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KW Titans

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KW Titans
KW Titans logo
Founded2016
HistoryKW Titans
2016–present
NBL Canada 2016-2023
BSL: 2023–present
ArenaKitchener Memorial Auditorium
LocationKitchener, Ontario
(Waterloo Region)
Team coloursBlue, black, white, silver
       
Head coachCliff Clinkscales
OwnershipDavid Schooley
Websitekwtitans.com

KW Titans (formally known as Kitchener-Waterloo Titans Basketball Club) are a professional basketball team based in Regional Municipality of Waterloo that competes in the Basketball Super League. The team plays its home games at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex. It was founded in 2016 by an ownership group made up of Ball Construction and Leon Martin, Jeff Berg and Brian Foster

History

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On June 28, 2016, National Basketball League of Canada announced an approved expansion team to represent the Regional Municipality of Waterloo while still in the process of negotiating a lease with Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex.[1] A new ownership group was composed by several local businesses with the majority ownership going to Ball Construction and a minority stake held by Leon Martin, Jeff Berg and Brian Foster.[2] Ball Construction's chief financial officer, Frank Schneider, was named team president in representing the ownership group in team dealings.[3] The team name was determined through a contest and announced on July 29.[4] On August 23, the team announced that they would play their home games at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, unveiled their new uniforms, named Serge Langis as their first coach, and announced their first player signings.[5]

In the first game of their first season, the Titans lost to the Orangeville A's 110–105 at home. The team finished their season with 18 wins and 22 losses, finishing third in the Central Division. The team qualified for the playoffs but lost all three games in the first round to the Windsor Express.[6]

The team opened their second season on November 18, 2017, against the Windsor Express with Serge Langis returning as the head coach.[7] However, Langis was released during the season after a 5–22 record and replaced by former Titans' player Cavell Johnson.[8]

The 2019–2020 season was curtailed before the postseason due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the following season was cancelled entirely. Before the 2021–22 season, head coach Johnson resigned from his coaching positions with the team due to other commitments.[9] There was no season in 2020-2021 due to the ongoing pandemic lockdowns.

The 2021-2022 season finally got off the ground in February 2022 after another provincial COVID-19 Lockdown. This the best season in franchise history finishing with a .500 regular season winning percentage, the team went all the way to the NBLC Finals, ultimately losing to the London Lightning. Mel Kobe was hired as VP of Basketball Operations & General Manager and former Windsor Express assistant coach Neal Foreman as Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel.

2022-23 season: David and Kate Schooley purchased the team. Frank Schneider is back and Cliff Clinkscales is the head coach. The season for the Titans started more than five weeks after the rest of the league due to the late sale of the team. [10][11]

All-star Weekend returned with the NBLC Allstars taking on The Basketball League (TBL) Allstars.

3 Titans were named to the NBLC team roster:

  • Eric Ferguson - Also competed in 3pt competition
  • Joel Kindred
  • Chad Frazier

8 KW athletes were nominated for regular season individual awards. 4 of them came away with hardware.

Individual Award Nominees & Winners - 2022
Award Name KW Nominees Winner Reference
Newcomer of the Year Eric Ferguson, Ron Artest III Jeremey Harris (Sudbury 5) [12]
Rookie of the Year Shakwon Barrett Shakwon Barrett [13]
Most Improved Player of the Year Joel Kindred, Jesse Jones Joel Kindred [14]
6th Man of the Year Darnell Landon Terry Thomas (London Lightning) [15]
Defensive Player of the Year Ty Walker, Joel Kindred Ty Walker [16]
Canadian Player of the Year Darnell Landon, Juwan Miller Terry Thomas (London Lightning) [17]
Most Valuable Player Eric Ferguson, Joel Kindred Joel Kindred [18]

Season-by-season record

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Season Coach Regular season Post season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2016–17 Serge Langis 18 22 .450 3rd 0 3 .000 Lost in Division Semifinals
2017–18 Serge Langis
Cavell Johnson		 8 32 .200 5th Did not qualify
2018–19 Cavell Johnson 19 21 .475 4th 5 6 .455 Lost in Division Finals
2019–20 Cavell Johnson 9 16 .360 Season curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 Neal Foreman 12 12 .500 3rd 3 4 .429 Lost in League Finals
2022-23 Cliff Clinkscales 9 15 .375 4th 0 3 .000 Lost in Division Finals
2023-24 Cliff Clinkscales 23 10 .667 1st 4 3 .571 Lost in League Finals
Totals 98 128 .433 — 12 19 .337

Current roster

[edit]
KW Titans roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
SF 0 United States Hollis, Curtis 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 186 lb (84 kg) 26 – (1998-04-25)25 April 1998
PG 1 United States Tate, Jaylon 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 29 – (1995-01-16)16 January 1995
F 3 United States Lee Jr., Anthony 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (110 kg) 33 – (1991-05-24)24 May 1991
SG 4 United States Williams Jr., Dexter 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 31 – (1993-05-27)27 May 1993
F 5 United States Lightfoot, Jaquan 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg)
PG 8 Canada Miller, Juwan 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg)
G 10 United States Barnes, Dee 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 24 – (2000-05-16)16 May 2000
G 11 United States Maultsby, Marque 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 25 – (1999-08-10)10 August 1999
SG 13 United States Hamilton, Jared 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 29 – (1995-03-02)2 March 1995
F 22 United States Faulkner, Jibreel 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 28 – (1996-08-04)4 August 1996
F 25 United States Jones, Darian 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 26 – (1998-08-27)27 August 1998
C 33 France Okongo, Axel 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 28 – (1996-07-23)23 July 1996
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Inactive
  • Injured Injured
Updated: December 30, 2023

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "New National Basketball League of Canada team to be dubbed KW Titans". The London Free Press. July 29, 2016.
  2. ^ "NBLC Announces Newest Franchise for the Waterloo Region". OurSports Central. June 28, 2016.
  3. ^ "NBL Canada's Newest Franchise Announces Team Name". NBL Canada. July 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "K-W's new basketball team named the Titans". The Record. July 29, 2016.
  5. ^ "Titans announce coach, player and unveil pro hoop team's uniforms". The Record. August 23, 2016.
  6. ^ "2016-2017". www.nblcanada.com. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  7. ^ "schedule - KW Titans". www.kwtitans.com. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  8. ^ "KW TITANS RELEASE HEAD COACH SERGE LANGIS". KWTitans.com. February 25, 2018.
  9. ^ "Johnson to Change Roles with Titans". OurSports Central. November 16, 2021.
  10. ^ "KW Titans Crew Has a New Foreman". kwtitans.com. November 29, 2021.
  11. ^ "Titans Welcome Kobe". kwtitans.com. November 12, 2021.
  12. ^ "Jeremy Harris Named NBLC Newcomer of the Year". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  13. ^ "Shakwon Barrett Named NBLC Rookie of the Year". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  14. ^ "Joel Kindred Named NBLC Most Improved Player". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  15. ^ "Terry Thomas Named NBLC 6th Man of the Year". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  16. ^ "Tyran Walker Named NBLC Defensive Player of the Year". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "Terry Thomas Named NBLC Canadian Player of the Year". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "Joel Kindred Named NBLC Most Valuable Player". NBLCanada.ca. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
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