PREVIEW 2011 CIS men’s basketball championship: Top-seeded T-Birds vying for elusive McGee Trophy

OTTAWA (CIS) – The top-seeded University of British Columbia Thunderbirds head to Halifax later this week looking for their first CIS men’s basketball title in almost 40 years, while the No. 2 Carleton Ravens return to the site of their greatest successes and the No. 3 Saskatchewan Huskies get set to play the role of defending national champions for the first time in school history.
 
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mbkb
 
The Final 8 tournament, which returns to the Halifax Metro Centre this season following a three-year stint in Ottawa, gets under way Friday with the quarter-final round and culminates on Sunday at 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time with the gold medal final.
 
Five games will be televised on TSN2 including live broadcasts of the last two opening-round matchups on Friday. Saturday’s semifinals and Sunday’s championship contest will air on tape delay (see complete schedule below). SSN Canada will have live webcasts of the two non-televised quarter-finals and of the bronze medal affair.
 
In addition to UBC, Carleton and reigning champion Saskatchewan, this year’s W.P. McGee Trophy contenders include the No. 4 Lakehead Thunderwolves (OUA champions), No. 5 Trinity Western Spartans (CWUAA bronze medallists), No. 6 Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions), No. 7 Concordia Stingers (RSEQ champions), and No. 8 Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists).
 
The Huskies, who claimed their first McGee Trophy last March thanks to a 91-81 gold medal win over UBC, open their title defence against Dalhousie Friday at 6 p.m. AST in the third quarter-final matchup.
 
Other first-round clashes will see UBC face Acadia in the tourney opener at 1 p.m., Lakehead battle Trinity Western at 3:15 p.m., and Carleton take on Concordia in the nightcap at 8:15 p.m. 
 
The Thunderbirds earned the No. 1 seed for the event thanks to an entertaining 107-100 win over Saskatchewan in the Canada West final on Saturday night, combined with a surprising 77-62 Lakehead victory over Carleton in the OUA championship game, which marked the Ravens’ first loss in 32 confrontations against CIS opponents this season.
 
Following a series of disappointing showings at the CIS tourney that included five consecutive first-round exits between 2003 and 2008, the T-Birds proved they could play with the big boys in 2009 and 2010 by reaching back-to-back national finals. But they still came up short of their goal with gold medal losses to Carleton (87-77 in 2009) and Saskatchewan. 
 
After going 22-2 in conference play and 4-0 in the Canada West playoffs, UBC seems more ready than ever to finally end a drought that dates to 1972. The T-Birds, who will travel to Halifax riding a 22-game winning streak against CIS competition, also went all the way in 1970.
 
“We’ve gone in seeded pretty much number two through seven, and things have happened differently, winning the first game, losing the first game. When you get to this time of year, there’s not much difference between any of the teams there,” says Canada West coach of the year Kevin Hanson, in his 11th season at the helm at UBC.
 
“We didn’t play our best basketball last year and still ended up in the final game. So our goal this year is to play our best basketball and it has to come from the veterans. We’ll probably be one of the most experienced teams there and our fifth-year guys just have to perform when we get there.”
 
The very deep and talented UBC roster includes a trio of fifth-year seniors and six four-year veterans.
 
Guard Alex Murphy of Richmond, B.C., and forward Brent Malish of Langley, B.C., will both be playing at the Nationals for the fifth straight campaign, while the other fifth-year T-Bird, guard Josh Whyte, will make his third consecutive appearance since joining the team in 2008-09 after transferring from Victoria.
 
Whyte, a Calgary native who earned CIS player-of-the-year honours a year ago, paced UBC this season with 18.1 points per game.
 
“This year’s tournament features many of the teams that have been ranked high in the Top 10 all season long. The strength of these top teams seems to get stronger every year,” added Hanson. “There will be a lot of parity at the tourney and there should be some very good games and should make for a very entertaining tournament.” 
 
Should the Thunderbirds make it to a third straight final this weekend, there is a good chance their quest for gold will once again have to go through Carleton or Saskatchewan.
 
The Ravens hope their loss to Lakehead last Saturday in Hamilton was nothing but a hiccup. After all, they led all 14 weekly national rankings this season and were the only undefeated team in the country in conference play with a sparkling 22-0 mark.
 
And, the Ravens return to their second home, the Metro Centre, where they captured five straight banners from 2003 to 2007 before the tournament moved to Ottawa.
 
Led by talented forward Tyson Hinz, who was named OUA East MVP in only his sophomore campaign, Carleton would like nothing more than another shot at Saskatchewan in Saturday’s semifinal round. The Huskies ruined the Ravens’ party in last year’s semis, defeating the hometown favourites 86-82.
 
The Huskies’ roster suffered a major overhaul following their triumph last winter.
 
Gone are CIS scoring champion Showron Glover, who had a game-high 28 points in last year’s final, as well as Troy Gottselig and Michael Linklater, who also reached the 20-point mark in the championship game, finishing with 22 and 20, respectively. All three were named to the CIS tournament all-star team, with Gottselig taking home the Jack Donohue Trophy as tourney MVP.
 
However, as the saying goes, the reigning champions didn’t rebuild this year, they simply reloaded.
 
Replacing Glover as the Huskies’ new primary scoring threat is fellow Californian Jamelle Barrett, a point-guard who was named Canada West MVP in his first season in Saskatoon after he led the conference and finished second in the country with 25 points per game.
 
The Huskies also welcomed back Rejean Chabot, who started for the team a few years ago before transferring to Brandon in 2008-09. The six-foot guard from Saskatoon was stellar in his second tour of duty with 21.5 points per outing, good for fourth in Canada West and sixth in the nation.
 
“Our team is really looking forward to returning to the Final 8. The one thing this group has done a great job of this season is not getting complacent because we won the national championship last year,” says interim head coach Barry Rawlyk, who took over from Greg Jockims while his former boss is on a one-year sabbatical. “Even though we have seven guys back from that team, this is a new group of players with different roles, and they’ve forged their own identity, separate from last year’s team. I’m proud of them for their accomplishments so far and I know they are excited to go compete against the best teams in the country this weekend.”
 
Fresh off their first-ever OUA title, the No. 4 Thunderwolves are back at the Final 8 for a second straight year, hoping to improve on their 0-2 showing from 2010. Lakehead was spanked 79-58 by UBC in the last’s year’s first round and 87-65 by Cape Breton in a consolation match.
 
The red-hot T-Wolves have won 12 of their last 14 games including an impressive sweep of Western, Ottawa and Carleton in the OUA playoffs.
 
The Spartans, who received a wildcard entry, will make their first tourney appearance since they joined CIS in 1999. Trinity Western was in the Top 5 in each of the eight national coaches’ polls after the December break.
 
The No. 6 Tigers and No. 7 Stingers are both back at the Final 8 after a one-year absence, while the eighth-seeded Axemen return for the first time since 2008, when they lost 64-61 to Brock in the final.
 
Dalhousie claimed its second Atlantic conference title in three years thanks in large part to fifth-year guard Simon Farine, who was named MVP of the AUS championship after he scored 24 points in a dominating 78-47 gold-medal win over Acadia. Farine was second in AUS scoring this season with a 19.1 average.
 
Concordia operated a stunning turnaround this season, going from last to first in the Quebec conference. One of the major differences has been the addition of point guard Kyle Desmarais, who averaged 19.3 points per game and was named conference co-MVP in his first season with the team after transferring from Central Connecticut State.  
 
“I think the chemistry is very different this year. There’s a good attitude. We’ve had a lot more fun,” says 22-year Concordia head coach John Dore, who guided the Stingers to their lone W.P. McGee Trophy triumph back in 1990. “At the beginning of year I was just hoping to compete for conference championship. I thought if we could get there, it would bode well for the future. Well the future is now.”
 
“We’re like the little engine that could,” adds Dore. “We win a lot of close games. We have only four guys who have been to Nationals before, but I like our chances if we settle down and play our game.”
 
Acadia was only 7-13 in conference play but booked its ticket to the Final 8 with a stunning 83-81 win over top-seeded Cape Breton (19-1) in the AUS semis.
 
TEAM PROFILES
 
 No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds
 Media Guide (PDF 3.31 MB) 
Head Coach: Kevin Hanson (11th season)
Regular season record: 22-2
Regular season standing: 1st Canada West
Playoff record: 4-0
Playoff finish: Canada West champions
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 29-2
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams:  4-1 (2-1 vs. Saskatchewan, 2-0 vs. TWU)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 2
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 2 (12 weeks: Poll 1 & Polls 4 to 14)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 14
Conference award winners: Kevin Hanson (coach)
Conference 1st team all-stars: Josh Whyte (G)
Conference 2nd team all-stars: Alex Murphy (G)
Conference all-rookie team: No all-rookie team in Canada West
Team leader (points per game): Josh Whyte (18.1)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Kamar Burke (7.5)
Team leader (assists per game): Alex Murphy (5.0)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 19th
CIS championship all-time record: 23-21 (.523)
CIS championship best result: 2-time champions (1972, 1970)
CIS championship last appearance: 2010 (finalists)
CIS championship sequence: 6th straight appearance (8th in 9 years – Missed 2005)
 
No. 2 Carleton Ravens
Media Guide (PDF 2.57 MB) 
Head Coach: Dave Smart (12th season)
Regular season record: 22-0
Regular season standing: 1st OUA East (1st overall OUA)
Playoff record: 2-1
Playoff finish: OUA finalists
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 31-1
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 1-1 (1-1 vs. Lakehead) 
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 1
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 1 (All 14 weeks)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 14
Conference award winners (OUA East): Tyson Hinz (MVP), Cole Hobin (defensive MVP), Philip Scrubb (rookie), Dave Smart (coach)
Conference 1st team all-stars (OUA East): Tyson Hinz (F), Cole Hobin (G)
Conference 2nd team all-stars (OUA East): Elliot Thompson (G), Philip Scrubb (G)
Conference all-rookie team (OUA East): Philip Scrubb (G)
Team leader (points per game): Tyson Hinz (17.0)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Tyson Hinz (6.0)
Team leader (assists per game): Philip Scrubb (2.8)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 14th 
CIS championship all-time record: 24-10 (.706)
CIS championship best result: 6-time champions (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003)
CIS championship last appearance: 2010 (semifinals)
CIS championship sequence: 9th straight appearance (10th in 11 years – Missed 2002)
 
No. 3 Saskatchewan Huskies
Media Guide (PDF 6.75 MB) 
Head Coach: Barry Rawlyk (1st season - interim)
Regular season record: 20-4
Regular season standing: 3rd Canada West
Playoff record: 3-1
Playoff finish: Canada West finalists
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 30-5
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 4-3 (1-2 vs. UBC, 1-0 vs. Lakehead, 2-1 vs. TWU)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 3
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 3 (9 weeks: Polls 6 to 14)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 14
Conference award winners: Jamelle Barrett (MVP)
Conference 1st team all-stars: Jamelle Barrett (G)
Conference 2nd team all-stars: Rejean Chabot (G)
Conference all-rookie team: No all-rookie team in Canada West
Team leader (points per game): Jamelle Barrett (25.0)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Michael Lieffers (8.9)
Team leader (assists per game): Jamelle Barrett (6.8)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 6th
CIS championship all-time record: 7-7 (.500)
CIS championship best result: 1-time champions (2010)
CIS championship last appearance: 2010 (champions)
CIS championship sequence: 2nd straight appearance (3rd in 6 years)
 
No. 4 Lakehead Thunderwolves
Media Guide (PDF 986 KB) 
Head Coach: Scott Morrison (8th season)
Regular season record: 17-5
Regular season standing: 1st OUA West (2nd overall OUA)
Playoff record: 3-0
Playoff finish: OUA champions
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 25-11
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 1-4 (1-1 vs. Carleton, 0-1 vs. Saskatchewan, 0-1 vs. Dalhousie, 0-1 vs. Acadia)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 6
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 6 (4 weeks: Polls 10-11-12-14)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 6
Conference award winners (OUAWest): Greg Carter (defensive MVP), Scott Morrison (coach)
Conference 1st team all-stars (OUAWest): Jamie Searle (G)
Conference 2nd team all-stars (OUA West): Venzal Russell (G)
Conference all-rookie team (OUA West): None
Team leader (points per game): Jamie Searle (13.8)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Yoosrie Salhia (7.8)
Team leader (assists per game): Greg Carter (3.4)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 4th 
CIS championship all-time record: 3-4 (.429)
CIS championship best result: 2-time finalists (1977, 1973)
CIS championship last appearance: 2010 (tied 7th place)
CIS championship sequence: 2nd straight appearance (Others: 1977, 1973) 
 
No. 5 Trinity Western Spartans
Media Guide (PDF 6.10 MB) 
Head Coach: Scott Allen (3rd season)
Regular season record: 21-3
Regular season standing: 2nd Canada West
Playoff record: 3-2
Playoff finish: Canada West bronze medallists
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 25-5
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 1-4 (0-2 vs. UBC, 1-2 vs. Saskatchewan)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 4
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 4 (6 weeks: Last 6 polls)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 14
Conference award winners: Tyrell Mara (student-athlete – community service)
Conference 1st team all-stars: Jacob Doerksen (F)
Conference 2nd team all-stars: None
Conference all-rookie team: No all-rookie team in Canada West
Team leader (points per game): Jacob Doerksen (21.6)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Tyrell Mara (8.9)
Team leader (assists per game): Tristan Smith (4.4)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 1st 
CIS championship all-time record: 0-0
CIS championship best result: First appearance
CIS championship last appearance: First appearance
CIS championship sequence: First appearance (joined CIS in 1999-2000)
 
No. 6 Dalhousie Tigers
Media Guide (PDF 878 KB) 
Head Coach: John Campbell (9th season)
Regular season record: 14-6
Regular season standing: 2nd AUS
Playoff record: 2-0
Playoff finish: AUS champions
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 22-9
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 6-1 (1-0 vs. Lakehead, 5-1 vs. Acadia)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 8
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 8 (2 weeks: Polls 12 & 14)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 6
Conference award winners: John Campbell (coach)
Conference 1st team all-stars: Simon Farine (G)
Conference 2nd team all-stars: Joseph Schow (F)
Conference all-rookie team: None
Team leader (points per game): Simon Farine (19.1)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Joseph Schow (9.5)
Team leader (assists per game): Simon Farine (4.5)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 3rd 
CIS championship all-time record: 0-4 (.000)
CIS championship best result: Tied 7th place (2009, 1996)
CIS championship last appearance: 2009 (tied 7th place)
CIS championship sequence: 2nd appearance in 3 years (Other: 1996)
 
No. 7 Concordia Stingers
Media Guide (PDF 1.47 MB)
Head Coach: John Dore (22nd season)
Regular season record: 12-4
Regular season standing: 1st RSEQ
Playoff record: 2-0
Playoff finish: RSEQ champions
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 21-5
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 1-0 (1-0 vs. Acadia)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): No. 9
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): No. 4 (2 weeks: Polls 2 & 6)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 10
Conference award winners: Kyle Desmarais (co-MVP)
Conference 1st team all-stars: Kyle Desmarais (G), Decee Krah (G)
Conference 2nd team all-stars: James Clark (F)
Conference all-rookie team: None
Team leader (points per game): Kyle Desmarais (19.3)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Evens Laroche (6.1)
Team leader (assists per game): Kyle Desmarais (4.1)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 18th
CIS championship all-time record: 19-27 (.413)
CIS championship best result: 1-time champions (1990)
CIS championship last appearance: 2009 (6th place)
CIS championship sequence: 2nd appearance in 3 years (4th in 7 years)
 
No. 8 Acadia Axemen
Media Guide (PDF 1.28 MB)  
Head Coach: Stephen Baur (3rd season)
Regular season record: 7-13
Regular season standing: 4th AUS
Playoff record: 2-1
Playoff finish: AUS finalists
Overall record vs. CIS teams: 16-17
Overall record vs. Final 8 teams: 2-6 (1-0 vs. Lakehead, 1-5 vs. Dalhousie, 0-1 vs. Concordia)
Final Top 10 ranking (March 1): Unranked
Best Top 10 ranking (14 weeks): Unranked all season
Number of weeks in Top 10 (14 weeks): 0
Conference award winners: None
Conference 1st team all-stars: None
Conference 2nd team all-stars: Owen Klassen (F)
Conference all-rookie team: None
Team leader (points per game): Owen Klassen (18.3)
Team leader (rebounds per game): Owen Klassen (9.6)
Team leader (assists per game): Tyler Lutton (3.8)
CIS championship appearances (including 2011): 22nd 
CIS championship all-time record: 29-24 (.547)
CIS championship best result: 3-time champions (1977, 1971, 1965)
CIS championship last appearance: 2008 (finalists)
CIS championship sequence: 1st appearance since 2008 (3rd in 5 years)
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times ATLANTIC TIME)
 
Thursday, March 10 (practice schedule)
 
9:00 Acadia
10:00 Dalhousie
11:00 Concordia
12:00 Trinity Western
13:00 Lakehead
14:00 Saskatchewan
15:00 Carleton
16:00 UBC
 
Friday, March 11
 
13:00 Quarter-final #1: No. 8 Acadia vs. No. 1 UBC (SSN Canada webcast)
15:15 Quarter-final #2: No. 5 Trinity Western vs. No. 4 Lakehead (SSN Canada webcast)
18:00 Quarter-final #3: No. 6 Dalhousie vs. No. 3 Saskatchewan (Live on TSN2)
20:15 Quarter-final #4: No. 7 Concordia vs. No. 2 Carleton (Live on TSN2)
 
Saturday, March 12
 
12:00 Consolation #1: Loser QF #1 vs. Loser QF #2
14:15 Consolation #2: Loser QF #3 vs. Loser QF #4
17:00 Semifinal #1: Winner QF #1 vs. Winner QF #2 (TSN2 – tape delayed to 20:00 AST)
20:00 Semifinal #2: Winner QF #3 vs. Winner QF #4 (TSN2 – tape delayed to 22:00 AST)
 
Sunday, March 13
 
10:30 Consolation final (5th place)
13:15 Bronze medal game (SSN Canada webcast)
17:00 Championship final (TSN2 – tape delayed to 19:00 AST)
 
 
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