Friday 31 December 2010

X-Men Hammer Laurentian; face Stingers in Shoveller semi

Using a relentless pressure "d", steady doses of a lethal transition game and strong perimeter shooting, St. FX easily defeated Laurentian Voyageurs 100-61 in the second game of the first round of the Shoveller tournament at Dalplex.  X broke out to a twenty point halftime lead led by 10 points from 5'10" Christian Upshaw and nine from three-point specialist Charlie Spurr as turnovers and missed shots led to countless fast break finishes for the veteran-laden St. FX crew. 

Any thought of a second half comeback by the Vees was immediately squashed early in the third after a three from Upshaw was quickly followed by a rim-rocking slam by 6'9" Alberto Rodriquez off a nice behind-the-back feed from 6'3" Dwayne Johnson on the break to give X a 25 point lead.  X's lead was 27 after three quarters after which the majority of the nice afternoon crowd at Dalplex headed for the exits.  Both coaches reached deep into their benches, giving everyone extended minutes in the fourth quarter.

Tonight's action sees Queen's meeting host Dal Tigers at 6 PM AT (5 PM ET) followed by an intriguing match between Laval Rouge et Or and Acadia Axemen.  Both games are available on SSN.

Concordia holds off Saint Mary's at Shoveller

The Stingers broke a 66 all tie early in the fourth quarter and then went to 6'2" Kyle Desmarais frequently down the stretch to claim a 90-84 victory over the Huskies in the first game of the 20th Annual Rod Shoveller tournament.  While the Stingers have a nice array of weapons on the wing, the crafty, talented Desmarais makes Concordia go with his fine array of offensive skills and ability to defend and rebound.  ConU flattened out for Desmarais on virtually all of the final possessions down the stretch when they were protecting a four point lead and the second year D1 transfer delivered, usually getting fouled and making key free throws.

The Huskies struggled in large parts of the game defending and with shot selection however 6'1" Joey Haywood was the one constant, making several big shots and was a one-man band in the third quarter when SMU rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to lead 62-60 after three.  Haywood knocked down 3 3's as part of a 14 point third quarter effort.  Huskies coach Ross Quackenbush had been having a mouth match of sorts with the referee crew which culminated in the veteran coach getting Teed up midway through the third with his club trailing by 7.  The T energized his group and when 6'4" Demetri Harris finished a breakaway slam, the Huskies had a two point lead after a 14-2 run.

But the Stingers were undetered and took the lead for good on a lay-up by 6'5" James Clark on a play in which Haywood was injured.  Stingers took over from there and never trailed.  Concordia looks forward to the winner of the St. FX/ Laurentian game in tomorrow's semi-final.

More to come...

Shoveller Games Available on Webcast LIVE!

Just got a note from Bill McLean in Halifax and the crew is primed to call the action at the 20th Shoveller tournament on Streaming Sports Network (see link to the right of this page).  Links are not up yet on SSN but should be up shortly.  Mavs Gillis will have the call of the first two games today and Bill is doing games 3 and 4. Then on Saturday and Sunday the championship bracket games will be available.

Dalhousie's 20th Rod Shoveller Memorial tournament begins today

Arguably the top field of all the CIS Holiday tournaments begins today in Halifax at Dalplex.  As of this morning, it does not appear that games will be available via webcast; we will update when available.

Monty Moser of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald provides a Shoveller tournament preview

Nice article on St. FX forward Chad Warren in the Western Star, Corner Brook, Newfoundland's local newspaper.

Once again here is our CISHoops.ca tournament preview  and Tournament Scoreboard (I think)

Friday, December 31 (all games at DalPlex)
12pm AT/11 am ET Saint Mary's (6-9, 2-5) vs. Concordia (9-1, 4-1) Huskies limped into the break off a 2-6 finish to the first half but included in that stretch was a home win over Dal which shows talent is there to compete. SMU must tighten up defensively (over 90 ppg allowed) and welcome 6'5" Dustin Anthony, former CCAA All-Canadian at Mount Allison, to the lineup for the second half. SMU is 0-5 vs. teams in this tournament. Stingers may have top overall player in the tournament in 6'2" Kyle Desmarais, a do-everything combo guard, who has been the key reason why Concordia has been in the Top 10 all year. Stingers were expecting to have 6'4" Demetrius Boards, from Marist H.S. in New Jersey and a transfer from Sussex JuCo after a two season career in which he averaged 17.1 ppg last season in the lineup.

2pm St. FX (11-3, 3-2) vs. Laurentian (4-10, 4-5) After winning their first 9 games of the season, a two-week early-November layoff took the momentum out of X's sails but all 3 losses have been to quality opponents (at Cape Breton by 16, Dal by 3 and Toronto by 4). X has already won 3 tournaments this season (Donohue, Garland and their own) and expect this deep, talented group to be ready again as Christian T-Bear Upshaw and his very successful graduating class enter the final semester of their careers. A spectacular, double digit comeback win at Mac has been the springboard to renewed optimism with the Voyageurs, who won 4 of their last 7, led by the return to health of the Pasquale brothers and a decision by Head Coach Shawn Swords to shorten his bench recently.

5pm Dalhousie (8-3, 4-1) vs. Queen's (3-14, 2-7) Tigers, who feature the top statistically defensive team in the AUS, went into the break winners of 5 of their past 6 to get back into Top 10 consideration - the sole loss was at Saint Mary's by 6 - and Dal has already knocked off X in Antigonish. Gaels have had churn in the coaching ranks with Duncan Cowen taking over mid-season for Rob Smart Sr. and their only 3 wins of the season have come at home against Waterloo on the opening night of the OUA regular season plus Bishop's at home and at RMC - the only two remaining winless programs in the CIS. Injuries hammered the Gaels early in the season and 6'2" Dan Bannister is the only consistent offensive threat.
7pm Acadia (8-5, 3-3) vs. Laval (9-3, 4-1) Nice matchup in the nightcap with both teams very talented offensively. The veteran Rouge et Or had their long winning streak snapped on the final night of the QUBL first half at Concordia, one night after outlasting an improving McGill team in Montreal. 6'4" Jerome Turcotte is having an all-conference POY type season. Laval comfortably defeated Saint Mary's at their own tournament in October. The Axemen won their last two on the road and sit comfortably in an AUS playoff spot. 6'1" freshman shooting guard Thomas Filgiano (7.7 ppg in 23 mpg), who has taken on the responsibility of checking the opponent's best guard, has emerged as one of the better first-year players in the AUS and a player we did not originally highlight in our top freshman piece a few weeks ago.

Saturday, January 1
1pm Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2
3pm Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4
6pm Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
8pm Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4

Sunday, January 2
9am Loser Game 5 vs Loser Game 6
11am Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 6
1pm Loser Game 7 vs Loser Game 8 (Bronze Medal Game)
3pm Winner Game 7 vs Winner Game 8 (Championship)

Saskatchewan captures 44th Wesmen Classic

Coming back from a five point halftime deficit, the No. 3 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies (16-3 Overall, 7-3 CW) captured their third all-time Wesmen Classic title (1981, 1990) tonight with an 80-60 victory over host Winnipeg (5-15 Overall, 1-9 CW). Jamelle Barrett had 22 points and 7 assists and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Rejean Chabot had 20 points and 6 boards, and was named tourney MVP. Michael Lieffers added eight points and 16 rebounds. Sask held WPG to 22.2% shooting and 21 points in the second half, while shooting 52.8% and scoring 45 points.

The energized Wesmen played the Huskies even for much of the first half and went on a late run led by a pair of NBA-range 3's by Lyndon Drayton-Barrow to enter halftime with momentum and poised for an upset in front of their large home crowd.  But Saskatchewan asserted themselves defensively and on the glass and got another strong performance from the veteran Chabot, a slasher who gets to the rim, using his body very well to absorb contact, and the athletic Barrett with his array of slick moves around the rim.  The Huskies look poised to again contest for the Canada West championship.

Wesmen Classic All-Tournament Team
Ryan Thomson (Lakehead); Jonas Huertas (Manitoba); Jamelle Barrett (Saskatchewan); Brayden Duff (Winnipeg); Nick Lother (Winnipeg); MVP - Rejean Chabot (Saskatchewan)

Thursday 30 December 2010

Walsh captures RNIT with comfortable win

Walsh (NAIA) 88, Ryerson 64   The Cavaliers dug in defensively, holding the Rams to only 16 points in the first 15 minutes of the game to grab a double digit lead and went on to shoot a sizzling 10 for 15 from downtown in the second half to pull away and win the Ryerson NIT going away over the host Rams.  Walsh shot 49% overall for the game and built a 21 point late-third-quarter lead before Ryerson had their best run, getting it down to 10 early in the fourth quarter.  However, the Cavaliers then awoke with a 22-5 run of their own, leading by as many as 27 as Lamar Skeeter led all scorers with 19 while sharpshooting Eric Schiele, as he did regularly in the tournament, came off the bench to go 4 for 8 from downtown and finished with 18 points for Walsh.  6'8" Matt Lapointe had 18 for Ryerson while fellow forward 6'7" freshman Bjorn Michaelsen added 10 before fouling out for the Rams.

Box Score

TOURNAMENT ALL-STARS
MVP:
J.J. Sutton (Walsh)
All-Stars:
Lamar Skeeter (Walsh)
Jahmal Jones (Ryerson)
Ryan McNeilly (Ryerson)
Andrew Wasik (Toronto)
Alex Desroches (New Brunswick)

Game Reports from today

McCarthy Named Classique des Citadins MVP

It did not look good for the Guelph Gryphons earlier this week with only 9 or 10 healthy bodies and at least 4 regulars on the injured list or other.  However, led by veteran 6'2" wing Dan McCarthy, Guelph rolled to 3 consecutive victories, capturing the co-championship of the Classique des Citadins tournament along with uOttawa Gee-Gees (also undefeated at 3-0).  The Gryphs hard-working leader averaged 21 points during the tournament, shooting 50% from 3 (8 for 16) while logging 35 minutes per game.  For his efforts McCarthy was named tournament MVP. 

Tournament All-Stars 
6'2" Kyle Bernard, McGill  (23.3 ppg including 27 today vs. Memorial)
6'9" Louis Gauthier, Ottawa (probably the best overall post player in the tournament)
6'2" Onnex Blackwood, Bishop's (13.7 ppg)
6'4" Éric Côté-Kougnima, UQAM 

Wesmen Classic 3rd Place Game

Manitoba 83, Lakehead 78  The third place game at the 44th Wesmen Classic featured a pair of clubs hardly shy to fire up bombs from beyond the arc and, despite both teams bouncing back quickly from tight, high-energy championship semi-final losses, neither disappointed as the Bisons pulled out a five point win.  The teams combined for 56 threes attempted and a pair of big men led the way from the perimeter as 6'7" Sean Maxwell had 21 on 4-6 3's to lead Manitoba while 6'7" Ryan Thomson went a perfect 4-4 from downtown to lead all scorers with 23 points.  6'6" post Yoosrie Salhia had 11 points and was a monster on the glass with 17 boards while Bisons guard Jonar Huertas added 19 for the victors.  The championship game between Saskatchewan and Winnipeg goes later tonight.

Stats

Classique des Citadins Day 3

Guelph 88, Bishop's 78  The Gryphs forged out to a quick double digit lead, took a 16 point halftime lead and then led by as many as 20 in the third quarter to handle the Gaiters.  6'4" Jonathan Moscatelli had another strong offensive game with 23 points including 5 3's for Guelph and steady, consistent 6'2" Dan McCarthy again was solid with 21 points and 9 boards.  Bishop's, which a late run to get it to 6 with about 6 minutes remaining, was led by 6'4" Tim Hunter who had 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half including 4-5 3's.  Immediately after the Gaiters closed to within 6, the Gryphs scored the next 5 points to reestablish a double digit lead and were not threatened thereafter.  The undermanned Gryphs finished the tournament at 3-0 while Bishop's went 1-2.

Box Score

McGill 91, Memorial 78  6'2" Kyle Bernard had his second consecutive strong offensive effort with a career-high 27 points while fifth-year vet Michael White added a 13 point/10 rebound double double as the Redmen broke a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Sea-hawks.  McGill led by 17 at the half and maintained a comfortable lead for much of the third before the Hawks made their only real run, getting it back to within 3 with 7 minutes remaining.  But McGill followed with a 16-4 run to pull away.  Will Bradbury led Memorial with 24 points and 8 assists.

Box Score

Ottawa 76, UQAM 64...  details to follow

Final Standings:
Guelph 3-0
Ottawa 3-0
Bishop's 1-2
McGill 1-2
UQAM 1-2
Memorial 0-3

Thursday Afternoon's Games at RNIT

RNIT:  Waterloo 95, York 91   The Warriors scored the game's final 8 points in the last 1:17, despite going only 2 for 6 from the field, getting 5 offensive rebounds in that span to steal a victory over the Lions in the fifth-place game of the RNIT.  6'6" Brendan Smith gave Waterloo the lead for good when he knocked down a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left after getting fouled on a putback after an offensive rebound from a miss by 6'3" Cam McIntyre.  On the next possession, 5'10" David Tyndale missed a jumper that would have given York the lead back again and Warriors rebounded to hold on. 

6'3" Ostap Chioly, who had 16 of his team-high 22 points in the first half, gave York a 91-87 lead with 2 minutes remaining and the Lions would not score again.  The Warriors then pounded the "o" glass despite missing 4 3's in the stretch to pull out what had been a see-saw affair that no team led by more than 5 points until a late third-quarter 12-4 run lifted the Lions into a 10 point lead going into the fourth, a lead they kept until Smith's pair of free throws in the final minute.

6'6" Alan Goodhoofd had another strong game against the Lions, using his quickness to his advantage to lead all scorers with 25 on 12-19 shooting while Toronto native Wayne Bridge had 21 points for the Warriors.  6'10" Stefan Haynes was impressive for the Lions with a season-high 21 points (10-12 from floor) while adding 8 boards.

Box Score

Toronto 84, UNB 83   6'6" Drazen Glizic's jumper with just over a minute to play was the difference as the Varsity Blues came back to defeat the Varsity Reds in the third place game at the RNIT.  The Blues jumped out to a quick lead early and held double digit leads for much of the first 25 minutes of the game, gaining their largest advantage at 43-30 late in the second on a pair of free throws by 6'6" Andrew Wasik (17 points - 15 in the first half, 14 rebounds).  But the Reds used a 20-6 run early in the third, helped by the Blues settling for jumpers, culminated by an "and-1" by 6'5" Alex Desroches (19 points, 10 boards) to gain their biggest lead at 3.  UNB later led by 6 late in frame before a see-saw fourth quarter that saw the Blues make the biggest shot to hold on for the win.  The Reds had 5 players in double figures getting a strong third quarter effort from 6'5" Colton Wilson, who had 12 of his 14 points after the intermission.  Wilson, who reentered the starting lineup, appears to be all the way back after missing much of the first half of the season.  6'1" Anthony DeGiorgio had a tidy 8 point, 8 assists/3 turnover afternoon in 35 minutes for Toronto.

Box Score

CIS Thursday: Championship games

Here are the key games in the CIS today and tonight, highlighted by two tournament championship games at the 44th Wesmen Classic and Ryerson NIT, with both home teams advancing to the finals.

Noon ET  Guelph vs. Bishop's, Classique des Citadins
1:30 PM ET  York vs. Waterloo, 5th Place Game - Ryerson NIT
2:00 PM ET  McGill vs. Memorial, Classique des Citadins
4:00 PM ET  Ottawa at UQAM, Classique des Citadins
4:00 PM ET  Toronto vs. New Brunswick, 3rd Place Game - Ryerson NIT
5:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM CT  Lakehead vs. Manitoba, 3rd Place Game - 44th Wesmen Classic
6:00 PM ET Walsh College vs. Ryerson - Championship Game - Ryerson NIT
9:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM CT  Saskatchewan at Winnipeg, Championship Game - 44th Wesmen Classic

Huskies edge T-Wolves in classic Wesmen semi-final

In a game that was played at Nationals-like intensity with several highlight reel plays, the Huskies held off Lakehead as 6'1" fifth-year guard Rejean Chabot had 11 of his game-high 33 points during a third-quarter Saskatchewan run that gave the Huskies the lead and 6'0" Jamelle Barrett had 8 fourth-quarter points (20 in the game) to help finish off the T-Wolves. 

Lakehead had established a 44-41 halftime lead with a sizzling 11 for 21 display from beyond the arc led by 6'7" Ryan Thomson and 6'1" Jamie Searle who both went 3 for 3 in the first half.  Unfortunately for Lakehead they shot only 3-16 in the second half but still had a chance to win.

Lakehead recovered from a late third quarter Sask run that saw Huskies take leads as large as 12 points to bring the game down to its final possession with an 80-79 score and Lakehead ball with just over 24 seconds to go. Lakehead had possibly its two best looks of the game from outside as both Joe Jones and Searle rimmed out on potential game-winning shots with 15 and 9 seconds remaining in the game.  Saskatchewan then iced the game on the free throw line.

Sask's athletic 6'8" Michael Lieffers was tough around the rim all night, going a perfect 4 for 4 from the field including a powerful slam on the break after Barrett stole the ball and pushed in transition; Lieffers added 7 rebounds.  6'3" Venzal Russell had 17 points for Lakehead while Searle added 19 on 5-8 from 3 and Thomson, who fouled out, finished with 15 points in only 19 minutes.  5'10" Greg Carter also was saddled with fouls, playing only 22 minutes as Lakehead Coach Scott Morrison employed healthy doses of a 2/3 zone, in part to protect two of his foul-plagued guys but also to try to contain the slashing, dynamic duo of Chabot and Barrett.

Saskatchewan takes on host Winnipeg this evening in the championship final.

Stats

In the other semi-final, Winnipeg outlasted Manitoba 80-76 as the Wesmen had 5 players in double figures.  Earlier in consolation play, Jamestown defeated McMaster 75-67 as the Marauders continued their cold-shooting ways, going only 25% (6-24) from beyond the arc one day after shooting only 3-27 from downtown in their first round loss to Winnipeg.

At the Classique des Citadins, the host UQAM Citadins pulled away in the second half for an 84-64 victory over Memorial Sea-hawks.  The tournament concludes today in Montreal.

Wednesday 29 December 2010

Ryerson 71, UNB 62

Taking the lead for good midway through the second quarter, the host Rams propelled into the championship game of their own tournament with a solid win against the Varsity Reds.  6'3" Ryan McNeilly led the way with 19 points for Ryerson while 6'1" freshman Jahmal Jones shook off a tough game yesterday with 17 and fellow freshman 6'7" Bjorn Michaelsen added 12 point and 10 boards while 6'2" Ola Adegboruwa added 11, 8 in the first half, off the bench.  6'1" Dan Quirion led all scorers with 23 points for UNB which shot only 4 of 20 from downtown and was outrebounded 41-33.

With the score tied at 22, Ryerson finished the half on a 12-4 run and kept the lead the rest of the way, although the Reds did cut it to 1 early in the third.  After that Rye responded with a 23-14 run to take their largest lead at 10 early in the fourth and withstood one final Reds rally that got it to 3 with 3 minutes remaining but Ryerson closed strong.

Box Score

Ottawa 73, Bishop's 69

In a sluggish game that had 48 turnovers, the Gee-Gees survived some late Gaiters runs and 29 turnovers of their own to win their second straight at the Classique des Citadins at UQAM.  6'9" Louis Gauthier continues to build a solid fifth season, leading all scorers with 23 points on 8 for 9 shooting from the floor while Ottawa also got a lift from little-used reserve 6'1" point guard Yacob Issayas, who had all 6 of his points in the fourth quarter including a pair of clutch free throws.

The scrappy Gaiters, who led by 6 in the third quarter before the Gee-Gees took the lead for good early in the fourth, got it to within 1 on a couple of occasions late but Ottawa made their free throws to hold on.  Onnex Blackwood led the Gaiters with 19 points on 8-14 shooting while Orien Green added 13 but went only 1 for 8 from downtown.  Ottawa's Warren Ward finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds and iced the game with a pair of key free throws late but went only 5-13 from the floor and turned it over 7 times.

Walsh 85, Toronto 77

In what was a very well played and entertaining game, the Cavaliers took the lead with under 3 minutes to play during a game-deciding 13-1 run in the fourth quarter to outlast the Varsity Blues in the first semi-final of Ryerson NIT.  6'1" Anthony DeGiorgio gave the Blues their final lead of the night at 74-72 with just over 3 minutes remaining and then Walsh stiffened defensively and made several clutch shots including back-to-back 3's from Eric Schiele to pull away.  Earlier the Blues had taken a 6 point lead at 66-60 on a layup by 6'5" Alex Hill with 6 minutes remaining but the Cavs charged back to tie it on an L.J. Sutton dunk.

Both teams did a great job with their half court defense and the game had limited transition opportunities in a very intense, high spirited affair that seemed virtually mistake-free (teams combined for only 17 turnovers all night).  Schiele was clutch off the bench for Walsh going 4 for 4 from downtown and scoring all of his 14 points after the intermission.  Sutton was strong inside for the Cavs with 14 points and 13 rebounds while Lamar Skeeter and Jeremy Shardo each led the way with 18 points for Walsh (2-0 in the tournament).  Walsh awaits the winner of the UNB / Ryerson game later tonight.

6'6" Andrew Wasik was strong for U of T with 21 points and 9 boards on 8-13 shooting while Hill added 18 on 3-7 from downtown.  6'6" Drazen Glizic took only 6 shots all night, finishing with 12 points.  The Blues will play in the third place game tomorrow.

Box Score

Wednesday afternoon recap

RNIT...  A pair of consolation round games this afternoon at the Ryerson tournament between OUA and OCAA teams and both CIS teams came away with decisive victories.  In the early game, York Lions shook off yesterday's loss to Walsh College with an easy 102-72 win over Hamilton's Mohawk College.  The Lions grabbed a ten point halftime lead and then got their offense in gear with a 32 point third quarter to win going away.  6'3" second-year wing Ostap Choily went 4 for 9 from three point land as part of his team-high 18 points while 6'10" Dejan Kravic added an 18 point/11 rebound double double for the Lions.  York/Mohawk Box Score   In the other consolation game, 6'3" sharpshooter Cam McIntyre, who did not hit a three in Waterloo's first round loss to UNB, went off for 7 threes and finished with a game-high 27 points as the Warriors took a 17 point halftime and cruised to an 84-63 victory over Algoma CollegeWaterloo/Algoma Box Score   In the championship semi-finals this evening, Toronto Varsity Blues tangle with Walsh College (NAIA/Ohio) and host Ryerson Rams meet UNB Varsity Reds.

44th Wesmen Classic:  In the first consolation game, Minot State defeated Brandon Bobcats 74-65.  McMaster met Jamestown Johnnies (NAIA) in the second semi-final.  The championship round pits Manitoba Bisons against the host Winnipeg Wesmen in an all-Winnipeg semi-final, followed by a matchup between two programs from last season's CIS Final 8 as Lakehead meets Saskatchewan.

Classique des Citadins:   Guelph 70, McGill 67  The Gryphs staged a dramatic comeback from double digits down, holding the Redmen to only 27 second-half points and getting a pair of late threes from Mike Patrella and Drew Morris to finally take the lead in the fourth to win their second straight in Montreal.  6'4" Jonathan Moscatelli was the difference in the fourth, scoring 11 of his 13 points and 6'2" Dan McCarthy was steady all afternoon, leading all scorers with 19 as Guelph overcame McGill's 72% field goal effort in the first half.  The Redmen looked like they would dominate the game with their defense, creating numerous Guelph turnovers leading to easy baskets, but the under-manned Gryphs dug-in defensively and made big shots when it mattered to move to 2-0 in the tournament.  6'2" Kyle Bernard had 16 points to lead McGill and did a nice job defending Moscatelli until the slick shooter from Toronto awoke in the fourth.  6'3" Simon Bibeau added 12 for McGill.  Guelph goes for the tournament championship tomorrow at noon against Bishop's.

44th Wesmen Classic summaries

Winnipeg Free Press article

Wednesday's CIS Action

CIS action continues Wednesday with a pair of tournaments featuring their semi-final games, most noteable likely being tonight's second semi-final in Winnipeg at the Wesmen Classic between Lakehead and Saskatchewan. Games from Classique des Citadins at UQAM are available on Streaming Sports Network. 44th Wesmen Classic video is available on UWinnipeg TV. Games at the Ryerson National Invitational tournament (RNIT) may also be available for viewing at Ryerson's UStream channel.


Wednesday, Dec. 28
1:00 p.m. ET York vs. Mohawk (OCAA)...  RNIT Consolation
1:00 p.m. ET / Noon CT Minot State vs. Brandon... 44th Wesmen Classic Consolation
3:00 p.m. ET Waterloo vs. Algoma...  RNIT Consolation
3:00 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT McMaster vs. Jamestown (NAIA)...  44th Wesmen Classic Consolation
4:00 p.m. ET McGill vs. Guelph... Classique des Citadins at UQAM
5:30 p.m. ET Toronto vs. Walsh (NAIA)...  RNIT Championship semi-final
6:30 p.m. ET Bishop's vs Ottawa... Classique des Citadins at UQAM
7:00 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT Manitoba at Winnipeg...  44th Wesmen Classic Championship semi-final
7:30 p.m. ET UNB at Ryerson...  RNIT Championship semi-final
8:30 p.m. ET Memorial at UQAM... Classique des Citadins at UQAM
9:00 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT Lakehead vs. Saskatchewan...  44th Wesmen Classic Championship semi-final

Manitoba 94, Jamestown (NAIA) 82

6'7" Sean Maxwell knocked down six 3's as part of his 27 point effort while point guard Josh Ogden added 16 to lead the Bisons to a first round victory at the 44th Wesmen Classic, setting up a cross-town rivalry semi-final game tonight against host Winnipeg Wesmen.  Bisons shot 50% for the game, led by 13 at halftime and were rarely threatened in the second half in earning the victory.

Ryerson 66, Algoma 50

The Rams, featuring an update starting five that includes three freshmen, came up with a sluggish win over Algoma (OCAA).  6'3" fifth-year vet Ryan McNeilly had 18 points including 4-9 3's to lead the way while 6'8" freshman Bjorn Michaelsen, back after missing virtually the entire first half of the regular season with an injury, returned to add 10 points and 7 rebounds up front.  6'1" Jahmal Jones epitomized Ryerson's sluggishness with a 1 for 10 effort for only 4 points including 0 for 6 from downtown.  The Rams turned it over 19 times and shot just 38% for the game but were rarely in trouble in this game.

Coach Roy Rana shuffled his starting lineup to bring in more size, inserting 6'8" sophomore Matt Lapointe and 6'5" Luke Staniscia and bringing 6'2" Ola Adegboruwa, who usually starts, off the bench.  The Rams were also without the services of star 6'3" freshman Jordon Gauthier.

Ryerson meets UNB Varsity Reds in one of two semi-finals tonight.

Box Score

Guelph 85, UQAM 73

The undermanned Guelph Gryphons rallied around their stable of fine guards and got a great performance from their OCAA transfer 6'5" Jerald Greenidge up front in spanking the Citadins in Montreal in game three of the first day of the Classique des Citadins at UQAM.  As has historically been the case when Guelph is going well, the Gryphs won with great halfcourt defense, especially in the first half when Guelph took leads as large as 30 and went into the break up by 21 at 46-25.  Leading the way for Guelph was player of the game Dan McCarthy with 23 points 9 rebounds and 5 steals while Greenidge added 15 points and 8 boards, Jonathan Moscatelli 10 points and Michael Petrella 12 points. Guelph was also lethal from beyond the arc, connecting on 11 of 24 three pointers.  Guelph and McGill meet today at 4PM as the tournament continues.

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Winnipeg 81, McMaster 65

Nolan Gooding had a game-high 26 points while veteran Nick Lother added 19 as the Wesmen held the Marauders to just 3-27 shooting from beyond the arc in capturing a first round win at home in the 44th Wesmen Classic.  The Marauders got 16 points and 9 rebounds from veteran forward Cam Michaud but Michaud and fellow forward freshman Taylor Black combined to go just 7 for 25 from the floor as the Marauders absorbed the loss once again playing without 6'8" Scott Brittain.  The Wesmen shot 10 for 29 from downtown as Lother and Gooding combined for 5 3's and each played 37 minutes in the win.

Stats

Ottawa 65, McGill 62

6'6" freshman Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue was the difference down the stretch with several large offensive plays, including a put-back that tied the score at 53 and later a huge offensive rebound that he kicked out for a three by Warren Ward that basically clinched it to give the Gee-Gees a victory against their former coach Dave DeAveiro.

Ottawa led for much of the game, leading by 5 at halftime, but the Redmen orchestrated a tidy third quarter during which the ball got inside much more and 5'11" guard Olivier Bouchard came alive; his three on the final possession of the third put McGill up 43-42 after three quarters.  But Ward, 6'9" Louis Gauthier and the energetic, athletic Gonthier-Dubue got it going inside. 

Gonthier-Dubue's dunk and one on the break gave the Gee-Gees an early fourth-quarter 51-48.  But McGill wasn't done as 6'3" Simon Bibeau knocked down a three when Ottawa went under a ball screen and then Bouchard fed 6'8" Greg Gause for a lay-up and the Redmen had what turned out to be their final lead at 53-51 with 4:24 remaining.  Then Gonthier-Dubue put his stamp on the game with a putback, a nice high/low feed to Gauthier, a lay-in and then the big "o" board and kick out to Ward, who had another big offensive game, for a 3 that gave Ottawa a 63-56 lead with under 2 minutes to play.

McGill, led by Bouchard, who came alive in the second half after a sluggish start, had one final run with the second-year pg hitting back to back 3's that got it to within 1 with 5 seconds remaining.  After Ward hit a pair of free throws, McGill worked for a last second look at a three but could not get a shot off and the Gee-Gees prevailed.

Both teams started sluggishly offensively with numerous turnovers and after one it was 12-8 Ottawa.  The defense continued to dominate and the turnovers continued however the game did get a bit more flow to it as the second half progressed.

UNB 81, Waterloo 74

6'5" Alex Desroches and 6'8" Lonzell Lowe each had 20 point/10 rebound double doubles and Desroches and Dustin Anthony each had 5 points in a game-deciding 14-2 run midway through the third quarter as the Varsity Reds knocked off the Warriors, who hurt themselves going only 1-13 as a team from beyond the arc.

The Warriors erased an early 10 point V-Reds lead as freshman Mike Wright's jumper tied the game at 32 late in the second quarter.  But UNB scored the final 6 points of the first half, highlighted by a pair of j's from 6'1" Daniel Quirion (15 points).  Waterloo then took their final lead of the night, breaking out to an 11-4 run led by Wayne Bridge (17 points) to lead 43-42 with 6 minutes remaining in the quarter.  But Desroches hit some shots and got to the free throw line and the V-Reds later held off a Warrior run that got it to 4 early in the fourth but Waterloo could get no closer.  6'3" Cam McIntyre led all scorers with 25 points on 9-22 shooting from the floor but went 0-6 from downtown while the Reds were able to get the ball inside and pulled away midway through the fourth for the double digit win.

Bishop's 68, Memorial 65

5'10" Orien Green's three from the left wing with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining gave the Gaiters the lead for good and later Green made 4 of 4 free throws in the waning seconds as the Gaiters won their first game of the season, coming from behind to defeat the Sea-hawks in the first game of the Classique des Citadins at UQAM in Montreal this afternoon.

With MUN leading 53-47 and 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the game, the Gaiters came out of a timeout energized, especially on the defensive end, forging a game-deciding 13-3 run in the next 4 minutes to take control of the game.  Gaiters got back-to-back treys from 6'5" Tim Hunter and freshman Mike Andrews and then off excellent ball movement, Green found himself open from downtown and he made no mistake to give Bishop's the lead for good at 58-56.  He then stole the ball on the next possession and score an uncontested layup for a four point lead with 2:22 remaining.

MUN had one last run left, getting it to within 1 at 64-63 after a 7-2 which included a big 3 by Will Bradbury, but the Gaiters held despite two free throw misses by guard Sean Monplaisir as Hunter grabbed an offensive rebound, setting up a pair of Green free throws with 7 seconds left and Bishop's did not allow Memorial to get off a shot on the game's final possession.

Saskatchewan 91, Minot State 63

5'11" Jamelle Barrett had 27 points, nine assists and three steals while fellow 6'1" Rejean Chabot added 17 and 6'8" post Chris Unsworth finished with a 12 point/13 rebound double double as the Huskies rolled over the Beavers.  Sask led by 24 at halftime as their explosive offense had 55 first half points.  Anthony Enriquez led the Beavers with 16 points. Jason West added 11.

Huskies win sets up a very good championship semi-final tomorrow between defending tournament champions Lakehead and defending national champions Saskatchewan.

Lakehead 93, Brandon 49

The Thunderwolves completely dominated the Bobcats with excellent team defense that rarely allowed an easy look or take to the rim and Lakehead beat Brandon at will in transition to decisively win their first round matchup at the 44th Wesmen Classic.  Lakehead, the defending champions, meets the winner of Minot State and Saskatchewan in tomorrow's championship semi-finals.

The T-Wolves also ran their half court stuff well, finishing with 14 three-pointers, shooting 40% from beyond the arc.  Lakehead held Brandon to only 7 first quarter points to race out to a 15 point lead and then took a 23 point lead into halftime.  Forward Brendan King led the way for Lakehead with a game high 21 points with several coming in transition as he continually beat his check down the floor on the break.  Benjamin Johnson added 11 off the bench for Lakehead which substituted freely. Yoosrie Salhia had a game high 16
rebounds for the Wolves.  Kyrie Coleman led Brandon with 14 points. O’Brian Wallace added nine.

Walsh 97, York 71

The Lions hung around with the perennial NAIA power Walsh College from Ohio, leading early at 17-16 but then a 20-9 run bridging the first and second quarters established a double digit lead and Walsh cruised to an easy first-round win over York, setting up a semi-final encounter with the U of T Varsity Blues.

After being down 12 at the half, York made an early third quarter run that included 7 consecutive points by 6'3" Ostap Chioly to get it back to an 8 point game at 55-47 but later the Cavaliers outscored the Lions 26-8 during a six minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters and the route was on.

Chioly led York with 24 points including 4-8 3's while 6'10" Dejan Kravic added 19 points and 3 boards.  The Cavaliers, who shot 59% from the floor after halftime, got 21 points from Ron Kinney, who led 5 players in double figures.

Toronto 101, Mohawk 60

6'6" Drazen Glizic had 10 of his team-high 16 points in the first quarter and added 9 boards in just 24 minutes as the Blues used a 13-2 run early in the first quarter to establish a big lead, then took leads as large as 41 in hammering the Mountaineers in the first game of the Ryerson National Invitational tournament in downtown Toronto. 

Mohawk actually hit the first two 3's of the game to take their only lead at 6-0 including a trey by ex-McMaster Marauder Aminu Bello however Glizic and 6'1" Justin Holmes went to work and 6'5" Alex Hill's steal and dunk culminated the early run and the Blues were on their way.

Up 20 at the half, the Blues extended the lead to 34 after 3 quarters and then pulled away further in the fourth.  Bello led Mohawk with 17 points while 6'6" Andrew Wasik had a tidy 13 point/10 rebound double double.

The Blues await the winner of the York Lions vs. Walsh College game.

Dinos lose veteran pg Rochon for season

The news was not good for 5'9" veteran point guard Andy Rochon after some recent surgery in his hometown of Chicago, IL over the holidays as Wayne Thomas from DinosHoopsNews reports.

Lineup changes for Dinos

The Calgary Dinos go into their build-up to the 2nd half of the season with a depleted line-up, after the not unexpected news that 3rd year guard Andy Rochon will be lost for the rest of this season. Rochon, who tried to battle through shoulder problems for much of the 1st half, will undergo an operation in Illinois to correct the damage, and will, hopefully, return next fall. His play on the court and his positive presence in the locker room will be sorely missed by this team so heavily laden with younger players. Coach Dan Vanhooren was still hopeful he would see Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson back on the court for games in California, and his return will certainly bolster the line-up.


...Read More

Monday 27 December 2010

Tuesday's CIS Schedule

CIS action kicks off Tuesday with a full slate of Holiday tournament games.  Games from Classique des Citadins at UQAM are available on Streaming Sports Network.  44th Wesmen Classic video is available on UWinnipeg TVGames at the Ryerson National Invitational tournament (RNIT) may also be available for viewing at Ryerson's UStream channel.

Tuesday, Dec. 28
1:00 p.m. ET Toronto vs. Mohawk (OCAA)... 1st round RNIT
1:00 p.m. ET / Noon CT  Lakehead vs. Brandon... 1st round 44th Wesmen Classic
3:00 p.m. ET York vs. Walsh (NAIA)... 1st round RNIT
3:00 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT Saskatchewan vs. Minot State (NAIA)... 1st round 44th Wesmen Classic
4:00 p.m. ET Bishop's vs Memorial... Classique des Citadins at UQAM
5:30 p.m. ET Waterloo vs. New Brunswick... 1st round RNIT
6:30 p.m. ET McGill vs Ottawa... Classique des Citadins at UQAM
7:00 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT McMaster at Winnipeg... 1st round 44th Wesmen Classic
7:30 p.m. ET Ryerson vs. Algoma (OCAA).. 1st round RNIT
8:30 p.m. ET UQAM vs Guelph... Classique des Citadins at UQAM
9:00 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT Manitoba vs. Jamestown (NAIA)... 1st round 44th Wesmen Classic

Gryphs battle injury bug (again), Regina update, Carleton recruit

Injuries play a role in the fortunes of every program and are a fact of life for every coach to have to deal with but the plight of Chris O'Rourke and the Guelph Gryphons this season has rarely been seen.  Gryphs have not had a full lineup since September and just when O'Rourke thought that things couldn't get any worse, Guelph leaves today for the Classique des Citadins tournament at UQAM with only 9 healthy players and the likelihood that 3 more regulars are done for the season and a fourth is out for another extended period.  Most noteable loss is 6'8" sophomore post John Brutto who has left school altogether to deal with personal issues.  The London, ON native had a very strong start to his second season as a Gryph with big efforts against UBC and Fraser Valley in the pre-season but then sustained a back injury which limited his time in the first-half set of league games.  Fellow 6'6" sophomore Matt Howlett, who has not played since Guelph's trip to Nova Scotia in early October due to a concussion, was set to play after Christmas but has come down with a case of pnemonia and will not travel to Montreal.  Another post 6'9" Duncan Reid has his foot in a cast and is out indefinitely while 6'5" Sheriff Wierdu, a third-year wing who originally made the Gryphs as a walk-on three years ago is out for the season with a concussion.  This leaves the Gryphs with just two healthy forwards (6'5" Gerald Greenidge and 6'7" freshman Andrew Beney) and 6'6" Kevin Cameron, who has a bad flu which caused him to leave practice early yesterday, bee-lining to the bathroom; his status for the tournament is unknown.  On the positive side for Guelph, injured 5'11" guard Kareem Malcolm recently had a cast removed that was protecting his injured elbow - an elbow that now has a plate and 4 screws in it after he injured it in the first half.  Originally thought to be out for the rest of the season, Malcolm is rehabbing to get back strength and full range of motion in the arm with a view of returning as early as the first week of February.  As well, the Gryphs announced a recruiting commitment from 6'3" wing Jack Beatty, originally from Woodstock, ON (Woodstock C.I.) who spent part of this season with the REDA program in Hamilton.  An athletic guard with skills and an excellent perimeter jump shooter, O'Rourke expects Beatty to garner major minutes immediately next season... Regina Cougars big victory on the second of a back-to-back in Edmonton against Alberta Golden Bears was critical in giving coach James Hillis' group a shot at finishing as high as 3rd in Canada West if all goes well in the second half.  At a minimum, the victory provided some breathing room relative to finishing 7th or 8th and the expected tough first-round playoff matchup likely to result with UBC and TWU projected to finish 1-2 in CW play.  Cougars expect their best overall player 6'7" Kris Heshka to be completely healthy after limping through the first half on a severely sprained ankle that he originally hurt in September.  Heshka was clearly a step slow offensively, showing little of the athletic explosiveness that characterized his all-conference play the past two seasons and the injury also slowed him defensively as he found himself in foul trouble virtually every night.  6'7" Paul Gareau picked up much of the slack offensively including a 42 point game but Heshka needs to be the focus from the inside/out for Cougars to threaten the top of CW.  6'1" Jeff Lukomski is also fit and focused completely on his fifth and final season of basketball after playing db on Regina's football team for much of the first half.  Hillis is excited about  his two freshman 5'10" Brendan Hebert, an occasional starter who was able to run the team well in spurts but must avoid hitting the freshman wall that sometimes comes up in late January - teams also began pressing and forcing the action on the diminutive guard, something he'll have to likely deal more with.  6'5" Matt Campbell has seen limited time but has impressed with his ability to score even when playing little.  6'5" veteran forward Marek Downarowicz, garnering more time with Heshka's injury/foul situations, has been solid and adds more depth up front.  The Cougars also has lost the services of 6'2" Jesus Mora who has returned home to Puerto Rico to attend to his mother who is ill.  Regina is idle during the first weekend of CW play in January and will face Williston College before beginning a second half that includes a home-and-home with provincial rival Saskatchewan Huskies, trips to Winnipeg and Fraser Valley plus home dates with Thompson Rivers, Manitoba and UBC...  Carleton Ravens recently received an official commitment from Ontario Provincial team member 6'6" Justin Shaver, who was originally scheduled to arrive at Carleton in time for this season but took another year to upgrade his academics and has done so successfully.  Shaver is one of the top rated wing forwards in Canada according to several scouting services (Hoopstars rates Shaver as #10 in the entire class which is full of NCAA D1 pledges and prospects) and has a tremendous inside-out game reminiscent of ex-Raven Aaron Doornekamp, but likely without the consistent three-point shooting that the former Moser Award winner possesses.  Shaver, a long-time member of the Ottawa Guardsmen club program, has a polished back-to-the-basket game and is an excellent passer.  The 18 year-old also has a strong affiliation with the Ottawa Boys and Girls club, going back almost 12 years, as this video from March, 2010 attestsExpect Shaver, who played his first four seasons of high school basketball at Nepean C.I. before moving over to John McRae this season, to compete for time immediately in the Ravens rotation next season and become another in the growing line of all-conference/all-Canadian type players under Coach Dave Smart.

44th Wesmen Classic begins tomorrow

Winnipeg Sun has a quick tournament preview.  We will summarize all games to be played tomorrow involving CIS tournaments later today.

Win would be wonderful for woeful Wesmen


By KIRK PENTON, Winnipeg Sun

Mike Raimbault isn’t worried about a tournament win.

He isn’t concerned about a semifinal win.

He just wants a win. Any kind of win.

...Read More
 
Also, Brian Decker provides his McMaster Marauders first-half review in the Sil, Mac's campus newspaper.

Sunday 26 December 2010

Wayne Thomas's latest Dinos Hoops News

Yes Ferg, It’s California Again


One of the really enjoyable and competitive CIS Tournaments is the Wesmen Classic in Winnipeg right after Christmas. A rare 8 team opportunity to play CIS teams from across the country, it has a great atmosphere, and, usually, an interesting field.

The Dinos played in this tournament for ‘all of my career at UC’ claims Ian Ferguson, a 2005 grad who would concur with our thoughts about the tournament, but would be forced to mention the several return trips to Canada’s coldest street, Portage Avenue, in the dead of winter. “I’ll always hold that against Dan (Vanhooren) ... my whole career !”, says Ian, who now teaches and coaches at Airdrie’s Bert Church HS.

Now, Coach Vanhooren has changed the routine in a big way, and for the 2nd year running, his Dinos are off to Southern California for an exhibition series with 3 schools from the Golden State Athletic Conference, an NAIA circuit (not NCAA) of California Catholic Colleges, most of which are in the Greater Los Angeles area. Last season, the veteran - laden Calgary club lost 2 of 3 games, as they beat San Diego Christian College, then lost to both Biola College, and Azuza Pacific.

This time around, Calgary goes south with a much younger crew, and Coach Vanhooren is looking to get his troops back together after exams with an eye to “working hard at getting in better shape for the second half of the year.” He is concerned about the fitness level as several key players recover from injuries, and the study break usually takes away some of the game readiness. These 3 games are a chance to get that edge back in preparation for the re-start of Canada West play in January, and the trip to California is a popular one with the players.

The Dinos play Concordia College on Dec. 28, then Azuza Pacific on the 30th, and Biola on the 31st. The Dinos will, undoubtedly return to the Wesmen Classic, but this post-Christmas trip will not include togues, mitts, and parkas. Sorry about that Ferg !

...Read More

Rouge et Or gain early commitments from pair of Cégep stars

With a veteran-laden lineup that includes six rotation players in their fourth or fifth year of eligibility, Laval Rouge et Or Coach Jacques Paiement Jr. has made it a priority to retool his lineup, especially adding some size up front and on the wing.  Thus, the recent announcement of the commitments of a pair of Cégep stars to Laval shows that Paiement's efforts are paying off.  Laval welcomes 6'6" forward Gabriel Barriault (Cégep de Ste-Foy) and 6'3" guard Thibaud Dezutter (Collège Édouard-Montpetit) to the Rouge et Or, shoring up the front line and the big guard/wing spot with a pair of top players.

Paiement feels both are among the "five or six best players in the Cégep circuit" and is pleased to be able to obtain their commitments so early, adding that he believes both are rotation-ready for next season.  Laval has only one fifth-year senior (J.F. Beaulieu-Mahieux) however five others (Jerome Turcotte, Etienne Labrecque, Xavier Baribeau, Kevin Crevant and Christian Trottier) are in the fourth year.

Barriault currently averages a double double in the AAA Quebec college league, leading the entire conference in rebounding at 11.9 per game while scoring at 12.3 points per night for the Dynamics, currently in second place with a record of 5-3.

Dezutter is a versatile, athletic big guard who is third in scoring in AAA Cégep at 19.5 ppg and also hauls in about 10 rebounds per game.  Dezutter is also an excellent student, being honoured with athletic/academic merit by college AAA league last season.

Laval sits tied for first place in QUBL at 4-1, is ranked in the Top 10 and continues their 2010-11 season later this week at the 20th annual Rod Shoveller Memorial tournament at Dalhousie with a first-round match-up with Acadia Axemen.

Saturday 25 December 2010

Waterloo comes back, Victoria adjusts & Manitoba gears up for a tough 2nd half

After squeezing into the OUA West playoffs last season with a 9-13 record, not much was expected of the Waterloo Warriors in the 2009-10 playoffs and certainly not this season after losing three starters (Ben Frisby, David Burnett and Matt Hayes) plus a top reserve (Jesse Tipping).  The Warriors, historically known as a methodical, half-court set oriented group that make up for limited athleticism with tempo-controlling "o" and physical "d", made a surprising run in the playoffs last season (victory at McMaster; double digit halftime lead at Lakehead before bowing by 5) in what was seen by some as somewhat of an abberation - a senior-laden team getting hot at the right time.  Certainly expectations were for this season to be somewhat of a rebuilding year with making the playoffs as reasonable goal.  Fast forward to the end of the first half and the Warriors are forging a new look and style, pushing the tempo at every opportunity with undersized, athletic bigs like 6'6" Alan Goodhoofd, who can hammer it on you plus 6'7" Brendan Smith, an emerging, athletic shot blocking force who is getting a chance to play after the graduation losses on the front line plus a maturing group of young guards (6'2" Wayne Bridge, who missed the entire pre-season due to injury, and 6'1" Andrew Melbourne) who can play effectively at high speeds.  Throw in some veteran, fifth-year former role players who are now in leading roles (6'0" Luke Kieswetter, 6'5" Tim Rossy) and one of the purest scorers in the country (6'3" Cam McIntyre) and the new-look Warriors, a better-than-expected 4-4 after the first half, could surprise in the OUA West this season.  McIntyre, who has battled injuries in the first half, broke the Warriors record for three-pointers with 11 (eleven) in a recent win against Ryerson.  The arrival of Toronto natives Bridge and Melbourne signal a shift in recruiting direction of sorts for the Warriors, a program previously not focusing on city kids (albeit Michael Davis was a suburban GTA-bred forward earlier this decade with Waterloo).  Warriors Assistant coach Curtis Dauber believes that a growing number of GTA players are beginning to strongly consider the quality of their education and the high level of CIS basketball after historically looking at basketball in the U.S. as their only option - virtually all these kids are shocked at how good CIS is.  Lead guards play a key role in coach Tom Kieswetter's systems and thus far the work of his nephew Luke, now in his fifth season, has been a determinant in Waterloo's success; as Dauber puts it "the games we win, Luke plays well. We go as he goes.  At the start of the year Luke found it really tough because for the previous 4 years he's been splitting time with Dave Burnett at the pg, and now he's basically got the spot all to himself which has been a big adjustment.  He's really adjusted well, especially the last month of the first half."  Up front, Goodhoofd and Rossy, who is really a guard playing the four spot, ordinarily give up a few inches and at least 20 or 30 lbs to opponents, but they are very active defensively.  As Dauber notes:  "We've just put a bigger emphasis on playing to (Alan and Tim's) strengths, so putting them into positions where they can take advantage of their matchups."  Goodhoofd's athleticism is becoming eye-catching as he has had numerous dunks right over guys when attacking the basket off the dribble.  Waterloo is also easing back 6'2" freshman Zach Angelini from Hamilton back into the lineup after an injury and he should be eased back into the rotation at the four spot given his long reach estimated at 6'7".  The Warriors finish to the first half was very encouraging and they will kick off the second half at the Ryerson National Invitational tournament in downtown Toronto with a first-round matchup with UNB Varsity Reds.  Warriors are on the same side of the draw as the host Rams in a tournament which also includes Toronto Varsity Blues, York Lions and NAIA power Walsh College from Ohio... As has been the case virtually throughout coach Craig Beaucamp's entire career, Victoria Vikes remain among the top defensive teams statiscally in the entire nation and the Vikes ability to stop teams has served them well again this season, especially on the road where Victoria, 8-4 in the conference and firmly in a playoff spot, already has quality road victories at Saskatchewan and at Alberta in overtime.  Still, Beaucamp believes there is plenty of room for improvement at the defensive end, noting that "even though we led the conference in points against our field goal percentage defense has been mediocre." However, Vic has made a noteable improvement on the glass as they are third in the conference in rebounding behind only TWU and Saskatchewan after ranking 11th last season.  Vikes continue to adjust to the change in offensive approach instituted this season - Vic debuted their high-post "Princeton" offense to great success over the Labour Day weekend against Minnesota when they led the Gophers at halftime - and the numbers show that Vic's offense continues to improve.  At 78.9 ppg,Victoria is scoring almost 9 more points per game than last year and shooting 38 percent from the 3 pt line and 46 per cent from the field.  Getting through the first half at 8-4 despite one of the toughest first-half schedules in Canada West no doubt has the Vikes excited over a possible top four finish and a hosting date for the first-round of the CW playoffs.  Vikes best overall scorer is 6'4" Ryan MacKinnon (15.3 ppg), who had 32 including 6-7 3's in the OT win at Alberta on the final night of the first half.  Still, many observers believe the underlying key to Victoria's success rides with 6'2" Jeff Cullen who had his first half interrupted after sustaining a concussion, limiting his time including missing two games entirely and was only reinserted back into the starting rotation in the two games at Alberta.  Cullen played a season-high 34 minutes in the Saturday night win over the Bears and his veteran decision-making is critical to Vikes.  Cullen averaged only 23 mpg in the first half, allowing Beaucamp to give 6'0" freshman Reese Pribilsky, like Cullen a local product of Victoria's Oak Bay Secondary, significant minutes.  Pribilsky leads the Vikes with 33 assists against only 11 turnovers putting him third in the conference in assist to turnover ratio at 3.0, behind only UBC's Alex Murphy at 3.7 and Manitoba's Josh Ogden at 3.0. Beaucamp is also very happy with the progress of 6'10" Ontario import Chris McLaughlin who knows how to play in the post and moves very well for a big man.  Victoria has had strong consistent play from their pair of experienced bigs 6'8" Mike Berg and 6'7" Pierce Anderson but McLaughlin is rapidly emerging into a strong candidate for increased time in the rotation up front.  Another freshman, 6'6" Ted Neilson from Nanaimo, is in the rotation on the wing, playing good minutes and has hit several big shots in timely spots.  With a more favorable second-half schedule that has the Vikes hosting both Trinity Western and UBC at home and road dates at Winnipeg, at Brandon and at Thompson Rivers plus home games against Lethbridge, another 8-4 run at a minimum seems plausible as does a shot a hosting a first-round Best-of-3 playoff series.  Vic travels to southern California early this coming week for three games against NAIA opponents before resuming Canada West play during the weekend of 7-8 January when Vikes host Trinity Western... More Canada West:  one of the better quick turnaround stories in the CIS has been architected by Manitoba Bisons second-year Head Coach Kirby Schepp.  The Bisons are 7-3 in Canada West play including 4-1 on the road which includes a victory at Victoria.  Much has already been made of the contribution from newcomer point guard Josh Ogden however Manitoba is beginning to get contributions from a pair of local Winnipeg-product freshmen 6'4" Keith Omoerah and 6'8" Tanner Draward, giving Schepp some flexibility off the bench including not having to rely almost exclusively on the three-point shot, something the Bisons did more of than any other team in Canada last season.  Manitoba continues to seek more consistency (home losses to Thompson Rivers and Brandon have hurt) and Bisons have a wicked second-half schedule, starting with home dates with UBC and Saskatchewan followed by a trip to Edmonton to face Alberta and then later at home against Trinity Western.  Bisons also travel to Calgary and Regina and hope that 11 or 12 wins will get them into the playoffs.  Manitoba will play in the 44th Wesmen Classic with a first round date against the tough Jamestown Jimmies (NAIA) who have already defeated Winnipeg by 30... The injury news continues to mount for Rod Gilpin and the winless Bishop's Gaiters as an hour into an early December practice in Lennoxville, 6'1" starting point guard Oraine Green tore the cartilage between the pectoral muscle and his sternum and could be out for a few weeks. The Gaiters meet Memorial on the first day of the Classique des Citadins tournament at UQAM beginning early next week in Montreal.

20th Rod Shoveller Memorial Tournament Preview at Dalhousie

This tournament honours the legendary Atlantic Canada basketball referee and was founded in the early 90's by then-Tigers Head Coach Bev Greenlaw as a tribute to Rod Shoveller.  I was thankful to have participated in many of those early events while on the coaching staff of the Ottawa Gee-Gees and was able to hear many of the stories about the tremendous contributions of Rod Shoveller to CIS basketball.  Also during that time I met Rod's son, Bruce, who was completing his playing career at Queen's and Bruce and I have remained friends since.  All the best to the Shoveller family and with this great tournament.  I'm pleased to provide a tournament preview for what has arguably the top field of any of the CIS Holiday tournaments this season.  As has been the case for virtually the entire history of the tournament, dates for games are around New Year's Day, given participants ample opportunity for practice time prior to the event.

Friday, December 31  (all games at DalPlex)

12pm AT/11 am ET  Saint Mary's (6-9, 2-5) vs. Concordia (9-1, 4-1)  Huskies limped into the break off a 2-6 finish to the first half but included in that stretch was a home win over Dal which shows talent is there to compete.  SMU must tighten up defensively (over 90 ppg allowed) and welcome 6'5" Dustin Anthony, former CCAA All-Canadian at Mount Allison, to the lineup for the second half.  SMU is 0-5 vs. teams in this tournament.  Stingers may have top overall player in the tournament in 6'2" Kyle Desmarais, a do-everything combo guard, who has been the key reason why Concordia has been in the Top 10 all year.  Stingers were expecting to have 6'4" Demetrius Boards, from Marist H.S. in New Jersey and a transfer from Sussex JuCo after a two season career in which he averaged 17.1 ppg last season in the lineup.

2pm St. FX (11-3, 3-2) vs. Laurentian (4-10, 4-5)  After winning their first 9 games of the season, a two-week early-November layoff took the momentum out of X's sails but all 3 losses have been to quality opponents (at Cape Breton by 16, Dal by 3 and Toronto by 4).  X has already won 3 tournaments this season (Donohue, Garland and their own) and expect this deep, talented group to be ready again as Christian T-Bear Upshaw and his very successful graduating class enter the final semester of their careers.  A spectacular, double digit comeback win at Mac has been the springboard to renewed optimism with the Voyageurs, who won 4 of their last 7, led by the return to health of the Pasquale brothers and a decision by Head Coach Shawn Swords to shorten his bench recently. 

5pm Dalhousie (8-3, 4-1) vs. Queen's (3-14, 2-7)  Tigers, who feature the top statistically defensive team in the AUS, went into the break winners of 5 of their past 6 to get back into Top 10 consideration - the sole loss was at Saint Mary's by 6 - and Dal has already knocked off X in Antigonish.  Gaels have had churn in the coaching ranks with Duncan Cowen taking over mid-season for Rob Smart Sr. and their only 3 wins of the season have come at home against Waterloo on the opening night of the OUA regular season plus Bishop's at home and at RMC - the only two remaining winless programs in the CIS.  Injuries hammered the Gaels early in the season and 6'2" Dan Bannister is the only consistent offensive threat.

7pm Acadia (8-5, 3-3) vs. Laval (9-3, 4-1)  Nice matchup in the nightcap with both teams very talented offensively.  The veteran Rouge et Or had their long winning streak snapped on the final night of the QUBL first half at Concordia, one night after outlasting an improving McGill team in Montreal.  6'4" Jerome Turcotte is having an all-conference POY type season.  Laval comfortably defeated Saint Mary's at their own tournament in October.  The Axemen won their last two on the road and sit comfortably in an AUS playoff spot.  6'1" freshman shooting guard Thomas Filgiano (7.7 ppg in 23 mpg), who has taken on the responsibility of checking the opponent's best guard, has emerged as one of the better first-year players in the AUS and a player we did not originally highlight in our top freshman piece a few weeks ago.

Saturday, January 1
1pm Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2
3pm Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4
6pm Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
8pm Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4

Sunday, January 2
9am Loser Game 5 vs Loser Game 6
11am Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 6
1pm Loser Game 7 vs Loser Game 8 (Bronze Medal Game)
3pm Winner Game 7 vs Winner Game 8 (Championship)

Tournament Scoreboard

All the Best for a very Merry Christmas

Please accept my best wishes for a happy and healthy Christmas season and for a prosperous New Year.

Friday 24 December 2010

Saint Mary's picks up former CCAA All-Canadian for the second half

6'5" Doyle Anthony, the former Mount Allison Mounties star, has decided to suit up for the Huskies in the second half of the season according to this article in the North Bay Nugget , the town from which Doyle and his younger brother Dustin, a member of the UNB Varsity Reds, hail.  The Huskies are part of the field at the Rod Shoveller Memorial tournament at Dalhousie in Halifax and will face Concordia Stingers in the first round while Dustin's V-Reds meet Waterloo in the first round of Ryerson's National Invitational tournament in downtown Toronto.

Niagara loses basketball icon

Niagara Bullet Media tribute

Bill Rootes was the guy who met you at the gym door. He might have been checking admission tickets, pushing the 50-50 draw, sticking a program in your hand.


Bill Rootes was the guy who picked up towels off the floor, booked the team buses, arranged hotel reservations, found out the best place to eat, made sure everyone was on time.

Bill Rootes was the guy who showed up to practice with 20 Tim Hortons gift cards, who cheered loudest when things were going well, and even louder when they weren't, who invited players to his home for meals, who organized golf tournaments, and threw summer pool parties.

And now Bill Rootes is gone, and no one can quite believe it.

...Read More

******************************************************************************



Niagara Falls Review/ St. Catharines Standard tribute to Bill Rootes

There are certain people in Niagara Falls who have left such an indelible mark on the sporting community that their legacies will far outlast their lives.


Bill Rootes was one of those people. He was one of the faces of basketball in this city. He was one of the main creators of the Niagara Falls Red Raiders program, which has helped introduced hundreds of youths to the sport.

Rootes died Wednesday at the age of 61.

...Read More

Where are they over the Holidays

Below is a team-by-team list for reader's reference outlining the holiday activity for each of the 42 teams in the CIS.

AUS
Acadia at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. Laval
Cape Breton  trip to China
Dalhousie hosting Rod Shoveller Memorial; 1st round vs. Queen's
Memorial at UQAM tournament vs. Bishop's, UQAM and McGill
Saint Mary's at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. Concordia
St. FX at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. Laurentian
UNB at Ryerson tournament; 1st round vs. Waterloo
UPEI nothing scheduled until practice in the new year


Canada West
Alberta nothing scheduled
Brandon at Winnipeg tournament; 1st round vs. Lakehead
Calgary three exhibition games in California Dec. 28 at Azuza Pacific; Dec. 30 at Concordia (NAIA); Dec. 31 at Biola
Fraser Valley  in Los Angeles, CA to play at Biola, at Asuza Pacific, and at Hope International
Lethbridge  Ameritel Inn Classic at the University of Montana-Northern on December 29th/30th and then host University of Great Falls on Mon. Jan. 3rd, 2011
Manitoba at Winnipeg tournament; 1st round vs. Jamestown College (NAIA)
Regina  Jan. 1st at Williston State College (NAIA)
Saskatchewan at Winnipeg tournament; 1st round vs. Minot State (NAIA)
Thompson Rivers  Dec. 18 and 19th Tour of Portland, OR vs. 2 NAIA schools
Trinity Western  nothing scheduled
UBC in California Dec. 28th at Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, CA); at Tom Byron Classic, Santa Barbara, CA; Dec. 29th vs. Valley City State (N.D) (NAIA) 3:00 PM ; Championship game
Victoria trip to California, Dec. 28th at Biola, Dec. 29th at San Diego Christian, Dec. 30th at Vanguard
Winnipeg hosts 44th Wesmen Classic; 1st round vs. McMaster


Quebec
Bishop's at UQAM tournament vs. Memorial, Guelph and Ottawa
Concordia at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. Saint Mary's
Laval at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. Acadia
McGill at UQAM tournament; vs. Ottawa, Guelph and Memorial
UQAM hosts tournament; vs. Guelph, Memorial and Ottawa

OUA East
Carleton  in Florida for training camp; will scrimmage against two Junior Colleges
Laurentian at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. St. FX
Ottawa at UQAM tournament; vs. McGill, Bishop's, UQAM
Queen's at Dalhousie tournament; 1st round vs. Dalhousie
RMC nothing scheduled
Ryerson hosting RNIT tournament; 1st round vs. Algoma (OCAA)
Toronto at Ryerson tournament; 1st round vs. Mohawk (OCAA)
York at Ryerson tournament; 1st round vs. Walsh College (NAIA)

OUA West
Brock  nothing scheduled
Guelph at UQAM tournament vs. UQAM, McGill and Bishop's
Lakehead at Winnipeg tournament; 1st round vs. Brandon
Laurier  played in Daemen Can-Am Classic in Buffalo
McMaster at Winnipeg tournament; 1st round vs. Winnipeg
Waterloo at Ryerson tournament
Western at Daemen College exhibition
Windsor  Dec. 28/29 Notre Dame (NAIA) Christmas tournament (South Euclid, OH)

Thursday 23 December 2010

Tragic News out of the Niagara Region

The entire basketball community is in mourning after the sudden and tragic loss of Bill Rootes, father of Brock Head Coach Brad Rootes

Bill passed away of an apparent heart attack in his sleep at home in Niagara Falls on Wednesday.  Our deepest sympathies and prayers to the Rootes family during this difficult time.

***************************************************************************

Basketball community mourns loss of Bill Rootes

The Niagara basketball community is mourning the loss of Bill Rootes, founder of the Red Raider league in Niagara Falls, and general manager of the Brock University men's team.

Rootes passed away at his home in Niagara Falls Wednesday morning.

"It's such a huge loss," said Brian Mulligan, a longtime basketball organizer and coach in Niagara Falls. "I've known Bill and his family for 20 years. Everyone is in shock."

...Read More

44th Wesmen Classic Preview

This Christmas tradition in Winnipeg is the longest-running tournament in the CIS, hosting edition #44 (Note:  Waterloo's Naismith Classic hosted their 43rd event earlier this year while the uOttawa Jack Donohue Memorial tournament hosted their 37th consecutive tourney in October - to my knowledge these are the top 3 longest-running tournaments in the CIS). 

Tuesday, Dec. 28 (all games Central time)
Game 1 Noon  Lakehead Thunderwolves (10-6 vs. CIS, 6-2 in OUA West) vs. Brandon Bobcats (5-8 vs. CIS, 4-6 in Canada West)  The Wolves ambitious pre-season schedule dotted with several tough road games resulted in some losses from which only their recent 6 game winning streak has brought them back into CIS Top 10 consideration.  Still, Lakehead's only two league losses were against Top 10 teams Toronto and Carleton.  The Bobcats under Coach Gil Cheung are making steady progress with a roster full of new faces.  The Cats last played in early December at Minot State, losing by 24.  Brandon wants to run and press while the Thunderwolves are a deadly three-point shooting team and finish games very strong, ordinarily ratcheting up the "d" later in games.
Game 2 2 PM Minot State Beavers (4-8 overall, 0-2 in league) vs Saskatchewan Huskies (12-3 vs. CIS, 7-3 in Canada West)  Maybe the best matchup of the first round with both teams featuring guard-oriented lineups in Huskies slick duo of 6'0" Jamelle Barrett and 6'1" Rejean Chabot  matching up with Beavers two leading scorers 6'1" Anthony Enriquez (13.1 ppg, season-high 29 vs. Montana Tech) and 6'1" Kal Bay (12.8 ppg/38% 3's with season-high 36 vs. Valley City State which included 6 3's - Bay has also hit 7 3's in an earlier game).  The Beavers lost 87-71 at Jamestown (which plays Manitoba in the first round) and pulled away from a tight game in the second half to defeat Brandon 96-72 last week at home.
Game 3 6 PM Winnipeg Wesmen (1-11 vs. CIS, 1-9 in Canada West) vs. McMaster Marauders Two programs in rebuilding mode, both with first-year coaches in Winnipeg's Mike Raimbault and Mac's Amos Connolly.  The Wesmen have been giving up points at an alarming rate but have some explosive offensive talent while the young Marauders hope to have their star NCAA D1 transfer Scott Brittain (multiple concussions) back in the lineup.
Game 4 8 PM Manitoba Bisons (9-4 vs. CIS, 7-3 in Canada West) vs. Jamestown Jimmies (10-3)  The steadily-improving Bisons remain guard-oriented for the most part but have gone deeper into their bench as the season has evolved and are making nice progress under second-year coach Kirby Schepp.  Jamestown has four players averaging double figures in an experienced lineup, led by 6'5" JR forward Travis Burley (13.9 ppg), who had a season-best 28 point, 14 rebound double double in Jimmies' win vs. Minot State in which Jamestown held the Beavers star guard Kal Bay to just 5 points on 1-7 shooting.  6'6" SR C.J. Peeters (14.3 ppg) shoots 50% from the floor and has made 22 3's already this season while 6'10" JR guard Byron Jones (12.8 ppg) is the leading three point gunner from Jamestown with 40 3's on the season.  6'3" JR Chris Lawrence (11.5 ppg) is the fourth double figure scorer.  The Jimmies hammered Winnipeg by 30 at home last week.

Wednesday, Dec. 29
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
plus consolation rounds determined by potential non-conference matchups first

Thursday, Dec. 30
Championship game
Third-place game (between losers of Wednesday's semi-final games)
5th and 7th place games

Tournament Results page

Winnipeg Free Press Preview article

Ryerson National Invitational Tournament Preview

Part of the make over plans Ryerson Rams coach Roy Rana has for turning around the fortunes of his fledgling program include hosting this eight-team event that has been rekindled after a few years - this event has had a history of being one of the top Holiday tournaments in Canada.  With CIS Top 10 team Toronto Varsity Blues and Walsh College, one of the top NAIA programs in the U.S. headlining the participants, the field is strong for the rebirth of this GTA Holiday tradition.  The tournament format features a classic first round, semi-final, championship game format over three days.  Expect some athletic, up tempo excitement at Kerr Hall in downtown Toronto.

2010 Ryerson University National Invitational Tournament Bracket

Tuesday, December 28
Game 1: 1:00 p.m. Toronto vs. Mohawk  A tremendous first-half unexpectedly put the Blues on the radar as arguably the most pleasant surprise in the CIS, over-achieving with a relatively inexperienced core group that has been strengthened with great play from their pair of fourth-year forwards 6'6" Drazen Glizic and 6'6" Andrew Wasik, both of who have rapidly matured in their evolution from support to front line rotation players, plus stellar offensive performances from 6'5" Alex Hill.  But the real difference in U of T's success has been the strong overall guard play from fifth-year senior (but first-year starter) 6'1" Anthony DeGiorgio.  The Mountaineers (10-4 overall, 6-3 in OCAA West) feature four former CIS players in 6'0" Aminu Bello (17.1 ppg), 5'9" Jermaine DeCosta (11.9 ppg), 6'4" Nick Fadayel (11.6 ppg) - all three former McMaster Marauders and 6'5" Alex Reis (6.8 ppg - played last season at Brock).  Size is likely to be an issue with Mohawk in this game but expect the Mountaineers experience and athleticism in the backcourt to test the more deliberate Blues.
Game 2: 3:00 p.m. York vs. Walsh  One of the top NAIA teams in the U.S., the Walsh (Ohio) Cavaliers have only 3 losses - all to NCAA Division 1 teams (Ohio U. by 14; Ohio State by 46 and Wednesday night to West Virginia 86-63).  The Cavs have won all ten NAIA games including 3-0 in league play highlighted by a two point win at Daemen College, which just defeated both U of T Blues and Laurier at home in their Can-Am tournament.  6'3" Jeremy Shardo (18 ppg) and 6'0" Lamar Skeeter (16.2 ppg including season-high 29), a pair of senior guards who can score lead the way for Walsh, which also brings some size in 6'9" sophomore Kenny Kornowski and 6'7" junior Ron Kinney.  The Walsh front line should be a nice matchup for Lions pair of athletic, talented posts 6'10" Dejan Kravic and 6'11" Stefan Haynes.  Key to Lions success will be how well 5'10" David Tyndale scores and gets teammates involved.  6'5" Ostap Chioly is a streaky scorer who can carry his team offensively when making shots.
Game 3: 5:30 p.m. Waterloo vs. New Brunswick  An interesting matchup between a pair of teams in the middle of the pack of their respective conferences, both featuring a strong offensive talent on the wing with Warriors 6'3" Cam McIntyre (42 points in Waterloo's final game of the first half against Ryerson) and 6'3" freshman Will McPhee, one of two Australian imports at UNB.
Game 4: 7:30 p.m. Ryerson vs. Algoma  The host Rams hope to be back at full strength after working through a series of first-half injuries as they face Algoma Thunderbirds (4-5 OCAA West), coached by Thomas Cory who has guided Algoma to the OCAA Final Four the past two seasons.  A pair of former CIS stars are also on the Thunderbirds staff:  Robbie Green, former CIS Rookie-of-the-Year at UVic and later on one of Carleton Ravens national championship teams, plus former Ottawa Gee-Gee Winston Ivey (circa late 80's, early 90's).  6'4" fourth-year forward Patrick Murray, third in the OCAA at 18.9 ppg, leads the T-Birds offensively, highlighted by a season-high 37 points in a recent home loss to Fanshawe.  The host Rams (2-6 in league play) are led by a CIS Freshman of the Year candidate in 6'0" guard Jahmal Jones and hope to have back 6'7" freshman center Bjorn Michaelsen, who missed all but one possession of the first half of the regular season.

Wednesday, December 29
Game 5: 1:00 p.m. Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 6: 3:00 p.m. Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 7: 5:30 p.m. Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 8: 7:30 p.m. Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Thursday, December 30
Game 9: 11:30 a.m. Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
Game 10: 1:30 p.m. Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 11: 4:00 p.m. Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 - 3rd Place
Game 12: 6:00 p.m. Winner Game 7 vs. Winner 8 - Championship

Tournament Preview from Ryerson Sports

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Blues drop Can-Am Classic Championship game

Daemen College Wildcats had another dominant second-half effort, outscoring the Toronto Varsity Blues by 17 points after halftime to win their own tournament 75-55 earlier today in suburban Buffalo, NY.  6'6" Andrew Wasik was the Blues representative on the tournament all-star team, scoring 10 points and adding 12 rebounds in this afternoon's loss.  In the first game, Laurier Golden Hawks came away with a 78-70 win over Houghton College.    Game Recap Blues at Daemen

Classique des Citadins UQAM Holiday Tournament

In Montreal, UQAM's Holiday tournament returns for another year with a format similar to last season in which three teams from QUBL meet three teams from other conferences over three days in a partial round robin affair - there will be no games between two QUBL teams.  Including the host Citadins (2-9 vs CIS overall), QUBL teams McGill Redmen (7-6 overall vs. CIS) and Bishop's Gaiters (0-17 overall vs. CIS) will participate.  Others in the tournament include Guelph Gryphons (OUA West; 5-11 overall vs. CIS), Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA East; 7-8 overall vs. CIS) and Memorial Sea-hawks (AUS; 2-8 overall vs. CIS).

Feature games of the tournament include the 6:30 game on the first night of the tournament (Tuesday, December 28th) as McGill faces the Ottawa Gee-Gees in Head Coach David DeAveiro's first game against the Gee-Gees program he turned around over a ten-year period.  The following day, the McGill vs. Guelph game pits two coaches in DeAveiro and Gryphs mentor Chris O'Rourke who together led Canada's Student team to a pair of Universaid Games, winning the Bronze medal in 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand.  The final game of the tournament features a rematch of an October game at the Jack Donohue tournament between the Citadins and Ottawa Gee-Gees, won by Ottawa 80-62.  The Gee-Gees and Bishop's Gaiters also met earlier this season in Ottawa with the home side winning by 2 in the first game of the pre-season for both.

Tuesday 28 December

4 PM Bishop's vs Memorial... Hawks got their first win in AUS on the final day of the first half with a 10 point win at home against Saint Mary's as 6'0" fourth-year guard Mark Woodland exploded for 38 points including 4-7 3's.
6:30 PM McGill vs Ottawa... After garnering some Top 10 consideration in the pre-season, the Gee-Gees had several tight losses during their 2-6 start to the regular season and look for a second-half rebound from pre-season All-Canadian candidate Warren Ward who suffered through an injury-plagued first half.  The Redmen have stitched together an over .500 record overall and sit in third place in the QUBL.
8:30 PM UQAM vs Guelph... The Citadins struggled in the pre-season but have won 2 of their 5 league games to sit in fourth in the Q.  Guelph has rarely had a full roster due to a spat of injuries and lost 6'0" guard Kareem Malcolm for the rest of the year with a severe elbow injury.

Wednesday 29 December
4 PM McGill vs Guelph 
6:30 PM Bishop's vs Ottawa 
8:30 PM UQAM vs Memorial 

Thursday 30 December
Noon Guelph vs Bishop's 
2 PM McGill vs Memorial
4 PM UQAM vs Ottawa

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Varsity Blues win, Hawks defeated at Daemen College Tournament

CIS teams went 1-1 on the first day of the two-day Daemen College Can-Am Holiday Classic in Amherst, NY (outside Buffalo) as U of T Varsity Blues defeated Houghton College (NAIA) 69-53 while Laurier Golden Hawks were defeated by the host Wildcats 104-69.

6'6" Drazen Glizic led the Blues with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks while fellow 6'6" big Andrew Wasik added 14 points and 9 boards in the win.  The Blues broke it open in the second half after being up 6 at the half. 

In the second game, the host Wildcats then used a 30-7 run bridging the first and second halfs to break open what had been a tight game to win going away over Laurier, which got 15 points from 6'5" Kale Harrison.  The Golden Hawks had led for much of the first half before the late Daemen run that gave the hosts a 7 point halftime lead.  Daemen shot a sizzling 22 for 29 (76%) after halftime.  Game Report

The Blues (1-0) get a shot at the host Wildcats (1-0) tomorrow for the unofficial tournament championship while Houghton and Laurier square off in the first game.

Jesse Sazant's CIS Players in Europe: Holiday Edition

Jesse's back with a very comprehensive list of CIS alumni playing in Europe.  For those who don't believe CIS can be a stepping stone to a professional basketball career, take a look at the following list:

Osvaldo Jeanty (Carleton)

BBC Bayreuth - Germany
Bundesliga - top division
3-11, 17th place
28 MPG, 10 PPG, 3 RPG

Casey Archibald (UBC)
TTU/Kalev Talinn - Estonia
EMKL - top division
12-3, 3rd place
29 MPG, 12 PPG, 5 RPG

Aaron Doornekamp (Carleton)
Pepsi JuveCaserta - Italy
Serie A - top division
4-6, 10th place
10 MPG, 6 PPG, 2 RPG

Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Ottawa)
BK NOVA HUT OSTRAVA - Czech Republic
NBL - top division
9-5, 5th place
31 MPG, 11 PPG, 4 RPG
** has missed the past few games with a broken hand
Andrew Spagrud (Saskatchewan)
BK NOVA HUT OSTRAVA - Czech Republic
NBL - top division
9-5, 5th place
28 MPG, 13 PPG, 8 RPG

Stu Turnbull (Carleton)
UBC Hannover Tigers - Germany
Pro A - 2nd division
7-7, 7th place
26 MPG, 16 PPG, 4 RPG

Ali Mahmoud (Ottawa)
Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut - Lebanon
Division A - top division
10-3, 2nd place
31 MPG, 9 PPG, 4 RPG, 6 APG

Ross Bekkering (Calgary)
ZZ Leiden - Holland
Eredivisie - top division
14-3, 2nd place
31 MPG, 11 PPG, 4 RPG
(10 wins in a row)

Robbie Sihota (Calgary)
Rotterdam Challengers - Holland
Eredivisie - top division
1-17, 10th place
33 MPG, 13 PPG, 10 RPG

Kevin McCleery (Carleton)
Magixx KidsRights Nijmegen - Holland
Eredivisie - top division
11-7, 4th place
17 MPG, 4 PPG, 4 RPG

Henry Bekkering (Calgary)
Gas Terra Flames Groningen - Holland
Eredivisie - top division
15-2, 1st place
16 MPG, 5 PPG, 3 RPG

Greg Surmacz (Windsor)
PBG Basket Poznan - Poland
PLK - top division
4-7, 10th place
14 MPG, 4 PPG, 3 RPG

Mitch Leger (Queens)
SC Rist Wedel - Germany
Pro B - 3rd division
6-8, 7th place
28 MPG, 16 PPG, 10 RPG

Tut Ruach (York)
CRE Eagles Itzehoe - Germany
Regionalia 1 - 4th division
6-4, 5th place
18 PPG

Matt Curtis (Western)
Werne Basket - Germany
Regionalia 1 - 4th division
5-7, 9th place
12 PPG

Jamal Williams (Regina)
Mersey Tigers - England
BBL - top division
10-1, 1st place
13 MPG, 3 PPG, 2 RPG

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Easing back into Action

There are a sprinkling of games involved CIS teams over the next week or so, although no games are actually between CIS teams.  Friday night, Winnipeg Wesmen visit the state of North Dakota to face the 9-3 Jamestown College Jimmies, an NAIA program playing in the DAC (Dakota Athletic Conference).  Jamestown will also participate in the Wesmen Classic later this month at the Duckworth Center, when a first round matchup against Manitoba Bisons awaits.  Winnipeg Jamestown Live Stats are available.

Thompson Rivers WolfPack travels to Portland, OR for a pair of weekend matches against NAIA schools from the Cascade Collegiate Conference.  Saturday the Pack faces 6-5 Warner Pacific Knights and then Sunday TRU visits 4-7 Concordia-Portland Cavaliers.

Mid next week, two of the top teams in the OUA, Laurier Golden Hawks and Toronto Varsity Blues, travel to suburban Buffalo, NY to meet a pair of U.S. schools at the Can-Am Challenge at Daemen College.  The Hawks and Blues will face hosts Daemen (5-7) and Houghton College Highlanders (4-5), both members of the NAIA, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  Incidentally, Houghton plays NCAA D1 opponent UB Bulls in Buffalo on the Monday night.

As well, the tournament draw has been released for the Dalhousie Rod Shoveller Memorial tournament in Halifax between 31 Dec and 2 Jan.  The three day affair begins with the following first round matchups:
Concordia vs. Saint Mary's
Laurentian vs. St. FX
Dalhousie vs. Queen's
Acadia vs. Laval

Here is an excellent article providing some background on Rod Shoveller including son Bruce who played five years at Queen's in the 1990's and Bruce's son 6'9" Michael, one of the top 15 year olds in Ontario and a member of the Ontario Provincial team.

Ryerson will host the RNIT (Ryerson National Invitational Tournament) in dowtown Toronto between 28 December and 30 December.  The tournament includes Toronto Varsity Blues, York Lions, Waterloo Warriors, UNB Varsity Reds and the host Rams (CIS) plus Mohawk and Algoma College (OCAA) and Walsh College (NAIA).  First round matchups are as follows:

Toronto vs. Mohawk
York vs. Walsh
Waterloo vs. New Brunswick
Ryerson vs. Algoma

Full RNIT tournament preview
We will also have more on the other tournaments over the Holiday season including Classique des Citadins, a six team affair at UQAM with 3 QUBL schools (Bishop's, McGill and host UQAM facing MUN, Ottawa and Guelph) and the annual Wesmen Classic, an 8 team affair in Winnipeg.