'We’ll be back to the finals': Titans owner calls shot ahead of season opener

The KW Titans are ready to tip off another Basketball Super League (BSL) season on Saturday.

The Titans open their season at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium with an evening tilt against the Glass City Wranglers.

The squad came two games short of its first BSL title, losing to the London Lightning last May.

“It definitely taught us a big lesson on taking care of our bodies when it comes to the end of the season,” Titans forward, Jaquan Lightfoot said after Friday’s practice.

Despite the pain of last season, Titans owner David Schooley believes they’re still the team to beat, guaranteeing to CTV News another finals appearance this year.

“We’ll be back to the finals. 100 per cent, yes,” Schooley promised on Friday. “We put the best team on the court last year, we’ve got additional coaching staff. We’re pretty confident this year.”

The Titans brought back six returning players, along with six new recruits.

New to the 12-man roster is hometown kid Justin Malnerich.

The 26-year-old from Cambridge came up through the local basketball system, going on to play for both the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier. The centre joins his local team after playing a year of pro ball in Portugal.

“I get to be back home with my family, playing in front of my home crowd again so it’s going to be fun,” Malnerich told CTV News. “Every level I’ve been in the area, so now I get to play pro here too. It’s really exciting.”

The Titans tied London with a league-high 26 wins last season.

Schooley hopes the excitement of last year will attract more fans to come see the team live.

“We increased attendance since we took over the team by 95 per cent. That means we’re still about 50 per cent to get to the break-even point, so we need people to come out,” Schooley said.

The Titans owner points to a lackluster schedule last year, which saw several home games fall on weekdays. With more weekend games on tap this year, he expects home fans in the stands.

“Lots of Saturday games, lots of Sunday games,” Schooley said. “The only Friday the [Kitchener] Rangers aren’t playing, we’re playing here.”

Looking ahead, the new season comes with a clean slate and fresh excitement, but the team says the expectations haven’t changed.

“A successful season would be getting a ring, bringing it back to Kitchener,” Lightfoot said. “I think we have a lot of experienced players now so I think we can do that.”

Tickets for KW Titans games can be purchased here.