Coach Sir fills out his roster

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Edmonton– Two more veterans with solid international credentials will open the season with the Edmonton Energy.

General manager-coach Paul Sir announced the addition of 31-year-old Skouson Harker, a Raymond Comets High School standout who played at Utah Valley Junior College and the NCAA division-one Oregon Ducks before moving overseas, and Steve Sir, the all-time leader in NCAA three-point shooting.

Harker, a power forward at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds played in Germany and Great Britain for several years and was successful as the playing coach of the Worcester Wolves.

“Skouson is a banger on the inside and he finishes at the rim. “Another major asset is his speed in the open court. He is a typical Raymond high school athlete . . . fast and strong and competitive, and he knows how to win.”

Sir, 26, returns to play another year for his father. His signing was delayed until the regular season was completed in Switzerland, where the former Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds star spent the last two seasons. He was a league all-star in 2008.

At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Sir is built perfectly for the International Basketball League’s 22-second shot clock. He played at San Diego State and Northern Arizona and has the highest career percentage of any NCAA shooter with more than 300 attempts.

One of Sir’s high school highlights was a 47-point performance to help Alberta to an under-17 championship. His coach, Dave Youngs, later said he was “the best pure shooter” he had ever seen.

“All along, I wanted to come back,” Sir said. “Edmonton basketball has always been important to me.”

The coach believes it is important to get good opportunities for proven scorers. “When the right players take most of the shots, you’ve got a good chance to win most of your games.”