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Canada Basketball

Dave Smart Named Head Coach Of Boys' U18 National Team

U18 Men

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Feb 20, 2018

TORONTO, ON (February 20, 2018) - Canada Basketball is pleased to announce the hiring of Dave Smart as Head Coach of the Boys' U18 National Team.

"We are excited to have Dave lead Canada on home soil at this summer's FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2018 in St. Catharines," said Michael Meeks, Manager, Youth Player Development.

One of the most accomplished coaches in U SPORTS (formerly CIS) history, Smart has led the Carleton Ravens men's basketball team to a record breaking nine OUA Championships and twelve national championship titles in the past fifteen years.  Since taking over the Ravens program in 1999-00, Smart has earned the Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy as U SPORTS Coach of the Year a record eight times.

Smart was named the assistant coach of Canada's senior men's national team in 2012 and a year later led the development men's national team (DMNT) to a perfect 9-0 sweep of the Four Nations International Invitational Tournament.

In 2015, Smart returned to the Canadian bench as an assistant coach as Canada finished third at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City, Mexico and was a member of Canada's staff at the 2016 FIBA Rio Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila, Philippines.

Most recently, Smart was back with the team this past November as an assistant coach for the first window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers.

"Having the opportunity to coach Canada is always special, but the chance to lead some of Canada's top age-group athletes at home is truly an honour," said Smart.

Smart is trained in Canada Basketball's train to compete certification.

Smart will be present at next month's U18 Selection Camp in Toronto and will lead the team at this summer's FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2018 (June 10-16, 2018) in St. Catharines.

Canada Basketball has partnered with the 2021 Canada Summer Games Host Society, along with the City of St. Catharines, to bring the ten-day event to the Niagara Region, as the top eight teams from the FIBA Americas zone compete for a place on the podium and a berth in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Canada has found themselves in the top three in each of the past five tournaments dating back to the 2008 edition in Formosa, Argentina, including back-to-back silver medals in 2014 and 2016.

Canada's youth men are currently ranked 3rd in the world and 2nd in the Americas.