The Arcelor Mittal Dofasco Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s basketball championship will be heading to Vancouver, B.C. for the first time in 44 years. Here, the nation’s top eight university basketball teams will duke it out for the national title.
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division:
Ryerson Rams: OUA East champions, ranked first
Regular season: 17-2
Playoff record: 3-0
The Ryerson Rams grabbed the top seed for the Final 8 tournament, beating out Carleton in the OUA finals to win their first Wilson Cup. The Rams’ two veteran guards, Aaron Best and Adika Peter-McNeilly, led the team to their most successful season in program history. They managed to run the OUA’s most potent offence with 89.3 points per game. After winning bronze in last year’s nationals, the Rams will look for their first CIS championship.
OUA North division:
Carleton Ravens: second OUA North, ranked second
Regular season: 16-3
Playoff record: 2-1
The Carleton Ravens enjoyed another great year, coming in second in the OUA conference and earning the second seed in the national championship tournament. Rob Smart took over as head coach at the beginning of the season while his uncle, Dave, took a sabbatical, and the Ravens did not miss a step. The Ravens were the best defensive team in the nation for the eighth time in nine years, allowing only 60.7 points per game. Point guard Kaza Kajami-Keane, forward Guillaume Payen Boucard, and swingman Connor Wood have been the biggest contributors this season, and all three will look to bring Carleton their sixth national title in a row.
University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees: first OUA North, ranked third
Regular season: 17-2
Playoff record: 2-1
The Gee-Gees finished with the OUA bronze for the second straight season, but will go to Vancouver looking to make their third national finals appearance in a row. Led by OUA MVP Mike L’Africain and athletic forward Caleb Agada, the Gee-Gees look poised to make some noise this year, especially after sweeping the Ravens in season play. U of O will enter the tournament as the third seed, completing the deadly OUA trio.
Canada West Pioneer division
University of Calgary Dinos: first Pioneer division, ranked fourth
Regular season record: 17-3
Playoff record: 4-0
The University of Calgary Dinos surprisingly earned the fourth seed this year, winning the Canada West conference after finishing fifth in their previous season. The big difference was guard Thomas Cooper, a transfer from the University of Nebraska. Cooper won the Canada West MVP award in his first season in the CIS, averaging 25.8 points per game. This will be the Dinos’ first Final 8 appearance since they made the semifinals in 2010.
University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds: second Pioneer division, ranked eighth
Regular season record: 16-4
Playoff record: 3-1
The host of the tournament, the UBC Thunderbirds, have claimed the eighth seed. UBC will make its first Final 8 appearance in three years. Being host, they were guaranteed a spot in the tournament before the season began. However, the Canada West bronze medallists have proved they can play with the best, having beaten the Canada West champion Dinos earlier this season.
Explorer division
Thompson Rivers WolfPack: first Explorer division, ranked seventh
Regular season record: 16-4
Playoff record: 3-2
The Thompson Rivers WolfPack come in as the seventh seed in the tournament, and the Ravens’ quarter-final opponent. The expectations are low for the WolfPack, who will play in the first Final 8 in program history. However, their huge frontcourt of Josh Wolfram (6’10”) and Volodymyr Iegorov (6’7”), who combine for 37.8 points per game, will ensure no team underestimates them.
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
McGill Redmen: first RSEQ, ranked fifth
Regular season record: 12-4
Playoff record: 2-0
The McGill Redmen—victors of the RSEQ conference for the third time in four years—will go to Vancouver as the fifth seed. While their offence is nothing to write home about, the Redmen play some of the best defence in Canada, allowing only 65.7 points per game. Third-year guard Dele Ogundokun heads the balanced Redmen with 10.5 points per game, leading the team in assists, steals, and rebounds.
Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
Dalhousie Tigers: first AUS, ranked sixth
Regular season record: 13-7
Playoff record: 2-0
The Dalhousie Tigers—AUS conference champions—will face the Gee-Gees in the first round as the tournament’s sixth seed. The Tigers are led by veteran Kashrell Lawrence, who is averaging 14.8 points per game.
The tournament will kick off on Thursday, March 17 at 1 p.m. when the Carleton Ravens and Thompson Rivers WolfPack meet for their quarter-final matchup. The finals will be held on Sunday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. All games will be webcast on www.CIS-SIC.tv, and the semifinals and finals will be broadcast on Sportsnet 360.
