TORONTO (April 25, 2024) – Canada Basketball announced Thursday that Chris Cheng will return as head coach of Canada’s U17 Men’s National Team for the upcoming FIBA U17 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2024. 

"There is no greater honor than to represent your country. It gives me great joy to represent Canada,” said Cheng. “Anytime I have an opportunity to do so, it is always a privilege. I am looking forward to working with my staff and the 12 selected athletes to represent Canada at the World Championships."

Since 2013, Cheng has held several roles within Canada’s men’s high-performance program, including last summer as he made his Canadian national team head coaching debut at the FIBA U16 Men’s Americas Championship 2023, where Canada won silver.  Before that, he was an assistant coach with the U17 national team at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2022 in Malaga, Spain.  Since joining the University of Windsor’s men’s basketball team in 2019, Cheng has led the Lancers to multiple playoff appearances in his five seasons as head coach.  Before joining Windsor, Cheng was the first-ever head coach for Nipissing University, leading the program to the OUA playoffs in just its third season. Cheng has completed his Train to Compete, Learn to Train, and Train to Train training.

“I am excited with the pool of athletes we have selected and I expect our camp to be highly competitive, selfless, and together,” said Cheng. “I can’t wait to get started.

Jason Dawkins, Willy Manigat, and Peter Guarasci return to join Cheng and round out the coaching staff as assistant coaches for the competition, having captured silver together as a staff last summer.

Dawkins returns for his third-straight year coaching with the U16/U17 Men’s national team, previously serving as an assistant coach in 2022 and 2023.  This season, Dawkins led the Huskies men’s basketball team to their second-consecutive silver medal at the CCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, a year after George Brown appeared in the OCAA Championship game. Dawkins has been the head coach at George Brown since 2019 and has also led Team Ontario to six gold medals and one silver from 2010-17. Dawkins is Train to Compete, Train to Train, and Learn to train certified.

Willy Manigat just finished his fifth season as the head coach of the Brock Badgers men’s basketball program. This past year, he led the team to an OUA men’s basketball silver medal and a U SPORTS Final 8 appearance for the second time in the last three years. Manigat, who took over as head coach of the Badgers for the 2021-22 season, went 14-1 during the regular season as Brock captured their first OUA men’s basketball title in 30 years as he was named OUA West Coach of the Year.  In addition to his time with Brock, Manigat was previously the lead assistant for the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team. He has also worked with the Niagara River Lions and his hometown team, the Ottawa Blackjacks, in the CEBL. Manigat has competed both his Train to Compete and Train to Train training and is Learn to Train certified.  

After making his coaching debut with Canada Basketball last summer, Peter Guarasci returns as an assistant coach with the U17 Men’s national team.  Following this playing career, Guarasci transitioned into coaching, serving as head coach of the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s men’s basketball team from 2012-2018.  He was named the Fraser Valley (now Vancouver) Bandits' first-ever head coach and general manager in 2019.    

Guarasci has experience representing Canada as a player, including the 1998 FIBA World Championship and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  He also played 12 seasons overseas in some of the top men's leagues in Spain, Germany and Italy. Guarasci is Train to Compete, Learn to Train, and Train to Train certified.

The FIBA U17 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2024 will run June 29-July 7, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey. Canada is in Group D and will face Egypt, Germany and Australia in the Group Phase. This will be Canada’s seventh appearance at the tournament since 2012, with its highest finish being third at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men.

Canada is currently ranked 9th overall in the FIBA boy’s age-group rankings, presented by Nike, following the conclusion of the FIBA 2023 Youth Events.