Though the name might be different the same high caliber players from Quebec are expected to be represented by Igor Rwigema’s Alma Academy. With over 70 players training at the elite facility just outside Quebec City the affiliate teams hopes to leave an impression in the preseason before returning for tournaments later in the year.

Other teams making their debut will be Bill Crothers School and Thornlea Secondary who kicked off their season in a nail biter that Crothers narrowly eked out. Both newcomers look exceptionally strong and will be well equipped to deal with the talented competition they’ll be facing all season long.

For many teams the pre-season matchups will be an opportunity to determine player rotations and roles while for some clubs it's a chance to get a better idea for final cuts. 

As the start of the regulars season is just around the corner, October 29^th after the REDA Halloween Havoc tournament, teams won't have long to prepare for the third NPSAA season. These preliminary games might mark the first time some teams will take the floor in actual competition and if there are any uncertainties lingering now will be the chance to test them out.

BY: UMAR ALI