TORONTO (National Team) - Canada Basketball announced today the Senior National Men’s Team schedule for 2006. The team will participate in three tours in three European countries; Italy, Germany, and Slovenia under the guidance of Head Coach Leo Rautins and lead assistant Dave Smart.

The team will tip-off their season in Bormio, Italy in a four-team exhibition tournament with Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, and the host Italian team. The team will then travel to Germany where they will play in a two game exhibition series against Dirk Nowitzki and the German National Team in Hambourg July 28th, and Nurembourg, July 30th. The teams will complete the 2006 season in Maribor, Slovenia, playing in the International Alpos Cup against Venezuela, Lebanon and Slovenia.

"This is a great schedule that will give our players experience playing on foreign soil against some of the best teams in the world," stated Rautins. "Our number one priority this year is to give this talented group of young players experience."

Open tryouts for the team will take place Wednesday, June 7, 2006 at Humber College (North Campus) in Etobicoke, ON at 6:00pm. To be eligible to attend the tryout, athletes must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Canadian passport and be a Be One member. See www.basketball.ca for more details on the tryout. Invitational tryouts will take place at Durham College in Oshawa, ON from June 30 – July 3, 2006.

Former Senior Men’s National team player Sherman Hamilton will be joining Rautins and Smart for the 2006 season. Hamilton, a former national team player and one of the best Canadian basketball talents of the last decade, appeared in 116 international matches for Canada between 1995 and 2002 and helped lead Canada to a seventh-place finish at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Hamilton replaces Greg Francis on the senior staff. Francis was announced as the head coach of the Junior Men’s National team earlier this year.

"Along with four-time CIS national champion coach Dave Smart, Sherman Hamilton provides great insight as a former player and national team coach," added Rautins. "He relates well to the players and has a strong understanding of what it takes to succeed at international level competition."

Last year, in his first coaching post with the national team programs, Hamilton served as an assistant coach with the Cadet Men’s National Team who attended the USA Basketball International Invitational tournament in San Diego. He also was an assistant coach with the Development Men’s National Team who attended the FISU (World University Games) in Izmir, Turkey.

"Having played for my country, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved as a coach as well," commented Hamilton on his appointment. I look forward to working with Leo, and Dave. I am very excited about what lies ahead for the program."