Basketball BC Announces 2026 SuperConference Speakers

Basketball BC is excited to announce the speakers for the 2026 SuperConference, October 23rd at the Langley Event Center.  Continuing as BC’s premier coach education event, this year's clinic features another outstanding group of presenters.

Coaches of all levels and genders will benefit from an outstanding day of learning. 

 

Russell Turner

University of California - Irvine

Russell Turner, the winningest coach in UCI history, begins his 17th season as the UC Irvine head coach in the 2026-27 season. Turner has guided the Anteaters to 342 wins, averaging over 20 wins a season. This year's Anteaters line-up features two Canadians - BC’s own Torian Lee and 7’9” Olivier Rioux. On the national stage, Turner was a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award in 2017 and 2020, and for the Hugh Durham Award in 2019, 2020 and 2024. Bracketbusters.com also named him one of its Top 10 Big West Coaches of the Century.

Before arriving at UC Irvine, Turner spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors after collegiate coaching stops at Stanford and Wake Forest. He participated in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program in Turkey, China and Lithuania. Turner served on Mike Montgomery's Stanford staff from 2000-04. The Cardinal went 105-24, won Pac-10 titles in 2001 and 2004, reached four NCAA Tournaments and advanced to the 2001 West Regional final. He previously worked under Dave Odom at Wake Forest from 1994-2000, when the Demon Deacons won 161 games and reached three NCAA Tournaments.

A two-time All-American at Hampden-Sydney College, Turner set the school career scoring record with 2,272 points. He graduated magna cum laude in 1992 with degrees in English and economics and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was inducted into the Hampden-Sydney Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and the inaugural Old Dominion Athletic Conference Hall of Fame class in 2025.

 

Phil Jalalapoor

University of British Columbia

Phil Jalalpoor was named the permanent Head Coach of the men's basketball program in April of 2026, following a successful 2025-26 campaign where he led the 'Birds to both the Canada West Final and U SPORTS Final 8 as the interim bench boss. In his inaugural year in charge, Jalalpoor led the T-Birds to a 15-5 record in conference play and a trip to both the Canada West Final and national championship tournament for the second consecutive season. UBC also won their regular season series over rivals UVic for the first time since 2018-19,Jalalpoor previously served as a lead assistant coach for the program for one season, after he retired from playing basketball professionally.

Coach Jalalpoor’s professional career included stops in Spain, Austria (where he led the league in assists), Iceland, and his native Germany. Internationally, he represented Iran at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, during which he faced off against the United States.

Coach Jalalpoor was a member of the Toronto Raptors staff during the 2026 NBA Summer League.

 

Toccara Ross

Savannah Steel

Toccara Ross was promoted to head coach of the Savannah Steel, of the Upshot professional women’s league, midway through its inaugural season, bringing a global basketball résumé spanning elite collegiate and professional competition. A Chicago native, Ross starred for the Iowa State Cyclones. She was a key contributor to the program’s 2009 Elite Eight run and led the team in rebounding, establishing the toughness and consistency that would define her career.

Ross’s professional journey spans 15 years and more than 20 countries, including Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Israel, France, and Australia. She won a Swiss League title and earned Player of the Year honors in Puerto Rico. Most recently, she competed in Athletes Unlimited, continuing to perform alongside some of the world’s best players.

Ross has also built a strong coaching résumé. At Boston University, she helped the program capture a Patriot League regular-season title, and she has also coached at Central Michigan University. She served as head coach at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, one of the country’s premier NBA pre-draft events, and gained valuable organizational experience with the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League.

Ross has coached at both the NBA G League Elite Camp and the NBA Combine, evaluating and developing the next wave of professional talent at the highest pre-draft stages. Through the Jr. NBA & WNBA Court of Leaders program, she has invested in the development of future professionals. As an active participant in the NBA Coaching Development Program, Ross continues to deepen her expertise alongside some of basketball’s brightest minds. Beyond the court, she is an ambassador for Athlete Ally, advocating for equality and inclusive communities in sports.

 

Phil Jevtovic

Canada Basketball

Philip Jevtovic is the Assistant General Manager, Men’s 3x3 and High Performance Analytics at Canada Basketball, where he oversees the Men’s 3x3 National Team and leads all analytics, strategy, and research within the broader Men’s High Performance program. His work spans 3x3 team development and competitive strategy as well as performance analysis, building data infrastructure and delivering insights that support athlete evaluation, preparation, and long-term high performance outcomes. In addition, Philip is an Assistant Coach with the Senior Men’s National Team, supporting competition and game preparation through video and statistical analysis. In addition to his work with Canada Basketball, Coach Jevtovic has held coaching roles with Ontario Basketball, McGill University, and the University of Toronto.