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UFV Men’s Basketball Add Three

Abbotsford (Dan Kinvig) – The University of the Fraser Valley men’s basketball program has bolstered its backcourt, signing a trio of highly touted newcomers.

Head coach Joe Enevoldson’s latest foray into the 2022 recruiting cycle is comprised of a local standout (Uyi Ologhola of Surrey, B.C.), an out-of-province athlete (Calgary’s Nolan Anderson), and a player with international experience (Adam McDonald of Hamilton, Bermuda).

“I’m very excited about the holistic approach of this recruiting group,” Enevoldson said. “An overarching theme moving forward was, we wanted to get more physical. These are all bigger, stronger guys, and they’ll help infuse us a more physical brand of basketball.

“Off the court, we really want to invest in the classroom and in the community with our group. We’re bringing in three guys who are not only really good on the basketball court, but potentially Academic All-Canadians. That was a priority for us.”

Uyi Ologhola

6’2” guard, Surrey, B.C.

Holy Cross Regional High

Drive Basketball / UBC

Ologhola is transferring to UFV from UBC, where he began his university sport career in 2021 with the Thunderbirds football team. He’d starred on the hardwood at the high school level, playing on the Holy Cross senior team for four seasons and leading the Crusaders to consistent success highlighted by multiple B.C. Catholic titles. He also played for Enevoldson with Team B.C., and his dual-sport excellence saw him recognized as Sport BC’s high school male athlete of the year award winner for 2020-21.

“Uyi is a fantastic athlete, as evidenced by his high school athlete of the year award, playing both basketball and football at an extremely high level,” Enevoldson noted. “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Uyi with the B.C. provincial team where he was one of our leading scorers, and matched up athletically against some of the best players in the country and potential future NBA players at the national championships. Uyi’s physicality and pure strength will be a tremendous asset to our basketball team, and enable him to defend some of the more physical guards in our conference. He’s also an outstanding student, and will fit in well with what we’re trying to accomplish academically.”

“I’m looking for a fresh start after taking a year off, and this is the best place to begin,” said Ologhola, who will study kinesiology at UFV. “I’m looking forward to being that player I should be.”

Adam McDonald

6’1” guard, Hamilton, Bermuda

Ridley College Prep

Bermuda senior men’s national team

McDonald brings an intriguing international pedigree, having already accrued experience with the Bermuda senior men’s national team. He’s an outstanding athlete with the ability to make an immediate impact at the defensive end of the floor, with offensive upside. McDonald played his high school basketball at St. Catharines, Ont.-based Ridley College, and was connected to UFV by Cascades alum Joel Friesen (a B.C. high school champion at Abbotsford’s Yale Secondary), who serves as an assistant coach at Ridley.

“Adam is a very good athlete with tons of upside,” Enevoldson enthused. “He’s coming from a world-class academic institution at the high school level, so we’re getting a great athlete and a great student, and from our conversations, someone who’s going to carry himself with a lot of character. He’s a really tenacious on-ball defender, and athletic enough to get into the lane. He’s played against some of the best high school players in Canada, and competing at the senior men’s level in Bermuda, he’s practicing, at a young age, against guys who are pros.”

“UFV was the best fit for me, as I’ll get a good blend of academics as well as basketball,” said McDonald, who will join Ologhola in the kinesiology program. “B.C. is an amazing area that I’ve always wanted to explore, and now I can at UFV.”

Nolan Anderson

6’2” guard, Calgary, Alta.

William Aberhart High / Edge Prep

Genesis Basketball

Enevoldson has known Anderson since he was four years old – he coached alongside Anderson’s father Craig at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in the mid-2000s, Enevoldson coaching the women’s team and the elder Anderson helming the men’s squad. Nolan Anderson is coming off an outstanding postgrad season at Calgary’s Edge School, and has the tools to grow into an effective playmaker and defender at the next level.

“Nolan grew up in a basketball family, and played at Edge Prep for a good friend of mine who highly recommended him as a well-rounded student-athlete,” Enevoldson said. “He’s a bigger point guard who can be physical, and we are excited for his potential for growth within our program. Nolan will enter the business program, and is also an outstanding student. He’ll be able to come in right away and compete for minutes.”

“I thought UFV would be the best fit for me personally, and they have also shown potential to win which I’m all about,” said Anderson, who will pursue a business admin degree. “My biggest goals are to improve as a basketball player and a person, have fun, and win some games.”

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