Thetford Mines - the new home of the only French Basketball Academy in North America.

For the past two years, Alma Academy - the only French Basketball Academy in North America - has been helping Quebec’s basketball growth. The Academy has allowed more than 12 of its graduates to play at the post-secondary level. For the 2014-2015 season, the Academy has found a new home that will allow the program to attract more players and provide a better schedule to its teams. Founder and coach, Igor Rwigema, feels confident about this new location. 

“The experience in Alma has showed us that our project had a positive impact in our players’ development,” said Coach Rwigema. “However, we wanted to find a better geographical situation to allow us to provide a tougher and better schedule to our teams.”

Thetford Mines is located within 2 hours of Montreal, the American border, and all the big cities in the province of Quebec. 

“We are now saving more than 4 hours on every trip we were making south of the border or in Ontario,” added Rwigema.

The Thetford program will keep the same formula with 2 elite traveling teams (Prep, High School) and 2 provincials teams (Cegep and Junior Varsity) that will compete in the Quebec division. The teams will features some intriguing prospects and will certainly continue to perform well on the provincial and national scene. The Prep team will be highlighted by a trio of 2015’s grad Joel Tshimanga, Levi Londole and Jordyson Telfort. Narcisse Kalamba and Jonathan Koud will add depth and scoring to the team. 

The Thetford High School team features some of the best prospect in the province. Their athletic style of play gives this group the chance to be one of the more balanced rosters the Academy has shown since the start of the program. This team will be led by 6’7 athletic forward Edwin Jeudy and 6’2 Guard Borys Minger. Guard play will arguably be one of the best in the country with 2018 Kolia Konan and 2017 Alain Louis running the show. On the provincial scene, the Cegep and the Junior Varsity groups will try to win the provincial title in both the Cegep and High School Division 2 of RSEQ. Those 2 groups are full of young interesting prospects that will develop throughout the year. The Academy will look to continue building on their success on and off the court.

Levi Londole, 6'7 Forward Class 2015

Joel Tshimanga, 6'7 Forward Class 2015

Joel Thabize, 6'7 Forward Class 2016

Narcisse Kalamba, 6'6 Wing Class 2016

Jacques Motingui, 6'6 Forward Class 2016

Jordyson Telfort, 6'5 Wing Class 2015

Charles Berdnikoff, 6'3 Guard Class 2015

Henderson Charles, 6'2 Guard Class 2016

Kasey Buzas, 6'1 Guard Class 2016

Jonathan Koud, 6’1 Guard Class 2017

Vladimir Thomas, 6'0 Guard Class 2015

Luay Saida Abow, 5'8 Guard Class 2015

Michel Hakizimana, 6'8 Forward Class 2017

Edwin Jeudy, 6'7 Forward Class 2017

Moise Ekamba, 6'6 Forward Class 2017

Anatole Yeguete, 6'5 Forward Class 2017

Peterson Pierre-Louis, 6'5 Guard Class 2017

Emmanuel Metellus, 6'4 Wing Class 2017

Mamadou Keita, 6'3 Guard Class 2017

Eman Eman, 6’3 Guard Class 2018

Borys Minger, 6'2 Guard Class 2016

Alain Louis, 6’0 Guard Class 2017

Nicolas Desjardins, 6'0 Guard Class 2016

Kolia Konan, 5'9 Guard Class 2018

Ibrahima Barry, 6'4 Forward

Daniel Fisher, 6'4 Forward

Rajiv Ndemba, 6'4 Forward

Seth Valminor, 6'4 Foward

Camille Mukendi, 6’3 Guard

Alex Guelongo, 6'1 Guard

Gideon Kabongo, 6'1 Guard

Jonathan Kabasele, 6'0 Guard

Samuel Bokanga, 6'0 Guard

David Bouhoussou, 5'10 Guard

Anthony Verna, 5’9 Guard

Dave Casseus, 5'9 Guard

Adrien Benzeval, 6'5 Forward

Christopher Mongita, 6'4 Forward

Kevin Catulusi, 6'4 Forward

Frederic Kinuani-Savard, 6'4 Wing

Quincy Guerrier, 6'4 Wing

Marlon Lafortune, 6'3 Wing

David Bokanga, 6'3 Wing

Wilfred Balata, 6'3 Wing

Marvin Oseibadu, 6'3 Wing

Gabriel Thabize, 6’2 Guard

Jeffrey Tezo, 6'0 Guard

Edsens Paul, 5'6 Guard

Achraf Benhabbazz, 5'5 Guard

All 4 Thetford Academy rosters will compete & welcome several teams to the 1st THETFORD INVITATIONAL this weekend (October 3-5, 2014). 

Address: 671 Boulevard Frontenac Ouest, Thetford Mines, Quebec 

ACADÉMIE SENIOR (THETFORD MINES, QUÉBEC)

ACADÉMIE JUNIOR (THETFORD MINES, QUÉBEC)

ACADÉMIE JUVENILE (THETFORD MINES, QUEBEC)

FILONS COLLÉGIAL (THETFORD MINES, QUÉBEC)

CÉGEP DRUMMONDVILLE (DRUMMONDVILLE, QUÉBEC)

CÉGEP GARNEAU (QUÉBEC, QUÉBEC)

CÉGEP AHUNTSIC (MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC)

COLLÈGE CHAMPLAIN-LENNOXVILLE (LENNOXVILLE, QUÉBEC)

ATHLETE INSTITUTE PREP (ORANGEVILLE, ONTARIO)

LEE ACADEMY (LEE, MAINE)

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Headlining the visitors will be Athlete Institute Prep (see roster below).

Lee Academy will feature 6’3” 2017 Anthony McNish (transfer/Father Henry Carr).

F – Scott Hitchon 6’7” 205 (Whitby, ON), 2017

F – Cole Long 6’6” 180 (St. John’s, NL), 2015

F – Tyrell Leotaud 6’5” 175 (Ajax, ON), 2016

F – Osayende Omoregie 6’4” 210 (Pickering, ON), 2015

G – Ethan Scott 6’3” 180 (Vancouver, BC), 2016

G – Quinton Gray 6’3” 170 (Aurora, ON), 2016

G – Fraser Curry 6’3” 195 (Ottawa, ON), 2015

G – Connor Laronde 6’3” 190 (Barrie, ON), 2015

G – Dontae Mitchell 6’3” 165 (Vaughan, ON), 2016

G – Russell Baker 6’2” 205 (Toronto, ON), 2015

G – Miles Seward 6’2” 165 (Toronto, ON), 2015

G – Matthew Havens 6’1” 170 (Collingwood, ON), 2015

G – Reid Beauchemin 6’0” 155 (Barrie, ON), 2015

Head Coach: Brandon Lesovsky

Assistant Coach: Sky Smith