Get to know the competing teams at this year’s Vancouver Invitational.
The Seattle Slam are Vancouver Invitational regulars and are entering two teams in this year’s tournament for the second straight year. Seattle has split their usual playing squad into two fairly even teams, with Slam 1 taking a more hi-lo approach to their line-up and Slam 2 going with balance.
Ranked 21st in the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association (USWRA), Seattle will play at the Western Semifinals in Las Vegas in April.
Seattle Slam 1
Slam 1’s hi-lo means they’ll often have two hi-point players (like Shane Crider and Kaley Dugger) on the court with two low-point players (like Sebastian Broussard and Chris McCarty) on the court together.
McCarty’s age reduction means they also can run a bit of balance and get three ball handlers on the court, with 2.0 Brian Moore joining the two high-pointers.
Ones To Watch
Sebastian Broussard 0.5 – Seattle Slam 1
Seb is back! The young and talented 0.5 moved away and joined the Ability 360 Heat to take his game to the next level, but he’s back with the Slam at the Invitational.
Quick and shifty for a 0.5, Seb was the All-Tournament Low-Pointer last year. He does a fantastic job creating flow, helping his teammates get up and down the court on offense, and containing threats on defense. Seb won’t get the ball much, but he always makes a big impact on the court.
Jeremy Hannaford 1.0 – Seattle Slam 1
The player/coach of the Slam, Jeremy, is integral to everything Seattle does on and off the ball. An incredibly strong picker who’s difficult to get off of.
Hannaford’s ability to play above his classification creates mismatches for his team, and his vocal leadership will help direct traffic on the floor.
Michael Lykins – Seattle Slam 2
We all want to be like Mike. Michael Lykins is an experienced member of the Slam who’s having a banner season in the USWRA. Lykins has won multiple Best Mid-Pointer awards this season and is a big reason why the Slam are in the postseason.
He’s got great speed for a 2.0 and should be one of their primary playmakers at the Oval. Watch out for him to get into plenty of exciting races with opposing defenders.
Jake Wheeler 2.5 – Seattle Slam 2
One of the faces of the Vancouver Invitational who’s been in plenty of most memorable photos in recent years. Jake is an incredibly steady player with great size and distribution skills, making him an ideal post-up player and offensive hub for the Slam off the inbound.
A big hitter with deceptive speed, he’ll be huge in Seattle’s effort to get out of a competitive pool.
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