SARNIA – The future for the Men’s Basketball Program continues to get a little bit brighter with each passing day.
Sulaiman Murtaza, a six-foot-two guard from Cambridge, has committed to Head Coach James Grant and the Men’s Basketball Program for the 2023-24 season.
Murtaza is the fifth member of the 2023 recruiting class for Coach Grant and his staff. He will join the likes of Brandon Bogart (St. Thomas, Ont.), Albin Gashi (Cambridge, Ont.), Evander Doxilly (Sarnia, Ont.), and Brian Avalo Barrera (London, Ont.) as newcomers with the Lions in September.
“I’m ready to give it my all,” said Murtaza. “I had flashbacks of when I first started playing basketball, and I never really thought that I would ever make it to the college level, but I put in the work and now I’m here.”
The commitment of Murtaza marks the second player from Glenview Park S.S. to commit to the Lions for the 2023-24 season. Murtaza and Gashi were teammates with the Panthers this past season.
Having the opportunity to continue playing alongside Gashi, now at the collegiate level, is something that Murtaza is looking forward to. He’s also hoping they can continue to have success together on the court.
“I’m excited to hoop with Albin again,” added Murtaza. “Even outside of school we play together, so we have good chemistry together and I’m excited to bring that to Lambton College.”
Prior to attending Glenview Park Secondary School for his Grade 12 year, Murtaza had attended Bramalea Secondary School in Brampton. The Lions have had several athletes from Bramalea S.S. on their roster in recent years, including the pair of Kaleb Deans and Journee Joseph this past season.
Murtaza will be enrolled in the Border Services Program while at Lambton College.
The Lions are coming off a 2022-23 season that saw the program compete for an OCAA medal for the second consecutive year. Coach Grant and the Lions finished fourth at the 2023 OCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and will be looking to climb back onto the podium in the coming year.
With the addition of Murtaza to the mix, the Lions have added another talented player to their back court rotation, solidifying their depth in the process in a key area with guard play being a big factor in the OCAA West Division.
Welcome to The Den, Sulaiman!