Abbotsford – The University of the Fraser Valley men’s basketball program bolstered its roster with the addition of Jaskarn Bajwa.
The 6’5” guard/forward from Fremont, Calif. joins the Cascades after playing three years of post-secondary basketball south of the border, and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
He brings veteran seasoning to a UFV squad which is looking to replace a trio of recently graduated seniors in Mark Johnson, Andrew Morris and Nav Bains.
“He’s a high-character person who will represent our school well on and off the court,” Cascades head coach Adam Friesen said of Bajwa. “With his basketball skillset, he’ll be able to contribute in a bunch of different areas. We expect him to be one of our top defenders, and an all-around scorer at the offensive end. Through shooting the three-pointer and putting the ball on the floor, he’ll bring value to us offensively.”
Bajwa starred at Irvington High School, earning first team all-league honours three times. From there, he had post-secondary stops at Monterey Peninsula College (junior college), San Francisco State (NCAA Div. II), and Clarke University (NAIA). In 2017-18, his final season with the Clarke Pride, he averaged 7.5 points per game off the bench while shooting 33.6 per cent from beyond the arc and 85.2 per cent from the free throw line.
Bajwa completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Clarke, and is enrolled in Business Admin at UFV.
“I feel like it’s a good basketball program and I can fit in really well there,” he said, breaking down his decision to continue his basketball career with the Cascades. “It’s a predominantly Punjabi basketball team, and I think we’ll mesh well together. There’s a good core coming back, and I think we can make something happen.”
The Cascades men’s basketball team, coming off a 2018-19 season which saw them advance to the Canada West quarter-finals, open their exhibition schedule Aug. 19 when they host Cal State Bakersfield from the NCAA Div. I ranks. Their Canada West conference opener is Nov. 1 at the Winnipeg Wesmen, with their home opener slated for Nov. 15 vs. the UBC Okanagan Heat.
