We’ve all seen and heard it.
“Carleton is on top of Canada again,” or, “Carleton cruises to another national championship,” on your television. Players beaming at the camera, the CIS Men’s Basketball trophy in the middle of the group. Off to one side with a medal around his neck is Dave Smart, the Canadian equivalent of, well, nobody.
Smart’s success in Canada—11 national titles in 13 seasons—has never been matched south of the border. Whether things like quality of competition and off-court resources played a deciding factor in Smart’s unparalleled success with Carleton’s basketball program, and whether he would have any kind of success south of the border, is neither here nor there.
Smart’s program was so dominant that ESPN subsidiary Grantland sent a reporter up to the wilderness of Canada to report on games played in a setting similar to NCAA’s Division-III. But as Bob Dylan once said, “the times they are a-changin’.”
Dave Smart is gone for a year. His nephew, Rob Smart, is stepping into his shoes. Also departed are the Scrubb brothers, who torched the OUA en route to a cakewalk of a national title in 2014-15. Into their shoes step Connor Wood and Kaza Keane—contributing starters, but a far cry from the Scrubbs.
All this is to say that 2015-16 might not be a typical year of dominance for Carleton men’s basketball, opening the door for the school’s lesser-respected programs to grab the spotlight on campus and around the CIS.
With last year’s Panda Game victory over the crosstown rival Ottawa U Gee-Gees seen as a signal of the program’s competitive arrival, Carleton football is aiming high in 2015.
Last season, Steve Sumarah’s team was a final-week win against Queen’s U away from a playoff berth, and Carleton’s 4-4 record surprised many. If the Ravens can tighten up their rush defence and be more disciplined this season, they could strike fear into the OUA’s powerhouse programs come November.
Meanwhile, over at the Ice House, Carleton’s men’s hockey team is poised for another nationals bid in a tough division. Marty Johnston’s program has retooled significantly this summer after a stellar 2014-15 campaign.
Often forgotten, the team boasts a ton of junior-level talent and plays an exciting brand of hockey. With a trip to Europe and a game against the Ottawa Senators’ AHL affiliate on its pre-season schedule, the hockey team should be ready for its home opener Oct. 10.
Carleton has long been thought of as “the basketball school.”
Maybe it will be the football team making a surprise run to the Yates Cup and beyond, or the men’s hockey team making an appearance at nationals. Maybe another varsity team will grab the bull by its horns in 2015-16 and make people take notice.
But with the “godfather” of Ravens basketball departed, along with the fact that two legitimate post-season threats will also compete under the Carleton name this year, this coming season could be the one in which Carleton truly becomes a multi-sport school.
The door is open, and now it’s time for a Carleton team to step up and make people think of more than just squeaky sneakers and bouncy orange balls when they hear the name “Ravens.”
