Eli Jolin is the Third Falcon to Become Canada's best Hoopster
By Michael Clarkson
For the third time, five years, FEIA Falcons have the best hoopster in the country.Guard Eli Jolin has won Player of the Year for the National Preparatory Association (NPA), considered the top high school basketball league in Canada.
Jolin, who will attend Santa Clara University in California next season, led the Falcons to the Ontario championship for 2025-26, featuring slashing drives from the wing and deft long-range shooting.The other celebrated players were Ishan Sharma, Player of the Year at the All-Canadian Basketball Games in 2024, and Leonard Miller, NPA Player of the Year in 2022 before being drafted into the NBA.
Jolin, a versatile 6-7 shooting guard, was also named Most Improved Player in the 2026 Grind Session, considered the premier prep school league in the United States. He was first team all-star for the NPA and the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association.The scouting firm Northway said it was no surprise that Jolin wins awards, adding “he is a high character kid with a major upside, definitely an NBA prospect.
”An excellent student from Rouyn-Noranda, Que., Jolin grew six inches two years ago.“FEIA is known for its talent and, coming from Quebec, I wanted to play against the best in Canada,” Jolin said. “At Fort Erie, everybody has big goals and is fully committed, so every practice and every workout is competitive. Being around one of the best coaching staffs has really helped my development. We have a big winning culture.
”Falcons coach Kemy Esse is impressed: “Eli sets a standard for this program and he encapsulates everything about FEIA’s culture. He comes from a great family, great work ethic and the staff loved coaching him. He has a very bright future ahead.”Known as a scorer, Eli says his playmaking is underrated. “I create touches in the paint with passes to the wing or a big man.”
Charles Hantoumakos, who recruited Jolin and is now assistant coach at University of the Pacific, said Eli was one of the hardest-working players he has coached: “His passion for the game and relentless approach to achieving greatness you don’t see often in players at any level.”Jolin helped the Falcons win this season’s Ontario championship, 64-62 over Ridley College of St. Catharines.
