Langara Basketball team thrilled about new Falcon member

Reported by Natalia Buendia Calvillo

As the Langara men’s basketball team prepare for the regular season action, an addition of a formerPacWest scoring leader has the group buzzing.

High expectations

New Falcons guard Martin Bogajev enters the fray for Langara after transferring from the Capilano University Blues, for basketball-related reasons. In the 2015/16 season, Bogajev led the PacWest in scoring with a 21.8 points-per-game average and was named a PacWest First Team All-Star. The former Blues guard has high expectations for himself this season.

“My expectations are to go to nationals. Help the team the best I can and get wins, right? Trying to win is the best of my angles,” Bogajev said.

The third-year guard joins a Falcons squad that finished second-place in the PacWest regular season standings a season ago, with 14 wins in 18 games. Langara followed it up with a fourth-place showing in the 2017 provincial championships. The Falcons are currently in the exhibition season, where they have a 2-2 record. Their next exhibition game is on Oct. 28 against Okanagan College at Immaculata Regional High School in Kelowna, B.C.

Falcons head coach Paul Eberhardt has known Bogajev since he was 12-years-old and coached him when he was younger. Eberhardt recognizes Bogajev’s sharp shooting abilities are extremely valuable to the lineup.

“He is probably our best shooter,” Eberhardt said. “I expect him to bring some experience and leadership to this team.”

Former opponent happy to be working with him for a change

Entering his fourth season with Langara, six-foot-nine center Grant Galbraith previously played against Bogajev when he was still a member of the Blues. Galbraith has been pleased by Bogajev’s high commitment level to begin the season and believes he has a chance to be an all-star once again. The fourth-year center is happy to be playing with him, not against.

“It is good to have him on the team because we don’t have to worry about him shooting against us,” Galbraith said. “He is a tough guy for any team regardless because he is a great shooter.”