We learned on Tuesday that Sudbury lost one of its great basketball coaches, Mitch Lalonde, who passed away surrounded by family.

He was not only a great coach, he was a mentor, a role model and one of the most caring people you could meet.

Nick played three years for Lalonde at Lasalle Secondary School and grew up just down the street from his family home.

He talked about how Lalonde prepared him for so much more than basketball while in high school.