The Sudbury U12 Storm Boys will simply keep climbing until they find the appropriate level of play.

Kicking off the 2023-2024 OBL (Ontario Basketball League) season in Division N, the local crew posted a 4-0 record over the course of a pair of weekend visits to Toronto, with a number of those games not particularly close.

Requesting a re-rank by the provincial body, the Storm were bumped up another five divisions before going 2-0 a couple of weekends ago in Markham, recording victories over the Brooklin B2SO Elite (57-12) and Eurostep Basketball in Etobicoke (50-46).

"I think it's critically important to constantly be looking for that push for your team," noted head coach Derrick Hartley, a very familiar name in the local basketball scene. "At the end of the day, we're trying to develop our basketball players - and that means all ten players on the floor."

"For us to do that, we have to play a level of competition that is better than us. That's the only way we are going to improve."

Improve they have over the past couple of years, to the point where the OBL Fair PLay policy likely favours the team of Brady Hartley, Max Georgievski, Nicholas Folino, Simon Mckechnie, Malik Hussam Eddin, Cruz Serre, Chidube Elendu, Emmet Shonwise, Khalid Sambo and Ezekiel Ngeleka in most of their match-ups.

"We do not have a weak line and that really helps us," said Hartley. "We have two five player lines and both lines are strong."

That said, it is a mix of character and skill that Hartley and his staff (assistant coach John Georgievski; team manager Anas Hussam Eddin) so cherish, a blend that creates a basis for future success.

"It was key to have kids that are not afair to work hard, but also have a really positive attitude," said Hartley. "In any sport, you want to focus on the fundamentals. If we can't shoot, pass, dribble, play defense and rebound - and work together as a team, we're not going to be successful."

"One of the things that has allowed us to be successful is our work ethic and defense," added Hartley. "These kids have a strong sense of help-side defense."

The U12 Storm, which includes four new players this year who arrived without any rep basketball experience will now prepare for another OBL weekend in February - hopefully with some games that foster an environment for growth and progress.

If not, it's onward and upward.

The team wished to pass along their sincere thanks to team sponsors: NAPA Auto Parts, Folini Cement and Tile and Kuppajo Espresso Bar