Basketball at the Legion Athletic Camp has featured a Who's Who of Canadian talent both in the coaching and players ranks. Here are just a few of the Legion Camp alumni.

Jim Bulloch

Jim made a great contribution to basketball as a very successful coach and organizer. He started coaching in the late 1930's and did not stop until the early 1980's. He coached the "Paulins" from 1948-1955. The "Paulins" were Canadian Senior "A" Men's Champions in 1954. He coached St. Andews from 1959-1964 and again in 1968 - 69. Jim also coached Nicolett Inn from 1978-1983, leading them to a Canadian Senior "A" Men's Championship in 1979. Jim also coached Glenlawn Collegiate to three consecutive Provincial Championship Tournaments.

In 1949, Jim was a founder of the nine-team McGregor Armouries Junior Men's League. In the 1960's, he was a founder of the Winnipeg Paraplegic Sports League and the Golden Ramblers Wheelchair Basketball Team. Jim was also instrumental in organizing the first Pan American Paraplegic Games, held in Winnipeg in 1967 in conjunction with the Pan American Games.

Ken Opalko

A graduate of Daniel McIntyre Collegiate, Ken played varsity basketball at the University of Winnipeg from 1976 - 1981. At a time when there was no 3 point shot, Ken was the Canadian University scoring leader with a total of 3603 points. In 1978 he set the G.P.A.C. Conference scoring record for one game by scoring 45 points.

He was named to the Canadian University All-Canadian Team in 1978. Ken was also a Great Plains Athletic Conference All-Star five years in a row.

Ken was also involved in the National Program for five years, playing on the Junior National, the National B, and the National A Teams. In 1978, he was a member of the team that won a bronze medal at the world-qualifying tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Vic Pruden

Vic Pruden began coaching in 1957 when he coached the Isaac Newton High School Juvenile boy's team to a Provincial Championship. Since then, Vic has had a successful coaching record (win/loss record of + .700) at the high school, university, provincial and national levels.

In eight years of coaching varsity boys at the high school level, Vic's teams won five provincial championships: Sisler "Spartans" in 1958 and the Vincent Massey "Trojans" of Ft. Garry in 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1965. In 1963, the "Trojans" were Provincial Finalists.

In 1966, Vic started the intercollegiate men's program at United College, becoming the University of Winnipeg in 1967. In 1972, he started the women's intercollegiate program; that team won the Provincial Senior championship and, because all of the young women on the team were eligible to play Junior, the team entered and won the National Junior Championship. Vic continued to coach the women for seven years. During that time they were G.P.A.C. Conference Conference Finalists in 1973, Conference Champions in 1974, '75, '76, '77, '78, and 1979, and National Intercollegiate Finalists in 1977 and 1978.

In the late 1970's, Vic coached the National Junior Women's Team for two consecutive years. Six players from this development program became starters with the National Women's Team.

In 1990, Vic coached the Manitoba Provincial women's team to a gold medal in the Western Canada Games.

In addition to coaching, Vic devoted a great deal of time to basketball development. He was a founder and organizer of The Fort Garry Invitational Tournament (F.G.I.T.), the University of Winnipeg Wesmen Classic (originally the Golden Boy Tournament). He started the University of Winnipeg Summer Basketball School and the Royal Canadian Legion Basketball Camp at the Peace Gardens. He was also a founder and the first President of the Manitoba Basketball Coaches' Association.

In 1987, Vic wrote "A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH TO BASKETBALL", published in 1987 by Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois. Shortly after, he developed a 4-on-4 developmental basketball game for boys and girls under 13.

John Randa

John Randa is always, literally, on the rebound.
Randa attended Week 2 at the Legion Athletic Camp last year and was a big hit with the athletes. At 6-foot-8 John believe it or not is the little guy in his family as his older and taller bro' Kirk gained national attention in the 1970s'.
John led his North Surrey high school team to a British Columbia provincial championship in 1981 before heading south to play for North Idaho Junior College where his team finished 26-6 in 1982.
After being voted a First Team Region 18 All- Star in 1983 John moved up a rank to star for NCAA Division I (1984-86) Eastern Washington University Eagles. His 1985/86 team finished 20-8 and he lead the team in boards with over nine (9) a game with a season high 18 versus Idaho State in January of 1986
He also managed to windex the boards for 13 vs powerhouse DePaul.
Following some senior men's hoops in Fort McMurray Alberta, the big fella hit the pro circuit: 1986/87: Argentina Second Division League. Club: Rio Cuarto; 1987/88: Mexican Premier Basketball
League. Club: Tepic Basketball Club and finally 1988/89: Portuguese Premier Basketball League. Club: Belenenses of Lisbon. He led the league with an average of 18 rebounds a game. John returned to B.C. where he is a correction officer in Langley. He is also demonstrating the correct way to rebound to youth basketball members
at the YMCA.

Carl Ridd

A graduate of Gordon Bell High School and Westminster Church basketball, Carl became one of the most outstanding basketball players in Manitoba through the late 1940's and the 1950's. In the four years (1947-51) that Carl played for the University of Manitoba, he was leading scorer each year. In the 1949-50 season, he was the 4th leading scorer in the North American College Basketball (averaging 25 pt. per game).

In 1950-1953, Carl led the U of M "Varsity Grads" to three Provincial Senior "A" Championships. After the "Grads" lost to Tillsonberg "Livingstons" in the Canadian Championships in 1952, Carl was selected to represent Canada the 1952 Olympics with the Tillsonberg, the Canadian Champions.

In 1954, Carl was the leading scorer for the "Paulins" when they won the Canadian Championship. In that year he played for the Winnipeg "Canadians" in the first World Basketball Championships in Brazil. Carl was the first and only Canadian to be named to an All-World All-Star Team (2nd Team All-Star).

In 1952 and 1953, Carl turned down pro contacts form the NBA "Hawks" to pursue his academic studies and family commitments.

Martin Riley

A graduate of Sisler High School, Martin played his university basketball at the University of Manitoba. While a Bison, he was named CIAU Player of the Year in 1976 and an All-Canadian in 1976, '77, and '78.

One of the few players to make the Canadian National Team out of high school in 1973, Martin was a member of the 1976 team that placed fourth at the Montreal Olympics. He was captain of the 1980 Olympic team. Unfortunately, because of the boycott of the Moscow Olympics, Canada did not participate. Martin also represented Canada at the 1974 and 1978 World Championships, 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games, and the 1977 and 1979 World University Games.

He was also a member of Nicolett Inn that won the Canadian Senior Men's Championship in 1979 and 1980. Martin played professionally in Argentina in the 1980-81 season.

Ross Wedlake

A graduate of St. John's High School, Ross played his university basketball at the University of Manitoba from 1966 to 1971. In 1972, Ross was a member of the Canadian National Team that played in Mexico, Italy, and Germany. The team finished third at the Pre Olympic Tournament in Augsburg, Germany, narrowly missing a trip to the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Ross was also a member of the St. Andrews Super Saints that won Canadian Senior Men's Championships in 1972, 1975, 1976.

- Reprinted from the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame -

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