It’s about an hour’s drive east on the Trans-Canada Highway to catch one of Richmond high school basketball’s gems winding down his university career.
It was back in 2011 when Vijay Dhillon earned tournament MVP honours in leading the RC Palmer Griffins to its first-ever provincial AAA championship. Based on the new tiering format and the size of most Richmond secondary schools, it might be the final time a local team wins the most coveted prize in B.C. boys hoops.
Dhillon was a scoring machine for the Griffins even though his 6-foot-1 frame didn’t create much in the way of match-up problems. The shooting guard was coveted by a number of CIS schools and eventually signed with the Victoria Vikings. He spent two years in the provincial capital before looking for an increased role elsewhere. That opportunity was at the University of Fraser Valley in Abbotsford.
“I was talking to guys who at the time were playing there,” recalled Dhillon. “I was just looking for a fresh start. There were no hard feelings towards UVic. It was just the way things turned out.
Dhillon’s patience was tested further when he had to sit out a year as a transfer player. That allowed him to develop his game even more, including extending his three-point range to nearly Steph Curry territory.
That was evident last season when Dhillon led the Canada West in three-pointers with 61. He would have been No. 1 in the country too had he not missed three games.
“I have always been able to get my shot off quickly and you need to at this level,” he continued. “I’ve been shooting five feet (behind the arc) for a while. I take a lot of pride in it”
Now, he is ready to expand his role even further — joined in the Cascades’ backcourt by Surrey’s Manny Dulay, another fifth-year starter. The pair will be leaned on to pick up the scoring slack left by the departure of Kevon Parchment .
“We expect them to be leaders, really run the offence and provide more of the playmaking aspect to the game than they have in years past,” Cascades head coach Adam Friesen.
“They allow us to space the floor well, and their ability to shoot the three makes our posts’ lives easier and allows some of our wings who prefer to penetrate to have larger lanes to slash into.”
So far, Dhillon is living up to those expectations, averaging just over 15 points per game as the Cascades sit 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Canada West play.
“I definitely would like to repeat that,” said Dhillon of his three-point shooting crown. “Being an all-star would be nice too but I really want help get this team to the Final Four and play for the Canada West championship. That’s something I haven’t experienced since my second year in Victoria.”
He will also try to avoid the injury bug too.
Torn ligaments limited his off-season work and he suffered a broken nose in the third quarter of the team’s non-conference opener against Lethbridge. He returned to the line-up two days later wearing a protective mask.
Dhillon says he might consider play in a pro league if the right opportunity comes along. It would delay his ultimate plan of enrolling in UBC Law School.
