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The Winnipeg Wesmen recently completed their tryouts and the Wesmen, who return the majority of their top players including 5'9" Erfan Nasajpour, an All-Canadian candidate, have added at least two probable impact players in preparation for the coming season. Most have known since last Christmas that 6'0" guard Cam Hornby, originally from Winnipeg Glenlaw High School who spent the past 2 seasons (one redshirt year) with South Dakota State (NCAA Division 1) has decided to return home to play for Coach Dave Crook's Wesmen. Hornby last played for the Jackrabbits on November 16th, 2006 so he should be eligible to play on November 17th, 2007 when the Wesmen host UVic at the Duckworth Center. Hornby and Nasajpour should make up one of the top backcourts in Canada West if not the country. Crook also was able to add 6'0" Mike Passley from Toronto West Humber, who has been out of high school for a few years. In addition, the Wesmen recently added 6'7" post Justin Deng plus 6'1" Randy Kezie, a pair of local Winnipeg area products. The Wesmen kick off their season on October 12th and 13th when they hosts the Pembina Chrysler Invitational at the Duckworth Center, a four team event that includes Manitoba Bisons, Concordia Stingers and Fraser Valley Cascades. As well, one of Canada's longest-running tournaments, the 41st MTS Wesmen Classic, which has become a holiday tradition, will run again just before the New Year featuring the following teams: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brandon, Calgary, Brock, RMC, Acadia and Minot State. Stay tuned to the site for a comprehensive listing of all pre-season and Holiday tournaments on the CIS schedule coming up soon.

Brazilian Basketball Confederation president Gerasime Bozikis was in Spain to try to convince FIBA to hold next year's Olympic Qualifying repechage in Rio de Janeiro as Neate Sager reports in "Out of Left Field" Brazil's on the ball

According to reports by Dave Larkins in the Brandon Sun, 6'5" Nick Quick, who last played in 2002-03 when he was a Canada West All-Star, averaging more than 15 points per game, has returned to Brandon and will play for the Bobcats this season. (Links to the Brandon Sun are by subscription only). The addition of an apparently-matured Quick, who is a proven scorer at the CIS level, will help off-set the loss of starting shooting guard Chad Jacobsen for the highly-ranked Bobcats. Fans in Victoria will get a chance to see Quick and the Bobcats in one of the top tournaments of the pre-season during the weekend of October 19th, 20th and 21st as Alberta, Carleton, Brandon and Victoria participate in a three-day, three-game round robin event that will feature a rematch of last season's CIS National championship game between the Bobcats and the Ravens on Friday, October 19th. We will have a complete list of tournament schedules in a future post.

This pre-season will also feature the coaching debut of former CIS and Canadian National teamer Shawn Swords at his alma mater, Laurentian University. The Voyageurs plan to celebrate the accomplishments of the 1998 Voyageurs team which captured the Wilson Cup championship at home in the Ben Avery Gymnasium by defeating Waterloo and then reaching the CIS Final Four before bowing to the McMaster Marauders. The '98 Voyageurs included CIS All-Canadians Cory Bailey and Ted Donglemans, Roan Biggs, Kevin "Flash" Gordon, Anthony Malcolm, Adam Dusome and Clifton Edwards. Helping to celebrate Laurentian's Hall-of-Fame weekend will be '98 Voyageurs Head Coach Peter Campbell and his Laurier Golden Hawks. Campbell, who recruited and coached Swords for five seasons at Laurentian in the mid-1990's is an appropriate coaching opponent for Swords in his first game ever as Head Coach of the Voyageurs. The Laurier/Laurentian game goes on Friday, October 12th and the Laurentian alumni game and ceremony goes the following day in Sudbury.

HuskieHoops web site is reporting that former Saskatchewan Huskies center Kevin Langdon has signed a professional contract in Finland. Langdon, an athletic 6-7 forward from Saskatoon, signed with Huima of the Finnish 1st Division. The club is based in Aanekoskie, Finland. The team has played five games thus far, and Langdon had 12 points and led his team with 10 rebounds last week in a loss to Plannja Basket, the 2006-07 Swedish Basketligan champions. Langdon reports that the level of ball is pretty good, with the local talent as well as the foreign players, most of whom are from the NCAA Division I ranks. He does say that there seems to be a lot more running and less structure than in the CIS though. Langdon spent five years with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, redshirting his first year, from 2001-06. As a senior he averaged 8.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 41 games, helping the Huskies reach the 2005-06 National Championships. He also set a school record for blocked shots in a season.

Good to hear from Scott Meeson, former Queen's coach who runs a successful basketball camp in Eastern Ontario called Jump Shots. Scott continues to stay involved in Canadian basketball as a National Coaching Certification Progam instructor and remains very close to the OUA/CIS scene. Please visit his site for a look at the camps he directs.

After heavy losses to graduation including his entire starting lineup, McMaster Marauders Head Coach Joe Raso faces possibily the greatest challenge of his career at Mac this season. With 15 consecutive winning seasons during which time his Marauders have won 6 OUA West championships, 4 Wilson Cup (OUA Championship) trophies and made 11 appearances at the CIS Nationals including 9 consecutive between 1993 and 2001 (4 appearances in the championship game), the Marauders return only 7 players to their roster and are as young as they have ever been. However, the cupboard is far from dry as key players return from injury and several impact recruits have been brought in to position Mac to again push for a spot atop the OUA West standings. The Marauders previously announced committments from 6'2" Tyrell Vernon from Hamilton St. Thomas More, a possible starter and likely rotation guy who will stretch defenses with his perimeter shooting, 6'7" Matt Willis from Hamilton Cardinal Newmann, a combo forward who can also stroke it and 6'4" Brett Day from London St. Thomas Aquainas. In the late summer, the Marauders also were able to bring in 6'8" Mouchtar Diaby, a physical, wide-body post player with good hands and feet to shore up their post depth. Diaby, who played two seasons at Mohawk College for current Mac Assistant Coach Frank Lostracco, sat out the past two seasons. At about 270 lbs., Diaby, who will begin his third year of eligibility, is likely to be a space eater inside who can finish and be a deterrent defensively. Mac also adds some quickness and athleticism to their backcourt with 5'8" Ibrahim Bamba, a point guard who originally was at Laval last season but did not play and played in only 2 league games in 2005-06 for the Rouge et Or. The Marauders are also looking for a contribution from 6'6" Anthony Bishop, who redshirted last season after graduating from Scarborough West Hill C.I. The Marauders now have a solid front court with returning senior 6'6" Andrew Losier, who battled injuries last season, 6'10" sophomore Geoff McLaughlin, 6'5" veteran Joe Polizzi, Diaby and Bishop. With the expected return from serious injury of 6'3" Nathan Histed to the lineup, Mac will have a veteran presence on the wing along with sophomore Amino Bello and third-year guard Jason Scully. The Marauders were scheduled to have 6'4" Sharif Wanis (Burlington Nelson) in the lineup this season but Wanis is intent on getting into Mac's business school, which he fell just short of qualifying for on the first go round. He plans to return to high school to upgrade his marks and enter Mac's business program in the Fall of 2008 with the goal of achieving an entrance scholarship this time. Don't forget that 5'10" guard Jermaine DeCosta, currently playing for the Marauders football team, should be back in time for late November to run the point. While there has been plenty of turnover on the Mac roster from last season including six players who at the end of the season rode the majority of the minutes, Coach Raso is one of the top teachers in the game and expect Mac to be rolling again when it counts down the stretch of the season.

Brandon University has officially announced that Kirk DeFazio has been named their new Athletic Director, replacing Rick Nicklechok, who recently took on a similar role at University College of Fraser Valley. DeFazio has a long history of association with athletics and teaching in Ontario and played several seasons with the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders. The Bobcats also have a new Head Basketball coach in Mike Raimbault, who took over for reigning CIS Coach-of-the-Year Barnaby Craddock, now at UCFV. The Bobcats advanced all the way to the championship game of the CIS Nationals last season before losing to Carleton and are scheduled to return the majority of their roster from last season. DeFazio named new Brandon Athletic Director

Also, thanks to Richard Taylor from Calgary for providing this link to a video of Steve Nash being interviewed by Charlie Rose A Conversation with Steve Nash

The Charlatan, Carleton's campus newspaper, previews the Ravens season, the first without Osvaldo Jeanty in 5 years Carleton cagers ready to defend national crown

An article from a Penticton, B.C. newspaper detailing UBC Coach Kevin Hansen's summer including finding 6'5" Mitch Jacobsen from Calgary, already on CIS team radar's as he is only just entering Grade 9 Campers benefit from national championship coaching

Amanda Hu from the Calgary Gauntlet reviews the Dinos Labour Day weekend The Dinos be ballin', straight up

The Martlet, UVic's campus newspaper, reviews the Vikes victory over UC-Santa Barbara UVic finally beats Uncle Sam

Concordia's student newspaper reviews the Stingers victory over Illinois from the campus perspective Here comes the buzz

Tony Gallagher writes in this weekend's Vancouver Province that Leo Rautins believes Steve Nash would be playing with "what we believe will unquestionably be the most talented guys he will ever have played with in a Canadian jersey". Also, the article alludes to the possibility of Vancouver hosting the "play-in" tournament next summer Canada needs Nash

Rob Brodie of Sun Media reports in Sunday's Ottawa Sun the sporting coverage that Rogers Television plans to provide in the coming year including CIS basketball with talk of broadcasting all 4 quarter-final events at the Nationals in March Rogers TV to explode on local scene

A nice article in the Boston Globe highlighting the extreme patriotism most Europeans feel for their country and how that translates into doing whatever possible to represent their country internationally A Foreign concept to U.S.

Good to hear from Jesse Sazant, a former Assistant Coach at Carleton under Paul Armstrong in the mid 90's and also a coach with the Ottawa Guardsmen club program. Sazant, a Canadian who moved to England 7 years ago, is currently the Director of Basketball for the Kent Crusaders in England and has provided us an update on some CIS alumni playing the U.K. Two CIS grads from last season will play in the U.K.: 6'1" Brody Bishop, originally from Prince Rupert, B.C. who played the past 3 seasons at Laurentian for Coach Virgil Hill has signed with the Plymouth Raiders in the British Basketball League (top league) as a dual citizen. According to Sazant, Bishop figures strongly into Plymouth's plans and will likely be the first or second guard off the bench for them. Brody Bishop signs with Plymouth Raiders As well, Sazant's team, Kent Crusaders have signed 6'4" Evan Constantine, who completed his career at Memorial this past season. The Crusaders play in the England Basketball League Division 2. Sazant also offers that other CIS graduates from prior years are also playing in Europe including Walter Moyse (Acadia - AUS 2nd team all-star) is currently entering his 2nd season at Villars Basket in Switzerland, a team that competes in Ligue Nationale B (2nd highest division). Last season Moyse was one of the top 10 scorers and rebounders in the league. Prior to that Moyse played in England for Kent Crusaders and was Player of the Year in the 3rd division. Ryan Marrast (Acadia followed by Lakehead '06) was first forward of the bench for the Worthing Thunder in England Basketball League Division 1 (2nd highest division in England) and the Thunder were league champions. No word on whether or not Marrast has resigned or not yet. Sazant notes that he is trying to help more CIS players get placed on teams over here next year. The Kent Crusaders web site can be found by clicking here . Thanks to Jesse for staying in touch and we look forward to periodic updates from him throughout the season.

After losing much of his main rotation from last season to graduation, Head Coach Jim Charters needed to bring in not only some talent but also experience, especially in the improved AUS. Charters was successful in his quest to bring in young talent with long, bright futures in Sydney as 6'6" wing Al Aliovic from Milton (Ont.) Bishop Reding H.S. and 5'10" ultra-quick point guard Tremaine Fraser from Dartmouth, N.S. both will suit up for Cape Breton U. Aliovic was the target of several other OUA and AUS schools and is a versatile, well-coached wing who should progress into an all-conference candidate as he matures. Fraser, only 18 this year, is a strong, physical lead guard who excels in transition and may remind fans of another diminutive AUS guard in T-Bear Upshaw. Fraser was a late cut of Canada's U-19 team that participated in the FIBA world championships in Serbia and should push for playing time immediately, especially with incumbent 6'1" point guard Mark McGarrigle playing with an injured ACL after hurting the knee in a pick-up game in July. McGarrigle will try to play with a brace but his status for the entire season is uncertain. Charters also was able to bring in an experienced impact player in 6'3" Humber College transfer Jonathan Wyse, who played three seasons with the Hawks between 2003 and 2006 before sitting out last season. Wyse was an OCAA East Region 2nd team all-star in his final season with Humber (2005-06). Originally from Toronto's famed Oakwood C.I., Wyse should be a featured guy on the wing for the Capers and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. More experience comes in with the addition of 5'11" point guard Chris Noddle from Brampton, ON who returns to Canada after two seasons at State Fair (MO) Community College, averaging 8.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg last season. Noddle provides more depth at the point. Charters brought in some size with 6'10" Scott Martin, who played high school with Fraser in Dartmouth. Martin has a chance to become a very good post player in the AUS. Two others of note will attend tryouts with the Capers including 6'5" Paul Glancy, a local Cape Breton product out of Glace Bay H.S. As well, 6'0" Mike Cruickshank, who spent one season at Humber College in Toronto will attempt to make the Capers as a walk-on. Finally, best wishes to Coach Charters' father, who recently underwent hip replacement surgery in Saint John, New Brunswick and is recovering quickly. Good luck, Mr. Charters.

Reports from University of Toronto Varsity Blues program indicate that 6'3" Odane Harding, who committed to the Blues earlier in the summer after spending two seasons at Centennial College (OCAA/CCAA) in Scarborough, where he was an OCAA 1st Team East Region all-star, has instead decided to go back to Centennial and will not play for the Blues. Centennial also recently announced that Chris Smalling, who has high school coaching experience at Scarborough West Hill (Head Coach) and Pickering H.S. (OFSAA "AAAA" champions last season), is their new Head Coach.

UC-Santa Barbara 102, Trinity Western 56 The Gauchos jumped out to a 29-11 lead and led by 20 at halftime to ride to the easy victory over the Spartans. UC-Santa Barbard created a ridiculous 39 Spartan turnovers and shot 59.4% for the game to run their record to 3-1 on their B.C. tour ahead of tonight's game at Douglas College at 7 PM PT (originally posted as 7:30 PM PT). Lance Verhoeff led Trinity Western with 17 points while Luke Robinson added 14. Gauchos blowout Spartans Here is a video recap of the Simon Fraser vs. UC-Santa Barbara game from the Clan Athletics Network Clan vs. Gauchos video recap

Another note on ABA's Halifax Rainmen adding Dennie Oliver to the roster Rainmen add former X star Oliver to roster: Team to open training camp in Bridgewater on Sept. 17

UC-Santa Barbara 87, Simon Fraser 82 6'6" guard Alex Harris knocked in a three with 3:05 remaining in the game, breaking a 72 all tie, and the Gauchos held on to defeat the Clan in Burnaby. Harris, who had 17 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, had earlier tied the game at 63 on a conventional three point play and later added some key shots down the stretch as the Clan was still within 2 with 14 seconds remaining before the Gauchos closed it out. Smelling another CIS victory in the NCAA series, the Clan jumped out to an early 8 point lead and held a five point lead at 59-54 entering the 4th quarter but could not hold on as the Gauchos moved to 2-1 on their five game tour of British Columbia. UC-Santa Barbara caused 27 Clan turnovers including 17 combined against Simon Fraser starting guards 6'4" Shawn Burke and 6'4" Kevin Shaw but the Clan stayed in it behind a 10 for 19 effort from three point land including 6 for 11 by Shaw, who led Simon Fraser with 22 points. Clan Head Coach Scott Clark rode his starting five of Shaw, Burke, 6'7" Greg Wallis, 6'8" Nolan Holmes (12 points, 9 rebounds) and UVic transfer Matt Kuzminski for much of the game in a valiant effort that just fell short. UC-Santa Barbara meets Trinity Western tonight in Langley. Clan web site article Gauchos rally, close out Clan in 4th Quarter. Also, a report from the Gauchos web site UC-Santa Barbara claims win over Simon Fraser plus the complete play-by-play and Simon Fraser/UC-Santa Barbara Box Score

Coach Todd Aughey from the Memorial Seahawks has let us know that sought-after 6'10" center Nick Rigakos who played his high school basketball at Emily Carr H.S. in Woodbridge, Ontario, has committed to the Seahawks for the coming season. Rigakos, the target of some Ontario schools, was rated as a Top 50 player in Ontario's Class of 2007 and the #8 rated center by the All-Ontario Scouting Service published by Jim Thomas. Rigakos gives Memorial some much needed size at the five spot.

We received a note from Doug Roe from Douglas College in B.C. advising that UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos will complete their tour of Canada with a game at Douglas on Sunday night beginning at 7:30 Pacific time. Recall that Douglas star forward Bol Kong has already gone off for 40 points last weekend in a victory against Boise State. Here is an article that features a report on that game which appears to have been chippy, complete with fights and ejections Bol Kong goes off against Boise State Speaking of Kong, here is a recent article in the Vancouver Province detailing his plight to be able to move freely between Canada and the United States Unstoppable Vancouver basketballer mired in red tape

Tough late news for Lakehead Thunderwolves Head Coach Scott Morrison regarding 6'6" Yoosrie Salhia, a forward from Toronto Eastern Commerce Prep, who originally committed to the Wolves for this coming season. Late in the summer, Salhia changed his mind and apparently is headed to an unnamed Junior College in Texas, turning his back on a concurrent education program which would have put him in a position to become a teacher upon graduation in 4 or 5 years. Instead, Salhia has decided to attend a junior college in the deep south of the United States. In addition to the return of 2005-06 OUA West scoring champion Kiraan Posey, the Wolves bring in guard Kyle McConnell from London Beal, 6'2" guard Lerry Williams from Montreal Vanier College CEGEP and 6'4" Aaron Jackson, a member of the 2007 Bermuda National Select team. Unfortunately, forward Clinton Belisle also reneged on his committment to Lakehead and the Wolves lost Saad Beg, their top rookie from a year ago, to academics.

The Excalibur, York's campus newspaper, recaps the recent NCAA games played at Tait MacKenzie gym this past weekend during which the Lions gained a split Lions, NCAA duke it out

Former St. FX star Dennie Oliver has signed with the ABA's Halifax Rainmen Oliver signs with Rainmen

Here is an older article on UCFV's newest faces and the naming of Adam Freisen as an Assistant Coach UCFV adds new faces

After their spectacular run to the CIS Nationals semi-finals last season with basically 6 or 7 players in the rotation, one of the off-season objectives for St. Mary's Head Coach Ross Quackenbush was addressing the Huskies depth, both up front and in the back court. After a stellar recruiting class, the return of a key element from last season and some late-summer additions including a pair of U.S. imports, consider the mission accomplished. As previously mentioned, St. Mary's has added 6'1" Shane Morrison, a City of Toronto high school all-star from a few years ago, to lead his back court with incumbent star 6'2" Mark McLaughlin. As well, 6'8" Luke Reynolds (C.P. Allen) plus 6'1" guard Jack Gallinaugh (J.L. Ilsley) committed in the spring time followed quickly by 6'2" Jazz Cain (Prince Andrew H.S.) stating his intentions to attend in early summer. However, the Huskies have been very fortunate to have 4 more players due in when training camp begins tomorrow at the Tower. For starters, 6'5" Aaron Duncan is back in school and should be ready to go for training camp. Duncan has been one of the top players in the AUS during the past 2 seasons and typically can flirt with a triple/double on most nights. He will add another athlete to the wing position which is needed after the departure of 6'4" Cordell Wright. Most impressive of the newcomers is likely to be 6'8" Derrick Coleman (pictured), a native of Detroit, MI, (Denby H.S.) who played one season (2004-05) at Oakland (MI) University (NCAA Division 1), getting into 18 games with 1 start and then spent 2005-06 at Schoolcraft College, a JUCO in Michigan. Coleman is athletic, can score inside and can be a defensive presence. Another American import, 6'4" lefty Brandon Mullins from Louisville, KY transfers in after spending his freshman season at Spalding University, an NAIA school in Louisville, with the Golden Eagles. For those U of L Cardinal fans out there, Spalding's gym is named after the late former Card great Derek Smith, one of the stars of Louisville's 1980 NCAA national championship team and Spalding's Athletic Director is Roger "Instant Defense" Burkman, another key member of that 1980 NCAA champion under Hall-of-Fame coach Denny Crum. Finally, St. Mary's welcomes a walk-on who has looked impressive during informal pre-season runs, 6'3" Zack Wallace, originally from Mississauga St. Martin high school via Seneca College. Wallace is a competitive guard who should add even more depth to the athletic Huskies back court. St. Mary's turned a somewhat-mediocre regular season into a very successful run deep into the CIS playoffs and with the new talent augmenting the 4 returning starters, look for the Huskies to probably push for a Top 10 ranking early in the season.

The Gauchos continue their set of games against Canada West competition this evening, visiting Simon Fraser in Burnaby. The Gauchos are 1-1 thus far, splitting a pair of games at Victoria. UC-Santa Barbara will meet Trinity Western on Saturday. Simon Fraser has already met Air Force and Oklahoma earlier this week. For those who missed them, SFU's sports information department led by Scott McLean, has produced a couple of video recaps of the Air Force and Oklahoma games which can be accessed by visiting the Simon Fraser athletics web site by clicking here

Thanks to UQAM coach Olga Hrycak for updating us on her team's game against Campbell Fighting Camels this past weekend at home in Montreal. While the Citadins were defeated 82-68, the game gave Hrycak an excellent opportunity to evaluate their recruiting class, according to Hrycak, "My rookies did not let me down." UQAM's pair of freshmen from College Brebeuf ("AA" CEGEP) Olivier Boyard and Thierry Justin demonstrated that they will contribute alot to the Citadins this year. As well, Igor Rigwewa, a point guard that played for the Rawandan National Team this summer, should contribute. UQAM also uncovered a potential diamond-in-the-rough in 6'6" walk-on Karim Gueye from Senegal, who showed that he can step in right away and give the Citadins much needed size and presence inside. Hrycak claims she is very excited about the upcoming season as "Mario Joseph, Kevin Boucher and Renaldo Maignan are in better shape and are ready to step in as the veterans of this team." If Samuel Johnston can come back strong from a back injury (Citadins are hoping Johnston can be ready for their Sunday, October 7th game when they host American International, NCAA Division 1), UQAM could have even more depth and talent as Johnston is a proven guard in the "Q" who fits in to Hrycak's pressing, up tempo style.

Another new blog on CIS sports has appeared recently and is managed by Ben Myers, the Sports Editor of the Fulcrum, uOttawa's campus English newspaper Fulcrum Sports Blog

Here is the official press release from Atlantic University Sport

Atlantic University Sport Launches New Season, Visual Identity, Website, and Branding Philosophy and Unveils Conference Magazine "In Motion"Sep 5, 2007 - At an inter-regional video press conference held today in Halifax, Moncton, Fredericton, Charlottetown and Sydney, Atlantic University Sport kicked off the 2007/08 playing season by unveiling a new conference visual identity, website, plans for a magazine and a renewed commitment to the Atlantic University Sport brand.

"This launch is indicative of the philosophy behind the organizations' new identity," commented Mr. Phil Currie, Executive Director of Atlantic University Sport. "While we have always aspired to be strategic, proactive, collaborative and as 'open door' as possible, our new visual identity will mark the beginning of a time where we reach out to our stakeholders and the community at large."

NEW LOGO
The Atlantic University Sport marketing committee, led by Marc Boudreau (chair) of the Université de Moncton and Leo MacPherson of StFX University were instrumental in moving the new vision forward.

"The right logo, with the right characteristics, will boost our visibility, credibility, and memorability," said MacPherson. "We believe in this image and are confident the benefits to the conference and its members that will come as a result will be significant."

The new Atlantic University Sport logo was developed with a number of key elements in mind.

The conference has moved towards an acronym-based image with a bold, easy to read font, which has a great deal of impact and is strong enough to stand-alone in both French and English.

The "AUS" or "SUA" letters themselves are leaning forward symbolizing progress, being on the move and riding a wave of success.

The torch in the middle of the logo is a traditional symbol of education and higher learning, which appears to be burning bright and strong. It stands for the joy of athletic competition and among other things, the flame represents purity, endeavour for perfection, struggle for victory, peace and friendship.

Finally, the wave is a symbol for the Atlantic Ocean that touches our shores and is the common bond of all four Atlantic Provinces.

NEW WEBSITE
Also launched today was the new look Atlantic University Sport website. The address, www.atlanticuniversitysport.com has not changed, but the site will now have an updated, fresh look and increased functionality.

In addition to being a great resource for up-to-date news, accurate stats, archived historical information and more, some of the new features will include: · An online library of coaching and playing tips, video highlights, interviews and more powered by EastLink Television. · A weekly "Photo of the Week" section, showcasing some of the great images captured around the conference throughout the season. · On-line polls and contesting where visitors can make their opinions known and also have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the season.

The site has also been redesigned with an effort to be friendly to corporate sponsors and advertisers. For the first time, the website will provide valuable space to the business community, wishing to reach key university publics. With between 45,000 and 60,000 unique visitors per month (2.5 million and 6 million hits monthly) the Atlantic University Sport website is positioned to deliver all the benefits and opportunities the corporate community is seeking.

BRAND INTEGRATION ON CAMPUS
Our member university communities have been the first to support and embrace this new philosophy, as new AUS moniker will be incorporated throughout Atlantic Canadian campuses this season.

The new logo will be incorporated immediately into each of the 11 member websites. In the sports of football and men's and women's hockey, the helmets of the student-athletes will showcase the new logo. As the season progresses, uniforms and jerseys, ice surfaces and rink boards, playing fields and gym courts will all proudly carry the new brand as well.

'IN MOTION' MAGAZINE
For the first time in the history of the conference, a comprehensive student-athlete focused publication will be produced.

This exciting new product will be distributed to over 20,000 students four times a year. It will be officially launched in January 2008. Of note, this is not solely a sports magazine, but will mostly focus on lifestyle and healthy university living, with activity features, nutrition articles, campus life stories, sport features, etc.

"In Motion is written and designed for our most important stakeholders, the students," said Currie. "The reader is a dynamic young individual who is success minded and largely in the 18-to-34 demographic with a desire to improve their financial, physical and cultural well-being. They are future decision makers in their households and businesses. They drive trends and actively pursue technology; they are todays and tomorrows consumers."

Dr. David Murphy, Director of Athletics at Saint Mary's University and President of Atlantic University Sport was among the Athletic Directors on hand to celebrate today's announcements.

"I am extremely pleased and excited to be a part of this new chapter in the evolution of Atlantic University Sport," said Dr. Murphy. "We are focused on becoming more accessible and present as a regional conference that leverages the power of sport and ultimately the visibility necessary to appropriately position - what we believe is the premium product. In the end, our sport programs, the coaches and our world-class athletes will be the big winners with these initiatives."

Much thanks to Wayne Thomas from the Dinos coaching staff for this update on Calgary including a full breakdown of their roster.

Long Pre-Season Begins After a brief spark of excitement facing NCAA competition last weekend, the Dinos get down to the less glorious business of pre-season preparation, with no meaningful action scheduled until the Waterloo (Ont.) Tournament on October 12-14. With over a month of practice days ahead, players will be challenged to keep their eyes on long term goals, while competing for roster position with teammates. The full roster is displayed below -


University of Calgary Dinos Basketball 2007-'08
# Name Position Height Weight Year Faculty Hometown Province Last Team

Dustin Reding GUARD 6'7" 215lbs 2 Social Sciences Calgary AB Bowness HS
3 Josh Lovestone FWD 6'5" 210lbs 3 Social Sciences Salmon Arm BC SAIT (Salmon Arm HS)
4 Joel Bancroft GUARD 6'1" 185lbs 3 Communications Airdrie AB Red Deer College (Bert Church HS)
5 Jeff Price GUARD 6'1" 185lbs 3 Social Sciences Calgary AB Mt. Royal College (Lord Beaverbrook HS)
12 Andrew Champagnie GUARD 6'1" 180lbs 1 Open Studies Edmonton AB Ross Sheppard HS
13 Jeremy Odland GUARD 6'4" 210lbs 5 Communications Calgary AB Mt. Royal College (Lord Beaverbrook HS)
14 Brennen Fule GUARD 6'2" 185lbs 1 Communications Strathmore AB Strathmore HS
15 Henry Bekkering FWD 6'6" 235lbs 3 Social Sciences Taber AB Eastern Washington Univ. (W.R. Myers HS)
20 Logan Armstrong GUARD 6'5" 190lbs 1 Kinesiology Bigstone AB Youngstown HS
22 Cody Darrah GUARD 6'4" 197lbs 5 Science Edmonton AB Univ. of Alberta (Strathcona HS)
24 Tyler Fidler GUARD 6'9" 200lbs 1 Communications Calgary AB Western Canada HS
31 Robbie Sihota FWD 6'6" 225lbs 3 Social Sciences Calgary AB Lester B. Pearson HS
33 Ross Bekkering FWD 6'8" 225lbs 3 Haskayne Business Taber AB W.R. Myers HS
40 Joe Schow FWD 6'9" 230lbs 3 Humanities Medicine Hat AB Simon Fraser Univ. (Magrath HS)
42 Chris Unsworth FWD 6'8" 230lbs 2 Haskayne Business Maple Creek SK Medicine Hat HS

The team showed promise in their 3 game set with Creighton and Weber State, and the task ahead for Coaches Dan Vanhooren and Matt Skinn will be to develop a squad with a commitment to defense, the ability to take care of the basketball, and to rebound relentlessly. The recruiting additions for this season have added defensive ability, and the rebounding should be stellar with the depth up front. Avoiding turnovers while still playing an upbeat offense is always a challenge, but Jeff Price and Tyler Fidler both have the ability to see the floor and deliver the ball where it needs to go. Andrew Champagnie looked a little nervous at times against the pressure from Creighton, but he has the quickness and desire to lead the team at the point. Cody Darrah, who has stepped in at the point in the past, had a good shooting tournament, and he looks ready to be the 'go-to' shooting guard. Fidler has the confidence of the coaches to pull the trigger from long range as well, and Brennen Fule should be ready for more floor time with a few weeks of practice behind him. Competition is fierce at the forward spots with Henry and Ross Bekkering grabbing the lion's share of the minutes usually accompanied by the offensive threat of Robbie Sihota. This leaves Joe Schow, Chris Unsworth, and newcomer Josh Lovestone working hard to carve out a role for themselves on the travel roster. As veteran CIS watchers are aware, however, the long season usually takes it's toll on teams injury - wise, so anyone on this roster should be prepared to step up as the season starts. A 16th roster spot was to be filled by 1st year Bishop O'Byrne guard Jordan Flagel, but his talents are to be more in evidence as the starting quarterback for the Football Dinos.

According to Gordie Sutherland's column in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, the AUS is getting more aggressive in pursuing CIS national championships including basketball once again. AUS eyes re-entering national bidding game plus an older article by Chris Cochrane previewing AUS initiatives to get stronger in their marketing efforts AUS needs aggressive marketing

uOttawa's English campus newspaper, the Fulcrum, has a round up of the weekend games involving the Gee-Gees as authored by Ben Myers Gee-Gees humbled by weekend of NCAA opponents

A rivals.com article mentioning games played in Canada by NCAA teams over the weekend Tide Returns Wiser

CIS alumnus Dave Picton (Brock '90's) organized a charity event in his hometown of Welland, garnering proceeds from the Brock vs. Texas A&M Corpus-Christi matchup on Monday Benefit game helps minor basketball

Ron Ruach reports on UVic's win over UC-Santa Barbara earlier this week Vikes solve Gauchos

This past weekend's NCAA vs. CIS series involved the most games ever played during a weekend between U.S. and Canadian schools ever. With 7 victories, CIS schools eclipsed last season's win total of 3; however, there were almost double the number of games. Two games still remain to be played as UC-Santa Barbara visits Simon Fraser on Friday and then Trinity Western on Saturday. From the games I watched personally and the numerous coaches I had a chance to speak with, the view is that the CIS product is very good and getting better. Numerous NCAA coaches commented on how well coached are teams are and how the sets many coaches run tested their teams defensively. Many CIS teams played games shorthanded because of injury or other and most only had a few practices to prepare.

Here are some observations from across the country: Despite losing two starters late in the summer, VICTORIA showed that they are likely to still be a force in Canada West as rookies 6'4" Ryan MacKinnon and 6'1" Brandon Dunlop were thrust into key roles and responded, especially in the win against UC-Santa Barbara. The veteran leadership has fallen to 6'5" Tyler Hass and fellow veterans 6'7" Mitch Gudgeon and 6'8" Rob Kinnear will have to accept more minutes and greater roles. The depth of the Vikes roster has suffered with departures of 6'6" Jacob Doerksen and 6'3" Josh Whyte so they'll have to stay healthy but this weekend showed that when the system is run properly the Vikes can continue to produce solid play. After a pair of sub-par efforts, UBC shook up their starting lineup, inserting 6'6" Graham Bath and 6'2" Nathan Yu, a pair of freshmen, and the T-Birds responded with a solid effort against Boise State. 6'3" Chris Dyck is the offensive go-to guy while 6'9" Bryson Kool must take over inside. Look for more minutes and production from 6'1" Alex Murphy after a solid freshman season and a summer in which he was the final cut of Canada's U19 team. There is plenty of depth and talent on the T-Birds. SASKATCHEWAN had a couple of tight games and with their deep roster and veteran leadership have a chance to be a Top 10 team this season, especially with the return of 6'1" Rob Lovelace, who with 6'1" veteran Jordan Harbidge gives the Huskies two legitimate lead guards. CALGARY, with one of the top recruiting classes in Canada, should also challenge for the Mountain division title but will have to find a replacement for underrated lead guard Josh Feist, lost to graduation. A number of talented possibilities exist however none with a background as a pure point. In Ontario, WINDSOR added 6'3" Issac Kuon to their star-studded lineup and as long as the minutes can be properly distributed, the Lancers are probably the deepest team this side of Carleton and the early favorites to repeat as OUA West champions. However, BROCK with POY candidate Brad Rootes, the continual improvement of 6'7" Owen White, who now is a legitimate rotation guy and the return of 6'8" Dusty Bianchin as their rebounding and defensive presence up front have a solid starting five and are likely to add one more veteran impact player this week to have arguably one of the better first six in the CIS. GUELPH is suffering through some injuries including 6'3" Jonathan Moscatelli who was a prized recruit from two seasons ago but has endured a pair of knee surgerys. The Gryphs wisely held Moscatelli out of weekend action when he came down with some swelling in his knees. In their final game against Morehead State, the Gryphs showed that they can stay in any game with their defense when the system is played properly. Several young players including tough 6'1" guard Mike Patrella figure to make an impact and 6'7" Duncan Milne turned it on during the latter part of last season and will complement nicely 6'9" J.R. Bailey up front. CARLETON brought in impact freshmen in 6'7" Aaron Chapman, 6'4" Cole Hobin and 6'3" Elliott Thompson and all showed that they will contribute as part of the rotation with Chapman showing no fear inside against stronger, more athletic U.S. big men, Hobin showing a mature floor game, finding people and getting on the offensive glass while Thompson has a multi-faceted game including handling on the perimeter, defending and knocking down open 3's. All 3 need to continue to grow as defenders in Carleton's system and are learning the essentials offensively but expect these 3 to be impactful as the next generation of Ravens. 6'4" Ryan Bell got his legs back in time to put on a tremendous display against Alabama on Sunday. He was able to beat quicker, more athletic defenders off the dribble consistently, showing the experience in Las Vegas helped him significantly. His mid-range game, pulling up from 15 feet after creating for himself, is smoother than it's ever been and he simply looks like much more of a confident leader on the floor. 6'7" Aaron Doornekamp also appears stronger and more athletic. His creativity and court vision with the basketball at 6'7" is unparallelled in Canada and he and Bell appear ready to fill the leadership void after Ozvaldo Jeanty's graduation. OTTAWA does not have the depth of prior years and as a result fans likely won't see as much of the double teaming and pressure that characterized the Gee-Gees defensive schemes the past few years when Ottawa perennially led the conference in turnovers created. Expect the Gee-Gees to ride 6'4" Josh Gibson-Bascombe for 30+ minutes per game and the improvement of 6'9" Dax Dessureault should also ensure he plays more minutes than in the past as long as he stays out of foul trouble. The Gee-Gees need 6'3" Donnie Gibson to flash the offensive prowess he showed as a high schooler and 6'3" Sean Peter will also see his minutes increase, especially if he can knock down the longer range jumper consistently. Josh's brother, 6'2" Jacob Gibson-Bascombe, is likely to be the first wing off the bench and should be able to work well with his older brother together in the backcourt. CONCORDIA again will be a Top 10 team in the much-improved "Q" despite losing POY Patrick Perrotte and sharpshooter Ben Sormonte. The Buckley brothers are terrific defenders and go from "d" to "o" in a blink while 5'9" Levi Vann should stretch defenses from the perimeter. The Stingers need a fit 6'7" Jamal Gallier, who will likely need to play significantly more minutes up front while 6'1" Andre Johnny will have a higher profile as well. McGILL's newcomers, especially 6'3" Mustafa El Zanaty and 6'2" import Sam Goulet, showed that the Redmen will be deeper and probably more talented. 6'4" Sean Anthony remains the top scoring threat and 6'4" Matthew Thornhill is likely to move over into a more familiar role on the wing with Goulet's emergence. Another sophomore who is expected to grow further is 6'4" Pawel Herra and much leadership is expected from 6'4" John Abbott transfer Kyle Bernard. There are at least 3 teams in the "Q" which could push for Top 10 spots over the course of the coming season.

Victoria 73, UC-Santa Barbara 61 The Vikes never trailed in the contest and found themselves ahead by many as 18 points in the second half. Tyler Hass (4th, Victoria, BC) hammered home a dunk with less than three minutes remaining, deflating the Gauchos and dashed any hopes of a comeback. Hass finished with a Vikes-high of 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, also adding six rebounds. Victoria led 40-24 at halftime before watching the Gauchos come back to within 8 but the Vikes quickly stretched the lead back to 12 and coasted to the victory. Mike Tucker's report from the UVic web site Vikes take win from NCAA here is a report from the Gauchos web site Gauchos can't overcome cold shooting effort and click here for Box Score

UPDATES: Nice to get an update on the new recruits from UCFV Head Coach Barnaby Craddock who notes that based on the weekend, Ravi Athwal showed he should be able to play right away at the university level. As well, Doug Plumb played last year at a four year degree granting institution and will not be eligible to play until Christmas. Mike Mckay showed over the weekend that he will improve our rebounding and should also contribute for the Cascades this year, finding time for him along side 6'8 fifth year Kyle Graves. Tristan Smith from California is in his first year of eligibility and showed flashes of what he will be as he adjusts to the CIS game and systems. We plan to have more comments about what coaches learned about their teams after the weekend games in the coming days.

Former UBC All-Canadian Casey Archibald is settling in well with WBC Wels of the Austrian Bundesliga, recently beginning the 5th week of training camp. Archibald says that the experience has been great thus far as the club is very professional and the situation seems to be a good one. The club trains twice a day, 6 days a week, with 3 of those sessions being in the weight room followed by an hour of running. Other North Americans on Casey's team include one other Canadian (Richard Anderson, former national team player, SFU) plus 2 Americans with one more coming in today (Wednesday). The team had a 4 man come in last week for a 1 week tryout (E.J. Drayton from UNC Charlotte), but it didn't work out for him, so he is off for a tryout in Hungary. His club also has two players from the Czech Republic with the remaining players hailing from various cities in Austria (point guard is the national team's starting point guard). The team has had a couple informal scrimmages in which Archibald played over 30 minutes and this past Saturday was their first formal exhibition game which was open to the public. WBC Wels played Gissen which is a team in the top division in Germany (very good league), and defeated them 77-63 with Archibald playing 30 + minutes at the 1 and the wing spot, scoring 15 points. The team leaves today for a series of 3 exhibiton games in Prague, followed by a mini training camp. Archibald notes: "Overall its been a great. The training is very competitive and the conditioning is like nothing I've ever done before, but it's good." Thanks for the updates Casey and we hope to hear more from you as the season progresses.

IN GERMANY, UVic grad Brandon Ellis has been settling in to his accumstomed role of perimeter shooter. Ellis signed on with Duesseldorf of the German 2.Bundesliga Pro A league. This season the league went from 2 imports to allow 6 for the first time, so imports usually were leading scorers or better players on their respective college/university teams. Players such as Sean Mallon from Gonzaga and Keonta Howell from Toledo have joined Ellis on Duesseldorf. Ellis says that the offense his team runs suits his style of play perfectly. "The offense has me coming off screens to shoot the ball", notes Ellis. "The coach found out that I can handle myself and shoot the ball well immediately, so I enjoy the confidence that he has in me. We get up and down the floor fast and with our offensive style it should make for a great experience this year with the opportunity to play extremely well." Ellis, who did not sign with an agent until the middle of June, says he had a number of offers in Europe only about one week after signing with his agent. Best of luck to Brandon in Germany.

UC-Santa Barbara 74, Victoria 64 The Gauchos trailed for the better part of three quarters, but pulled ahead in the final frame to up-end the Vikes 74-64 Sunday night at McKinnon Gymnasium. The Vikes held a nine-point lead in the second half. UVic held the lead right up until the end of the third quarter, when Gauchos guard Alex Harris scored two straight hoops to give his team their first lead of the game since the opening minute. Harris, who led the Big West conference in scoring last season, finished with a game high of 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting. Brandon Dunlop and Tyler Hass had 14 apiece to lead the Vikes. Mike Tucker's report from the UVic web site Vic gives up big lead to Gauchos Also a report from the UC-Santa Barbara web site Harris Scores 28 as Gauchos Rally Past Victoria in First Game of Canadian Tour plus last night's Box Score

Weber State 95, Saskatchewan 76 Five consecutive turnovers early in the fourth quarter by the Huskies broke open a tie game in the matter of about 3 minutes and Weber State coasted to a victory over the Huskies in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. With score tied at 66-66 and 8:25 remaining in the game, the Wildcats went on a 16-0 run to ice the game. 6'8" Andrew Spagrud led the Huskies with a game-high 32 points, adding 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Report on Saskatchewan's weekend plus Box Score

Wayne Kondro's recap of the Ottawa/Alabama game plus comments from both of the Ottawa-based Head Coaches on what they were able to gleam from this weekend's series of games against NCAA schools Gee-Gees, Ravens learn tough lessons

McGill's web site does a solid job covering yesterday's double overtime loss by the Redmen to Illinois including photos and the box score Illinois defeats McGill in double overtime

David Naylor of the Globe and Mail's article on Illinois trip Jordan making own name

Howard Tsumura's article on UBC and their thoughts of going NCAA including comments from the Boise State coach Point Grey Campus draws praise

An article from the Ancaster News on 6'10" Jordan Foebel, the York U. grad now playing professionally in Germany Ancaster native playing basketball in Germany

An article on Douglas College's star Bol Kong who impressed many this past weekend as the BCAA school met some NCAA opponents They were so impressed

The CIS victory total this weekend grew to 6 after UBC's win over Boise State earlier today. After winning only 3 games last season, CIS teams have doubled their victory total with only a series of games between UC-Santa Barbara and Canada West teams Victoria, Simon Fraser and Trinity Western remaining. As well, several other games were extremely close, going into overtime or right down to the wire. CIS teams were 3-23 this season and sit at 6-42 this season. CIS wins include:

UBC 106, Boise State 86
Concordia 88, Illinois 82
Carleton 83, Alabama 72
Calgary 81, Weber State 74
Brock 81, North Florida 72
York over Morehead State

MONDAY'S GAME REPORTS

UBC 106, Boise State 86 The Thunderbirds earned the sixth victory of the weekend for CIS teams, double last year's total of 3, with a convincing victory over Boise. UBC Head Coach Kevin Hansen shook up his starting lineup by giving starts to two highly-touted freshmen, Graham Bath and Nathan Yu, and the combination helped propel the T-Birds to an early 5 point lead. UBC then broke open the game with a 10-0 run in just over two minutes that made it 40-25 midway through the second quarter and took a 48-35 lead into halftime. The T-Birds kept the pressure up, scoring 33 points in the third quarter and shooting 15-for-23 from beyond the arc (65.2 per cent) for the game to win going away. Chris Dyck had 25 for UBC while Matt Rachar added 21. Birds bounce Boise State plus today's Box Score

Illinois 107, McGill 103 DOUBLE OVERTIME Before a jam-packed house of 2,000 fans at McGill, the Redmen went cold in the second overtime to succumb to the Illini in what some described as the most exciting game in McGill basketball history. Down by 3 in the first overtime, McGill tied it with 1.6 seconds on an "and 1" putback by Michael White. After being down 11 at the half, McGill pecked away at Illinois lead and came all the way back in regulation on a late three by 6'4" Matt Thornhill (18 points). Sean Anthony led McGill with 20 while Mustafa El-Zanaty added 18 and freshman point guard Sam Goulet (Las Vegas, NV) did a stellar job against Illinois pressure and finished with 14 points. 6'1" combo guard Trent Meacham had 20 for Illinois while sharpshooting 6'5" wing Steve Holdren added 19. Illinois/McGill Box Score

Creighton 97, Calgary 78 Creighton finished off a perfect 5-0 weekend in Calgary with a victory this afternoon over the Dinos. Henry Bekkering had 24 points in the loss for Calgary. Creighton defeats Calgary plus the Box Score

Duquesne 107, Waterloo 80 The Warriors were able to get everything they wanted offensively but could not stop the longer, more athletic wings and bigs from Duquesne. The Warriors, who had 5 players in double figures, were down 58-41 at halftime and were led by 6'3" Cam McIntyre who had 24 points. Waterloo was within 18 points with 2 minutes remaining in their first game together, an encouraging effort for the Warriors. Here is a report written by Waterloo Assistant Coach Curtis Dauber: "For the first time in their history, the Waterloo Warriors played a game against an NCAA foe this Labour day weekend. While it was the first game of the year for the Warriors, their opponents the Dukes from Duquesne were onto their 4th, having beat U of T, Ryerson and Sheridan. The game started out as one might expect, with Duquesne opening up a 7-0 lead. However, once those early jitters went away, Waterloo settled down and took a 19-18 lead midway through the first quarter. Point guard Dave Burnett took his 3rd foul and was forced to the bench, and Duquesne went on an 18-4 run. Waterloo was able to score, shooting 50% in the first half and scoring 41 points - they just couldn't stop the Dukes who showed an impressive display of speed size and strength on their way to a 58-41 halftime lead. The two teams played evenly for much of the second half. 1st year Warrior Cam McIntyre was sensational in his debut with the Black and Gold scoring 21 points on 13 shots, including a few tear drops down the lane over the 2 6'10" players the Dukes employed for much of the game. 2nd year transfer Sinclair Brown, also making his debut with the Warriors was great scoring 10 points, to go with 8 rebounds and 3 assists. This revamped Waterloo roster had 7 players with 8 or more points and were extremely exciting to watching. Duquesne ended the game on a 12-3 run to bring the final score to 107-80. While a loss is never a good thing, it was certainly a promising start to the season. There is an air of excitement around the Warriors training camp that has been missing since they last went to Halifax 3 years ago." Report from Duquesne web site

Alabama 88, Ottawa 64 The Crimson Tide avenged last night's loss to Carleton by jumping out to a 22-9 lead led by 6'8" NBA prospect Richard Hendrix who dominated inside and on the "o" glass, scoring a game-high 26 points and adding 7 rebounds. The Gee-Gees stayed in the game until after halftime when they trailed 39-25. Both coaches then played the end of their benches in the second half at the end of a long, grueling weekend for both teams, rendering the second half as a glorified street ball game in front of a sparse crowd of 200. Josh Gibson-Bascombe led Ottawa with 12 points on 3-13 shooting plus 4 assists while David Labentowicz, Dax Dessureault and Jacob Gibson-Bascombe added 10 apiece for the Gee-Gees. Note the tribute Coach Mike Gottfried pays to the level of coaching his team faced this weekend Alabama Trip Report from rolltide.com

Morehead State 63, Guelph 56 In by far the Gryphs most solid defensive effort of the weekend, the score was tied at 48 midway through the second half and, after the Eagles took a six point lead, Guelph had the ball down 3 with just over 2 minutes to play but missed a lay-up and Morehead State held on for the victory. Guelph, which stayed in the game using primarily all freshmen for much of the game, lost 6'4" wing Jay Mott to a suspected patella or MCL knee injury; he will be examined later this week to determine the extent of the injury. Mott joined J.R. Bailey, Nick Pankerichan, Jonathan Moscatelli and Luke Nevar on the injured list for Guelph. 6'7" Duncan Milne led Guelph with 22 points. Report from Morehead State web site

LSU 82, Toronto 55 The injury-plagued Blues played a tight zone defense and stayed in the game, scoring the first 8 points of the second half to come to within 6 in the second half. With the score 58-49 for the Tigers early in the 4th quarter, LSU went on a 24-6 run to end the game against a valiant Blues side. Emerging 6'3" wing Rob Paris had 22 points for the Varsity Blues and Toronto played without 6'7" Nick Snow out 4-6 weeks with an ankle injury sustained yesterday. 6'5" Amad Nazmi, who played with 10 stiches in his head, was a one man band inside for Toronto with 15 points. Toronto had a difficult time keeping LSU off the offensive glass and got a number of outstanding looks themselves to stay in the game. The Blues were also without 6'4" Mo Safarzadeh for the weekend who is completing summer academic obligations and should be ready for the pre and regular season. Tigers Complete Sweep of Canadian Tour plus today's game Box Score

Texas A&M/Corpus Christi 106, Brock 90 The Badgers hung around a legitimate NCAA tournament team filled with size, quality and depth but the Islanders length (two 7 footers and one 6'11" player) and strength took over in the end in a game played at Welland Notre Dame H.S. this morning. The Badgers, down 57-40 at halftime, crawled back to within 10 in the second half, getting 30 points and 10 assists from 5'10" All-Canadian Brad Rootes including 5-11 from 3. Rootes was able to handle the Islanders constant full-court pressure in the smaller gym as Brock had only 13 turnovers total. 6'3" Mike Kemp added 28 points on 6-11 3 point shooting as the Badgers were 16 for 37 from 3 point land as a team. 6'7" Owen White battled valiantly against the huge Texas A&M/C-C front line and came away with 11 points. Perry Clark's Islanders, which went 12 for 23 from 3 as a group, had 6 players in double figures led by 6'2" guard Kevin Perkins who had 15. Game Report from Texas A&M Corpus-Christi web site The Islanders won all 3 of their games in Canada this weekend including wins against the Royal Military Select team and the Southern Ontario All-Stars who featured players such as 6'9" Will Njoku, 6'5" Kyle Julius, 6'2" Ryan Serravalle and 6'9" Kevin Steinstra.

UCFV Results from yesterday and this morning:

Sunday morning: Boise State 106, Fraser Valley 65 6 players from Boise scored double figures. Boise shot 60% (15/25) from 3 point land. UCFV shot 37% for the game and wer led by Anthony Lau with 13, Lee Jackson with 11 and Ravi Athwell with 10.

Sunday afternoon: Idaho 74, Fraser Valley 71 Playing their third game in 24 hours, the University College of the Fraser Valley Cascades let a 17 point half time lead (47-30) slip away in the final minute to lose against Idaho 74-71. A three point opportunity with .6 seconds remaining (reminiscent of Brandon - Carleton CIS final) rimmed out. UCFV, which led by 14 after three quarters in the game played using FIBA rules, was led by Lee Jackson with 23 points. Idaho's Jordon Brooks also had 23 points. Cascades Anthony Lao had 14 points.

Monday morning: Air Force 69, Fraser Valley 35 No further details available.

New Fraser Valley Head Coach Barnaby Craddock wasted little time in making an impact on his new program as UCFV welcomes 4 new, late recruits to his program including a high school recruit who scored 71 points in a game last season in 6'5" Ravi Athwal from Surrey, B.C. As well, a pair of college transfers come into the fold: 6'8" Mike McKay (transfer Kwantlen University College) who led the BC college league in rebounding last season and 6'4" Doug Plumb, who transfers over from NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Mankato. Plumb is originally from Surrey, B.C. who spent his last 3 years of high school in Minnesota but has decided to come home. Finally, Craddock secured the services of an international student 6'0" Tristan Smith, from Rolling Hills Prep in California. It is probable that all 4 players should have positive impacts on the Cascades program as Craddock did a stellar job recruiting after being on the job only a few weeks. UCFV played two games yesterday against Boise State and Idaho and we are attempting to obtain results for these games and gauge the impact of these new recruits. Here is a story from the UCFV web site announcing the new recruits
Talented newcomers round out Cascades 07/08 men’s basketball roster