The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s basketball team is pleased to announce that Dakota Laurin and Colin van Schoor have made known their intent to attend the University of Toronto in the fall of 2009.

A native of Calgary, Alta., Laurin has been a three-year starter and captain for the Western Canada high school Redmen. The 6-foot-4 guard led his team to the city finals in grades 10 and 12 and number one and two provincial rankings for the past two seasons.

Athletic and long, Laurin handles the ball, penetrates aggressively and has a very accurate pull jumper. Last season he averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks per game with an impressive 56% field goal percentage. He led the Redmen to a 31-3 record, five tournament championships and has also played in summer tournaments in Las Vegas, California, and Spokane with the Calgary Selects and Calgary Elite.

Standing 6-foot-7, van Schoor is a post player who will give the Blues a strong inside presence. The Toronto native attended Crestwood Preparatory College where he helped lead the team to Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Assocation (CISAA) and Small Schools Athletic Federation (SSAF) division titles in grade 10. In 2007-08, van Schoor was named the basketball team’s most valuable player as well as Crestwood’s athlete of the year. 

A key member of the Ballhawks basketball team in the Amateur Athletics Union (AAU), van Schoor has travelled with the team to many American AAU tournaments and has faced some of the best competition in North America. 

Both Laurin and van Schoor will provide depth to the men’s basketball team as they look to improve on their third-place OUA East division finish in 2008-09.