2012-13 OUA Basketball Season Preview

2012-13 Basketball Preview

Features: How My Dad Saved the Wilson Cup

By Michael Cvitkovic

2012-13 McMaster Goes Gangnam Style

By Eyedentical Media

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In this Edition...

Features : How My Dad Saved the Wilson Cup............ 17 McMaster Goes Gangnam Style................ 35

Team Previews: Brock...........................4 Carleton.......................10 Guelph.........................22 Lakehead.....................26 Laurentian....................30 McMaster.....................38 Ottawa.........................42 Queen’s.......................46

Ryerson....................... 50 Toronto........................ 56 Waterloo...................... 60 Western....................... 66 Wilfrid Laurier............. 72 Windsor.......................76 York............................. 82

Plus: Recharge with Milk Celebrity Two-Ball Pictures.... 64 OBA/OUA Mega Hoops Pictures............................ 71

Photo Source: Michael P. Hall

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Brock Badgers

By Bill Malley, Photos Courtesy of Brock Athletics

The Brock Badgers are planning to continue the positive progress made last season when the team returned to the playoffs, after a three-year absence. Coach Brad Rootes enters his third-year on the bench and expects Brock to build on that achievement. “It was good to get that weight off our shoulders,” said Rootes on ending the playoff drought. “But while we were happy to be there, we were not all that satisfied with going out in the first round.”

The Badgers do have to replace two key players from last year’s team as point guard Andrew Kraus and former CIS rookie of the year Didi Mukendi are no longer in the line-up.

“Anytime you lose some of your better players, it affects you,” Rootes mused. “You go through it every year as players leave, so you may change the way you play a little and guys have to adapt to new roles.”

Stepping in to fill the leadership void are veterans Mark Gibson and Jameson Tipping, and Coach Rootes is pleased with how they have responded. “Neither has really had to be in that role,” said Rootes. “But Mark is a great leader by example and Jameson has really stepped up. I expect both to have great years.”

Another key veteran will be Tshing Kasamba, who should be much improved after a year in the system.

The one thing Brock brings to the court is good size across the board. At 6-foot-10 starting post Brian Nahimana has become a solid contributor, and he is joined this year by 7-foot Mike Luby, giving Brock the potential for an imposing front line. Another new addition is Kek Biel, an athletic forward from the college ranks, who Rootes says could challenge for defensive player of the year.

Perhaps the biggest question is who will run the show at Brock? Coach Rootes is very high on rookie point guard Issack Egueh (Ottawa, ON) and is hoping he can grow into the floor general his coach was. “I hope I can help

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Men him as a mentor,” said Rootes, who directed Brock to a national title in 2008. “I remember what it was like to play and learn from my mistakes and that was part of my development.”

Rootes can also call on guards Michael Williams and C.J. Smith, who both have some OCAA experience and understand the system.

Looking forward, Coach Rootes is keeping his goals modest, for the moment. “Every team says the goal is to win a championship and that’s what you have to say,” said Rootes. “But until we prove we are in the upper echelon of teams, we can’t say that. It’s that simple.”

Calling the OUA West the toughest conference in

Canada, Rootes says there are no “gimme” games.

“Anybody can beat anybody on any given night,” he explained. “We made the playoffs so our goal now is to get a home playoff game.”

“It’s a process. We want to get better each day, each game, each month”

Tshing Kasamba (left) and Jameson Tipping (right) will play key roles for Brock this season.

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Brock Badgers

By Devin Gray, NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com, Photos By Michael P. Hall

With each of its top five scorers returning, Brock and head coach Si Khounviseth hope to build on a 15-7 OUA regular season record and a 25-14 overall record last year.

The Badgers captured the OUA bronze medal by knocking off No. 5 ranked Carleton and also defeated the No. 3 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies at the CIS Regional Tournament.

With 2011-12 First Team OUA West All-Star Nicole Rosenkranz, a 6’1” forward from Niagara Falls (13.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.5 APG last season), lone fifth-year Emily McKay, a 5’7” guard from Toronto (9.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.6 APG), OUA West All-Rookie team member Kayla Santilli, a 5’10” guard from Brampton (7.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.3 APG), and a cast of new and developing talent, Brock will quickly recover from the loss of four graduated seniors.

“We’re a non-traditional team,” said Khounviseth. “We play up and down, we’re big and mobile and play an athletic type of game. We like to run-and-gun, but we also like to be defensively grounded. Everything begins and ends with defence.”

The Badgers team defence swiped 12 steals per game last season, fourth-best in Canada, and built on that strong defence by adding some shooters this season.

First-year players Dayna Howlett, a 6’0” forward from Burlington, and Shanice Govia, a 5’5” guard from Calgary, will boost Brock’s outside shooting, as will 5’11” guard Ainsley Camroux-Peacock of St. Catharines, who Khounviseth calls “just a pure shooter.”

The Badgers also add Laura Chapple, a 5’9” guard from Brampton, and Laura Kayser, a 5’8” guard from Ottawa, and will integrate Brianne Ozimok, a 6’2” transfer with plenty of skill who spent time at Boston University and Acadia before her career was temporarily derailed by injury.

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Women Rounding out the Brock rotation is Andrea Polischuk, a 5’10” third-year wing from Brantford (8.3 PPG, 4 RPG, and 1.7 APG), and Samantha deJong, a 6’0” fourth-year forward from St. Catharines (7.7 PPG, and 5.6 RPG).

“We’re optimistic about the season,” said Khounviseth. “We believe our frontcourt is going to be good, if we can get the younger members to catch up we’re optimistic we can be among the best teams out there.”

OUA West All-Rookie team member Kayla Santilli

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Photo Source: Photo Courtesy of Brock Athletics

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Carleton Ravens

By Bob Rumscheidt, Photos BY Michael P. Hall

As the Carleton Ravens get set to embark on another Ontario University Athletics men’s basketball season, there is unfortunately no real way for them to improve on the recent past.

Perfection will do that.

In a very decorated past decade, the Ravens are coming off possibly their best season ever on the court. They went 22-0 during the OUA regular season and were 34-0 against all Canadian Interuniversity Sport competition.

The prefect season culminated with an 86-67 win over the Alberta Golden Bears in the CIS championship game at the Halifax Metro Centre last March.

The national title was the second in a row for the Ravens, who have now won a CIS record eight titles, all of which have come in the past 10 years.

They share the record with the Victoria Vikes who won seven straight W.P. McGee Trophies from 1980-86 and another in 1997.

After being the CIS most outstanding player during the

Ravens forward Kevin Churchill (left) and guard Phil Scrubb (right)

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Men season and laying claim to the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy, second-year guard Phil Scrubb went out and won the Jack Donohue Trophy as CIS Final Eight MVP. In his rookie season Scrubb was named the country’s top rookie so it goes without saying that his contributions as a third-year player will be instrumental. The Ravens will also be leaning heavily on fourth-year forward Tyson Hinz, who is one year removed from his Mike Moser Memorial Trophy.

It’s no surprise that the Ravens will open the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country, and they will be looking to rebound from a pair of losses in their final two exhibition games earlier this month in Philadelphia. They fell 65-59 to the Villanova Wildcats on Nov. 1 and the following day were on the wrong end of a 6158 score against the LaSalle Explorers.

Prior to that, however, they did go 3-0 over consecutive weekends in winning the House Laughton Tournament and the Victoria International.

The Ravens open up the OUA season on the road with games at Windsor Nov. 9 and Western Nov. 10. They return to the Ravens Nest the following weekend to open the hope portion of their schedule with the Brock Badgers and McMaster Marauders coming to town.

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THOMAS SCRUBB Carleton University Program: Neuroscience Sport: Basketball Position: Small Forward Hometown: Richmond, BC Twitter: @CURavens

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Carleton Ravens

By Nick Wells, Photos by Murray McComb

The Carleton Ravens are on the road to redemption this year.

After a disappointing loss to the University of Windsor in the Ontario University Athletics semi-final last season, the Ravens are looking to bounce back.

With injuries hampering the Ravens post-season surge, head coach Taffe Charles says there was a concerted effort to recruit more depth for the Ravens bench.

With returning veterans like point guard Aly Bush and forward Kendall MacLeod back to lead the squad, the Ravens have retained two of their top three starters from last season. Charles worked with a roster of 11 last year, and having seven players getting the majority of minutes, rotation was limited.

“With Ashleigh [Cleary], Aly [Bush], and Kendall [MacLeod] they were really carrying a lot of the mail,” he said. “They were playing 30 to 40 minutes a night.”

Any injuries to the Raven’s core will highlight their lack of depth, which Charles admits is a part of sports but still concerning. Keeping for depth in mind, Charles recruited five rookies to bolster his ranks.

Recruiting, he says, has become easier as the program has improved under his watch.

“Being successful, and we’re a successful program, helps in recruiting,” he said.

Bush led the team in points, steals and assist last season. With 291 points, 63 steals and 67 assists, Bush is primed to have yet another productive season for the Ravens.

MacLeod led the team in rebounds, and will be looked to again to control the glass.

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Women With both players entering their final years at the school, Charles admits that the competition is fierce.

“There’s always pressure, we always have it internally,” he said. “With the experience of two fifth year kids, it’ll help us. They’re warriors.”

Carleton, with the third scoring defence last year, is aiming to play the same high tempo basketball, though defence, rebounding and taking care of the basketball remain the Raven’s biggest priority.

Charles admits the style might not be pleasing on the eyes at first but it will enable the team to be competitive in every game they play.

With a strong recruiting class, Charles is hoping for several rookies to make the step up on to the court.

Lindsay Shotbolt was heavily recruited out of Bill Crothers Secondary School and the six-foot forward has already seen extended court time in the preseason. Playing for the North Toronto Huskies last year, she was one of the top players in the Ontario Basketball Jewel League. Shotbolt was also a stand-out performer in the annual Metro Glebe tournament this fall and has a lot of potential in her first OUA season.

“I believe she was the best player on the best team last year,” Charles said. “We were very fortunate to get her.”

With key returning players, and a strong recruiting class there’s every opportunity for the Ravens to taste success.

“Obviously being on the cusp in national competition, you don’t get those opportunities too often and hopefully we capitalize on it this year,” said Charles. “You have to maximize your opportunities because they don’t last forever.”

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How My Dad Saved the Wilson Cup

By Michael Cvitkovic

I’ve been fortunate to spend more than 15 years of a career in amateur and professional sports. While I may not be a historian in the purest of sense, I do have a profound appreciation for the tradition that comes with some of the most storied sport trophies in North America. All such hardware has a plethora of fables surrounding their own existence. If only they could talk.

From a certain West Coast university leaving the Vanier Cup in the lobby of the Westin hotel in Toronto during the late 1990s, to Maria Sharapova accidentally dropping the U.S. Open trophy in 2006 at Flushing Meadows, to the 2008 Spokane Chiefs Memorial Cup on ice embarrassment, there are countless stories of trophy mishaps surrounding major sporting events.

Then there was the time my dad saved the Wilson Cup. Last March, I was attending the Wilson Cup Final Four at the University of Waterloo. As executive director of Ontario Basketball, I was proud to join my staff in hosting events throughout the weekend including a very successful Mega Hoops community basketball clinic. With all the ancillary events completed, the last chapter in a memorable OUA men’s basketball season was the championship game between Carleton and Ryerson, and the presenting of the prestigious Wilson Cup trophy, which has a history dating back to 1908.

Following a terrific pregame meal with several participants in the celebrity two-ball competition, I joined the group in walking on cam Rumscheidt pus to the Physical Activities Complex for tipoff. When I arrived in the gym, I could hear the thousands in attendance getting warmed up to cheer their respective teams to victory, the sound of a cool bass track as Hip Hop filled the air, and in a second, all fell quiet in my head as I saw my dear friend and OUA boss Ward Dilse seem as white as a ghost.

Photo by Michael P Hall

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How My Dad Saved the “Wilson’s broken,” he said with a look of fear.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and there was OUA manager of sport programming Bryan Crawford working the phones and trying his best MacGyver imitation to fix the 103-year-old piece of hardware enough for new sponsor Energize With Milk to present the trophy on national television to the winning team. It was five minutes to tipoff so basically there was two hours to figure things out.

The large silver cup that normally shines on top of Wilson had broken off the heavy wooden base. A large steel threaded bolt ran through the base and into the bottom of the cup had snapped off. We were in real trouble.

Standing there in disbelief, the often-dark light bulb went off in my head.

“Let me call my dad,” I send to Ward and Bryan.

If there’s anyone who can fix things, it’s my father, and he was only 15 minutes away from U of W. The telephone conversation was brief but entertaining.

“Dad, I need your help.

Actually, Ward needs your help,” I expressed to my father at about 8:10pm on that Saturday spring Michael Cvitkovic (above) with the broken Wilson Cup during night. “Meet me at the last year`s Wilson Cup Final Four Championship Game. His shop in 20 minutes.” dad, Zlatko (right), was able to fix the Cup minutes before it was awarded.

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Wilson Cup His response was mildly humorous.

swift

and

“I’m afraid to ask what kind of trouble,” said Dad. “See you soon.”

For the past 20 years, my dad, Zlatko, ran a small manufacturing company named MDA Filtration out of Cambridge, just minutes from Highway 401. (MDA stands for Michael, Derek and Angie, his three kids).

Spending my teenage years out of Preston High School, I still have some friends in the area, and thankfully a couple of them went on to become police officers … just in case I needed to name-drop my way out of a speeding ticket. The clock was ticking (literally) and we needed to see if Wilson could be fixed. Bryan and I hopped in the truck and made our way along the expressway to a little welding shop in Cambridge where my dad stood waiting.

“Dad, this is the Wilson Cup. An important basketball trophy more than a century old that is scheduled to appear on national television in 90 minutes back at the University of Waterloo. Can you fix it in time?” I asked my dad.

If there’s one thing my father, a hard working Croatian immigrant enjoys, it’s a challenge. He smiled and asked me to start the clock.

The issue for dad was not the break of the trophy but the material of the metal. You see, it’s easy to simply weld a piece of steel together, it’s another thing when you’re dealing with precious metal such as 100-year-old silver. The job was delicate but after 30 minutes of work, my dad was able to assemble the Wilson Cup back to normal with his own personal touch.

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How My Dad Saved the Wilson Cup “Stronger than ever, guaranteed,” he said.

A kiss and a hug to my hero and back on the road I went. Bryan was constantly checking in with the team back at the game to gauge whether or not we would make it in time.

As we sprinted into the gymnasium with less than four minutes remaining, we placed Wilson back on the championship display alongside the OUA banner and participant medals. Other than a handful of very nervous administrators, nobody knew what happened. theScore Television personality and friend Glenn Schiller took one look at me and giggled. He knew the story that was unfolding and was minutes from going live on air to emcee the postgame ceremonies. With such a lopsided final, Glenn stated the obvious.

“Your dad should be the player of the game.”

Well he certainly is my MVP. Wilson is good for another 103 years of stories.

Guaranteed.

OUA Executive Director Ward Dilse and Dairy Farmers of Canada representative Murray Sherk present Carlton with the Wilson Cup last March.

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Guelph Brock Gryphons Badgers

By Bill Malley, Photos courtesy of Gryphons Athletics

The Guelph Gryphons will enter play in 2012 as one of the youngest teams in the OUA West. Coach Chris O’Rourke will carry as many as nine true freshmen, so teaching will be a critical component of getting the Gryphons ready to play. “At this point, it’s about 95% teaching and we are spending most of our time on developing skills,” said O’Rourke.

“You can’t infuse experience in them,” added the coach. “So we have scheduled a pretty tough pre-season and all of the freshmen will get a chance to play.” Call it a baptism by fire, but O’Rourke is looking toward the start of OUA West play in January as a key date.

Last year’s top two returning players, Dan McCarthy (OUA West all-star) and Kareem Malcolm will not suit up until later in the first term, which is why being ready by January is so important.

The Gryphons do have some experience and O’Rourke will count on guards Zack Angus and Michel Clark to emerge as team leaders. “I think this is going to be a very big year for Zack,” said O’Rourke.

“It’s his second year with us and really his fourth-year in the league so he has to step up.” Another key veteran is sophomore forward Jack Beatty, who showed tremendous promise as a freshman.

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Men Despite having such a young team, O’Rourke remains optimistic about the new season.

“I’m very excited about this young group,” O’Rourke exclaimed. “Some young players may play bigger roles than they normally would but that should help in the long run.”

“And getting McCarthy and Malcolm back will give us a big lift.”

The trademark of Guelph teams under O’Rourke has been tough, physical defense and the coach says that won’t change. “That is part of the character of our team,” he added.

“We won’t overwhelm anyone with talent, but we will compete and try not to let anyone outwork us.”

As a player and coach, few know the OUA West as well as the Gryphon bench boss, and O’Rourke knows that making the playoffs can mean a whole new season. “There are no nights off in OUA West,” he said. “But whoever is playing well at the end of the year and who can avoid injuries are key factors.”

Returning Gryphons know that quite well after knocking off highly rated Laurier in last year’s playoffs.

“We understand we are underdogs,” says O’Rourke, now in his 14th season as Head Coach. “Now I have to teach our kids to be fearless and relish that role.”

Gryphon guards Zack Angus (left) and 2011-12 OUA West All-Star and Ken Shields Award winner, Dan McCarthy (right).

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Guelph Brock Gryphons Badgers

By Devin Gray, NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com, Photos by Michael P. Hall

The Gryphons are looking strong out of the gate, starting the pre-season with a 7-1 record after winning the Tindall Tournament at Queens University in Kingston, and placing second in the UPEI Tournament in Charlottetown.

Guelph went 10-12 last season in league play with eight first-year players, and hopes to build on that young core this year with ten players in either their first or second season with the team.

The young team is boosted by a recruiting class that has impressed veteran head coach Tom O’Brien.

“It’s probably the best recruiting year I’ve ever had,” said O’Brien. “We brought in five

rookies and two transfers.”

It’s an impressive statement coming from O’Brien who is entering his 42nd year coaching women’s basketball. Guelph also welcomes the additions of Tim Doherty, Karen Bremner and Howard Kiel to the Gryphons assistant coaching staff for 2012-13.

Among the prized rookies is Erica McFadden, a 5’6” PG from Alma, ON. who was highly recruited by a number of NCAA division-1 schools.

Guelph also adds Kate Yallin, the fifth of five Yallin sisters to play at Guelph. She’s a 6-foot wing player from Port Colborne that can shoot the three effectively.

Rounding out the rookies are Brooke Kelly, a 5’9” guard from Elgin, Vanessa Rampado, a 6’ centre from Niagara Falls, and Julia Tennant, a 5’11” centre from London, ON. Players transferring to Guelph are Alex Beatty, a 5’10” This season, Guelph will be led by captains Marlee Freeman (left) and Jasmine Douglas (right), who was named an OUA West second-team all-star in 2011-12.

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Women wing who played two seasons with NCAA division-2 Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, that O’Brien calls “probably one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached.” Erin Tilley, a 5’11” forward, played two years at Waterloo.

“They bring us some great basketball skill but they also bring us a little bit of leadership,” O’Brien said of the two transfers.

While the Gryphons are sure to miss the experience of graduated players Ali Dzikowski, their leading scorer, and Samantha Russell, the new players are doing a good job of stepping in to fill the gaps.

This season, Guelph will be led by captains Marlee Freeman, a hard-working 5’7” fourth-year point guard from Orillia (7.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.0 APG last year), and Jasmine Douglas, an athletic 6’ forward who was named an OUA West second-team all-star last year (11.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG).

Kate MacTavish, a 6’ forward from Waterloo, will step into a larger role this season after she was named to the OUA West All-rookie team last season (5.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG).

Kayla Goodhoofd, a 5’11” forward from Oakville, (11 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and a team-high 2.3 APG) was recently named MVP of the Tindall tournament, while 5’10” guard Alyssa Shortt of Waterloo (6.6 PPG, 4 RPG) was selected for the tournament all-star team.

The Gryphons hope to use their size to their advantage this season with a height advantage both in the paint and on the perimeter.

“That allows us to post up smaller guards, and that’s what we do in practice,” said O’Brien. “We don’t break up our girls and put all the perimeter girls doing one thing and the post players doing another. With our size we’re going to be able to have people playing inside that maybe haven’t historically had to play inside.”

“I’m really happy with the chemistry, the chemistry we’ve got is unbelievable and we’re getting that from our leaders.”

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Lakehead Thunderwol Brock Badgers

By Bill Malley, Photos by Jarron Childs

The most dominant program in the OUA West has been the Lakehead Thunderwolves, who are riding a three-year streak of qualifying for the CIS national tournament, and look poised to make another run at an OUA championship and a berth at the nationals.

It is a veteran squad of Thunderwolves that will take the court this season, with six players entering their fifth-year of eligibility. Despite all the returning talent and experience, Lakehead did suffer one significant loss with the departure of Venzal Russell, who was an All-Canadian and conference Player of the Year.

“It’s a big loss,” says Head Coach Scott Morrison. “But any team would be hard pressed to lose the league MVP and say you didn’t lose something.”

With Russell gone, Lakehead may lean more on returning guards Joseph Jones and Benjamin Johnson (OUA all-star) to assume some of the scoring burden. Coach Morrison is also hoping that a pair of newcomers, transfer Dwayne Harvey and recruit Joe Hart, can pick up some of those minutes and provide some of the production that Russell used to supply.

Having such a seasoned group is a terrific benefit, but Coach Morrison says it also creates other challenges.

“They’ve been there before so we have to make sure they keep improving and not get satisfied.”

One thing that is present at Lakehead this year is a sense of urgency to make a serious title run. “We want the guys to feel the urgency,” said Morrison. “We want them to be hungry to win because it might be the last chance for some and they shouldn’t leave anything on the table.”

Lakehead guard Dwayne Harvey

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Men

The point position is ably handled by OUA All-star Greg Carter, who is also the three-time league Defensive Player of the Year. Carter makes things very tough on opposing guards with his tenacious ball pressure, and has become a legitimate scoring threat in his own right. Carter usually set the tone for how the Thunderwolves perform.

In the frontcourt, two all-star caliber players are in place with Yoosrie Sahlia and Ryan Thomson. Sahlia is a terrific rebounder, while Thomson is one of the best shooting big men in Canada. It was a late season injury to Thomson that scuttled the Lakehead season last year, and Coach Morrison says he was a little disappointed with how his team dealt with the adversity.

However, after a summer of workouts he expects some of his young forwards to Lakehead guard Joe Jones view any similar situation as an opportunity for them, rather than just hanging their heads.

Other post players in the mix are Matt Schmidt, Brendan King, Anthony McIntosh, Joseph Nitychoruk and Michael Thorne-Finch. As in recent years, Lakehead’s depth will be a definite strength.

“We expect to be near the top,” said Coach Morrison, when asked about his expectations. “But everyone got better. We expect Windsor and Mac to be very good, and even though Guelph and Western are young, I expect them to be physical.

There are no nights off in our league.”

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Lakehead Thunderwol Brock Badgers

By Devin Gray, NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com, Photos by Jarron Childs

With the departure of OUA All-star post Lindsay Druery, starting post Lacey McNulty and senior guard Sierra Guy, the Thunderwolves will be playing a slightly different style of basketball this season from the team that finished 10-12 last year.

“We’ll have less of an inside presence and we’ll be relying more on our athleticism and speed and be more of a perimeter-oriented team,” said head coach Jon Kreiner.

Lakehead remains a deep, versatile team that will be tough and hard-working with a mix of youth and experience. They hope to use some of that toughness to create offence out of defence and get out and run as a quick, athletic team.

The Thunderwolves will be led by captains Carolyn Fragale and Ayse Kalkan.

Fragale, a 5’6” fifth-year guard from Thunder Bay (10.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.2 APG), is a three-point threat, a tough defender and a playmaker.

Known for her defence, as evidenced by her 1.4 steals per game, Kalkan is a 5’8” fourth-year guard from Winnipeg (8.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.5 APG).

Kelsey Bardsley, a 5’7” fourth-year guard from Manchester, England (8.5 PPG, 1.8 three-pointers per game), assistant captain Katie Ulakovic, a 5’8” third-year guard

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Women

from Thunder Bay (2.8 PPG, 1.5 APG), and 6’0” third-year forward Ashley Randall from Hamilton (2.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG) comprise the rest of the returning core.

In order to fill some of the gaps left by departing players, Lakehead welcomes five new players to the program that will be able to make an immediate impact with defence and hard work.

The new recruits are 5'11" Gabrielle Robin of Riverview New Brunswick, 5'8" Rachael Bland of Washington, England, 6'0" Jessica deHaan of Thunder Bay, 5'4 Emily Lerette of Timberlea, NS and 5'8" Helena Steeves of Bedford, NS. Bland and deHaan have been able to step into the starting lineup where necessary early in the season, and coach Kreiner said the first-year players are already making a big impact.

Together the group hopes to be in top shape and outrun their opponents come Nov. 9, when they travel to Ryerson to open the OUA regular season.

“We expect to compete every game and we expect to make playoffs and we expect to have a strong showing this year in the OUA,” said Kreiner.

“It’s probably going to be the toughest division in the country so every night we’ve got to be ready to step up.”

Lakehead recruit Rachael Bland (right) and third year guard Katie Ulakovic (left),

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Laurentian Voyageurs Brock Badgers

By Bryan Carruthers, Photos by Alex Filion

As the 2012-2013 season fast approaches, a buzz is stirring around the Laurentian Voyageurs camp. After a breathtaking run in the regular season, the Voyageurs grabbed a taste of the post-season, where they eventually succumbed to the might of the Carleton Ravens.

This season, with Coach Shawn Swords leading the way, the Voyageurs will look upon some exciting new faces, as well as the experienced veterans to steer their way into the post season yet again.

All eyes will be upon Laurentian Point Guard, and last season’s CIS PPG leader (26.3) Manny Pasquale. Pasquale was pivotal in the Laurentian push towards the post season last year, and the team will be looking for more of the same from the veteran player. The scoring ability of Pasquale, combined with the defensive abilities of Georges Serresse (326 career rebounds), and Nelson Yengue will prove to be a deadly combination throughout the season. However, the Voyageurs possess yet more offensive threats.

This comes in the form of Shooting Guard Alex Ratte. Ratte is a shooting threat that ranks amongst the best in the league, and brings about a mouth-watering partnership with Pasquale that will be sure to light up the scoreboard throughout the season.

However, the Voyageurs suffered the loss of three key veterans at the culmination of the last season in Isiah Pasquale, Mike Hull, and Mark Ramalho. Each of these players left a huge void in the Laurentian line after their time in the OUA came to an end. This left Coach Swords with the challenge of finding some new recruits, to help strengthen the depth of the Voyageurs team and yet again, Coach Swords prevailed. Swords was able to bring in some exceptional talent this season, in the abilities of Josh Budd, Sam Hirst, Kris Faucon, Ryan Bennett, and Thomas Chalmers. Each of these players brings their own unique asset to the table, such as the incredible ball handling ability of Guard, Josh Budd.

The excitement of the Laurentian team stems from its combination of youth, athletic ability and the key experience of the veteran players such as Serresse and Pasquale.

The experience of Coach Swords, now entering his sixth season with the Voyageurs

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Men will help guide his new recruits in the right direction but he will be looking to his veterans to steer them on their path through the season and hopefully into a deep playoff run.

All in all, the future looks bright for this talented Laurentian team. The threats come from all angles this season, with effective shooters throughout the court. The core group of players will be supported by a deep and diverse bench that will help to eliminate the risk of injury that plagued the first half of the last season. Both Manny Pasquale and Andrew Lalonde suffered lengthy injuries which caused them to miss considerable time and, in Lalonde’s case, the entire season. Both players are now healthy and ready to hit the court for another season.

Swords understands the team’s identity has changed drastically from last season but is looking forward to what this year’s squad will bring to the table. “We graduated some key players from our roster last year,” he said, “but with some new additions and some veterans stepping up we hope to do even better this year and reach our goals.

At first glance we look very small but that leads into what we do best. Our games will be high tempo and high energy at both ends. It will be an exciting brand of basketball. I'm looking forward to watching this team progress throughout the year.”

Laurentian forward Nelson Yengue

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Laurentian Voyageurs Brock Badgers

By Nick Wells , Photos by John Sabourin

The Laurentian University Voyageurs want to erase the memories of last season’s disappointment.

The Lady Vees were only able to grab four wins last season, and suffered through a seven game losing streak. Head coach Mike Clark says that his team has learned from the troubles of recent years.

For the past two seasons, the makeup of the team was primarily first and second year players. This lack of OUA experience hindered the development of a successful game plan in a league where experience matters.

“We were improving but obviously we didn’t win many games,” he said. “We’re hoping that the ground work will pay off and we’ll win some games and try for a playoff spot.”

The biggest issue coming in to this season was addressing the lack of scoring from the team. The Lady Vees scored just 1051 points last year, the fewest in the OUA. Clarke believes the off-season additions combined with a core group of players with some OUA experience under their belts will help change that.

“Our turnovers were just inexperience,” he said. “Kids were taking too long to react or just panicking a little bit.”

Clarke admits that Ontario University Athletics is a tough battle ground, and the East division is even harder. With early predictions of three of the teams from the East being ranked in the top 10 in the country, he wants his team to utilize their experience built up over the past two seasons.

“In the long range, I like the way we’re put together,” he said. “In the short range you just take some bumps.”

Arguably one of the biggest recruits during the offseason is transfer student Sasha Polishchuk. She brings a wealth of experience to the Laurentian program after

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Women previously playing with the NCAA Division 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs, and CCAA perennial power Capilano Blues.

Polishchuk also brings international experience to the floor, having been a part of the Ukranian junior national team. The guard from Richmond, BC will look to strike up a partnership with returning Voyageurs players and have an instant impact on the court.

Emma Decloe and Erin Simpson, both third year players, will also look to become key players for the Voyageurs this season.

With this young team, Clarke is hoping that his team will be able to adapt and play man-to-man basketball on the defensive end. On offence, the Lady Vees will look to attack with more speed than in the past.

“We have the athletes to get out in transition,” he said.

While he wouldn’t call it a run and gun system, he says that the team’s offence was just too slow last year.

Clarke knows the strengths and weaknesses of his squad, and expects to find the Lady Vees in the middle of the pack at season’s end.

Third year player, Emma Decloe will look to become a key player for the Voyageurs this season.

“When you can be decent defensively and decent offensively, you have a chance to win a lot more games.”

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OUA UNCOVERED: 2012-13 Basketball Season Preview

McMaster Goes Gangnam Style

By Eyedentical Media

In order to create some buzz for McMaster’s Midnight Madness event, Asfand Minhas, the Marketing Coordinator of the athletics department, decided to take a unique route; creating a “Gangnam Style” parody.

In partnerships with Volv Lifestyle and Entertainment, we teamed up with Asfand and the athletics department to try and create a video that would help the men’s basketball team gain exposure.

Although the Gangnam Style dance may seem like it is composed of simple moves, it was not quite the easiest thing for the team to learn, given that the only “moves” they had was associated with playing competitive basketball.

Never the less, Shivani Persaud, the choreographer, taught the team the catchy dance in only 2 days, making them Gangnam style masters by the time we were ready to film.

When we arrived on location to start the first day of filming, our focus was strictly directed towards the players.

As we started recording outside the university, the community gathered with a mixture of confusion and fascination to try and understand as to why there was a camera crew filming a team of basketball players dancing in an unidentified manner.

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Within a few hours, there were hundreds of locals and students watching from a distance, providing support and energy.

As we looked around and observed the amount of people gathered, we knew instantly that McMaster’s school spirit would play a vital role in helping the video go viral.

While still focusing on the basketball team, we decided to start involving the surrounding students, as well as the entire community. From dancing animals to McMaster’s very own President Dr. Patrick Deane, we had now completely diversified the project.

As the word of mouth increased amongst students on campus that there was a video in the making, we realized that this was no longer simply a promotional video for the basketball team, it was now representing the entire university; Gangnam Style, McMaster edition.

The entire project took approximately 12-15 hours of filming distributed amongst 3 days, involving hundreds of individuals, and a few local dogs. After 15 hours, the video finally became public. What happened next was a shock to everyone.

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In less than 24 hours, the video had over 50,000 views, and by the 3rd day the video had reached over 250,000 views. After making the front page of YouTube, as well as making appearances in various news articles, the McMaster Marauders were the talk of the town.

The McMaster Gangnam Style parody was one of the most exciting and engaging projects that we have been involved in.

Given the success of this parody, we plan on creating more videos with the Marauders in the future.

We would like to thank the men’s basketball team, the Verve dance team, Twelve Eighty, President Dr. Patrick Deane, our partners at Volv Lifestyle and Entertainment, as well as the students, community, and everyone who helped with this unique project.

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McMaster Marauders

By Bill Malley, photos by Steve Brooks

The McMaster Marauders were the surprise team of OUA West last season, as they caught fire late in the year and ended up finishing in second place in the league, and knocking off Windsor in the playoffs.

National champion Carleton ended the playoff run, but the Marauders turned some heads with their performance.

Now head coach Amos Connolly has to deal with having lost the element of surprise. “I know our guys are already experiencing the reality that they won’t be sneaking up on anyone,” said the third-year coach of the Marauders.

The Marauders unveiled a celebrated recruiting class last year that lived up to expectations. Guard Adam Presutti was the CIS Rookie of the Year, and fellow frosh Aaron Redpath made the OUA All-rookie team.

Other Mac rookies Joe Rocca and Nathan McCarthy also contributed and made the Maroon bench very deep.

McMaster did lose some veteran experience from last year, and with such a young team Coach Connolly will look to a pair of veterans for leadership. “Scott Laws (back from injury) and Nate Pelech are obvious choices for captains and leaders,” said Connolly.

“They are consistent, stable and mature, but I also expect our youth will compel some of our second-year players to lead rather than follow and that should help us in the long run.”

Forward Taylor Black enters his third-year with unlimited potential and getting Brett Sanders back healthy is like adding another blue chip recruit.

Among this season’s recruits, Connolly added some more impressive talent.

Rookie Rohan Boney has already made an impression on Marauder fans. “Rohan is a very talented young player and he will make an impact for us,” beamed Connolly. Other first-year players include forwards Jason Quiring, and from Australia James Spurritt, who will both help out in the frontcourt.

Although even younger than last year, Connolly knows expectations for his

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Men Marauders are high going into the new season. “We always say we are playing to win a championship,” said the coach. “We don’t pretend it’s easy but that is the goal.”

Now viewed as a league favourite, Connolly knows his job has gotten even harder. “I believe we need to get better defensively, which is hard when your players are not as physically mature,” he explained. “I don’t see a weak sister in our league, and it’s as good a group of coaches as you’ll find.”

“But when you have good character players, which I believe we do, good things usually happen.”

2011-12 OUA West All-Rookie team member Aaron Redpath

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McMaster Marauders

By Tariq Sbiet NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com

The McMaster Marauders finished off a successful pre-season ending with a 7-3 record, including key games that put the 2012-2013 campaign into perspective.

The young Marauders took down Laval, an RSEQ conference power which certainly has assisted with the team psyche.

“I think that the Laval win was huge...Laval has been a very strong team traditionally. To win a game like that in their gym, that was a big confidence booster,” explained head coach Theresa Burns.

On the other hand, the team took a 72-68 loss to the University of Victoria at home in Burridge Gym. Despite the outcome, Coach Burns took positive elements out of the loss to build on for the regular season.

“We beat them in three quarters of that game; the learning piece is that we have to give a 40-minute effort, and the team understands this.”

This 2012-2013 version of McMaster features a roster composed of youth, with 10 of the 15 players being in their first or second year. In other words, an adjustment period is expected as Coach Burns illustrates there is little room for error.

“At this level, one mistake and the other team is going to capitalize.”

For freshman star Danielle Boiago, the transition has been easier than most. Boiago was McMaster’s top recruit, undoubtedly an elite prospect coming out of Ontario this past season. After being heavily recruited on both sides of the boarder (CIS and NCAA), Boiago elected to remain close to home while obtaining a top-notch education at McMaster.

Evidently Boiago, a former provincial team point guard made a great decision as she has averaged roughly 20 points per game in pre season action, leading the team in scoring.

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Women “Danielle is just a competitor...loves to compete, and has an innate sense to score. She can score in so many different ways but at the same time a very unselfish player,” said Burns.

Boiago’s next step is being equally as impressive on the defensive side of the floor, which will help take her game to new heights.

Other producers that Coach Burns will heavily count on this season include third-year guard Vanessa Bonomo, fourth-year forward Hailey Milligan, and secondyear guard Isabel Ormond.

Bonomo will provide veteran leadership and energy, an emotional leader of sorts.

Milligan is McMaster’s inside presence that will demand double teams, and open up opportunities for teammates.

As for Isabel Ormond, “She was not highly recruited, flew under the radar but is in great shape and really runs the floor. She is an absolutely inspirational player, more than any other player I have coached; she will give you 110% every time.”

McMaster finished with a record of 11-11 last season, but certainly hope to improve by large margins. In previous years, the program has been a top 10 team in the country, and this is where they would like to stay.

“We are not just trying to be competitive, we are trying to win. Being competitive is not going to cut it,” said Burns, without hesitation.

“We want to win an OUA championship, we want to win a national championship and we want to be better every game,” she continued.

The team has been using all resources possible to improve whether it be scouting, video analysis, player evaluations or team discussions.

“The goal of being champion is always there, but we want to focus on the process and have our young players focus on daily tasks.”

Photo Source: Rick Zazulak

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Ottawa Gee-Gees

By Jennnifer Elliott, Photos by Richard Whittaker

There is sense of renewal this season for the Gee-Gees as they welcome a total of seven new comers and will see star forward Warren Ward return to the court. The Gee-Gees are confident that their tight-knit a mix of youth and returning players will be the key to success in their 2012-2013 season.

Any basketball fan who followed the Gee-Gees last season knows that a series of injuries to key players, specifically to star Warren Ward led to the team falling short of the OUA final four. After being out of the game for over 10 months, Ward is ready to make his return.

The dominant scorer and fifth year veteran looks poised to pick up where he left off last season when he was averaging 21 points per game before his ACL injury. Ward’s ability to spread the floor and dominate games was a weapon that the team greatly missed last season and will be important heading into the season.

Forward Warren Ward will make his return to the Gee-Gees after being sidelined due to injury last season.

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Men This season, Ward will be surrounded by a talented cast of recruits as well as Gee-Gee teammates from last season; players who stepped up for the team and performed. One of those players was point guard Mike L’Africain, who was named Rookie of the Year in the OUA East last season and was among the best three point shooters in the league.

L’Africain will team up with Johnny Berhanemeskel, Vikas Gill, and some of the GeeGee rookies to form what is expected to be a deadly barrage of outside shooting.

Berhanemeskel provided the load of the scoring for Ottawa in the latter stages of last season, earning an OUA East first team all-star award in the process. In the off season Berhanemeskel has added muscle and worked to improve his overall offensive attack.

He's expected to mix in more dribble penetration with his trademark spot up shooting, expanding his scoring threat.

Third year forward Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue was also key last season, especially down the stretch and heading into playoffs where he performed exceptionally well. “This season I expect to see him really establish himself as an all-star in this league and to see his development continue to grow,” said head coach James Derouin.

The Gee-Gees will be welcoming a total of seven new players this season, which include 6 foot 11 centre Ryan Evans, guards Caleb Agada and Moe Ismail, and forwards Matt Nelson, Matt Plunkett, Mehdi Tihani and Zachary Traer, although Traer is expected to red-shirt the season. Gee-Gee veterans such as Dimitrios Seymour and Warren Ward will be counted on to guide this rookie class which is considered to be one of the best in the country.

Given their talent level, the Gee-Gee rookies are expected to see plenty of court time, playing important roles early in the season. “By the time playoffs roll around our young guys will have had enough experience that we won’t consider them rookies anymore and that will give us an advantage down the stretch,” said Derouin.

“Our ability to fight through adversity will be a major test for us this season,” stated Derouin “We feel that if we can stay healthy and everything goes well we have a shot at getting to our goal, which is playing in the nationals in front of our home crowd.”

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Ottawa Gee-Gees

By Nick Wells, Photos by Richard Whittaker

After a bronze place finish at the CIS nationals last year, the University of Ottawa women’s basketball team wants to keep the game plan simple: develop a youthful core, and just keep winning.

“I think we’re a team that has a chance to grow a lot over the course of this year,” said head coach Andy Sparks.

2011-12 OUA East rookie of the year Kellie Ring has been given the reins of the Gee-Gees as they look to replace departed veterans Hannah Sunley-Paisley and Bess Lennox. Sparks also added four rookies in the offseason to help bolster the team’s depth.

“They’re a talented group [the rookies] but it’s a case of getting on the same page,” Sparks said.

Despite that, Sparks believes the team still has the size to properly compete in games as well as the leadership qualities from the veterans to make this another successful year for the Gee-Gees.

While some key pieces were lost to graduation, the strength and depth of the Gee-Gees should not be underestimated. Jenna Gilbert returns for a fifth season to lead a group of young forwards, bringing an array of talents. The six-foot forward finished second on the team in scoring, and third in blocks and rebounds, and will be asked once again to contribute in the paint.

Ottawa will start the season with Kellie Ring on the shelf due to injury but when she returns she will be

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Women looked upon to continue to be the play-maker that opponents have come to fear. As such, Sparks feels that his squad will hit their stride in the second half of the season as they make their playoff push.

With a summer of international competition under her belt with Canada’s national team, Ring’s game has improved and she is beginning to develop more and more into the deadly threat around the OUA that the Ottawa coaches were hoping for.

With the capability to start four players over six feet tall, Sparks sees the potential to cause matchup problems and dominate the glass, but also sees that his guard play gives the ability for a more up-tempo style.

“It will be a different kind of team this year,” Sparks said. “But maybe a little bit more dynamic.”

While Sparks cautioned fans that last year was an exceptional year in terms of success, there’s no reason to think the Gee-Gees won’t be up in contention at the end of this season.

“The balance across the country is pretty close and I think it’s going to be wide open,”

Gee-Gee forward Maddie Stephen (left) and 2011-12 OUA East rookie of the year Kellie Ring (right)

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Queen’s Gaels

By Peter Reimer, Photos by Ian MacAlpine

The Queen’s Gaels struggled in their first season under head coach Stephan Barrie, missing the post-season for the second straight year in 2011-2012 with a dismal 2-20 record. This year, however, the Gaels will reap the benefits of Barrie’s first full offseason at the helm, which he spent revamping the team’s roster. With only five returning players, nine recruits round out the 20122013 lineup – headlined by former Carleton Raven Greg Faulkner.

“Obviously Greg is a very talented player, good athlete, and he’s still adjusting to a new system and having a year off – he’s going to improve as the year goes on,” Barrie said. “He’s going to give us a lot on the floor on both sides of the ball, and then his leadership and his experience will be a big factor off the floor as well.”

From his two seasons with Carleton in 2009-2011, Faulkner brings a 42-2 record and an OUA championship back to his hometown of Kingston. His playoff experience will be invaluable to the Gaels, whose young roster has never advanced past the OUA regular season. Faulkner will also provide the Gaels with a much-needed offensive spark, as Queen’s finished 41st in the CIS in points per game in 2011-2012, out of 43 teams. Faulkner led the Gaels in scoring against Laval and Dalhousie at the preseason House-Laughton Hoops Classic, with 22- and 23-point performances.

Like Faulkner, the Gaels returning players will have an important role on the team this year. Ottawa natives Mackenzie Simpson and Nikola Misljencevic led the Gaels in scoring last season as the only players averaging double digits, with 12.7 and 11.4 points per game respectively. Both players will be counted on for providing consistent scoring. Ryan Golden of Barrie, Ont. will anchor the Gaels’ offense again this year, and will be relied upon heavily for ball distribution, scoring, and leadership. “[The returning players] can bring a certain level of stability that the rookies will not have, and at times we’ll need,” Barrie said. “They’ve been really good in understanding our desire to get these rookies time and to develop them. They’re all being unselfish, and they’ve been very good teammates that way.”

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Men Of the eight first year players, Roshane Roberts, of Vaughan, Ont., and Sukhpreet Singh, of Toronto, have put up the most promising preseason numbers. Both guards will play important secondary roles in 2012-2013 behind Faulkner and Golden, and any injuries in the starting lineup could see these rookies running the Gaels offense.

Six-foot-seven forward Ryall Stroud, also from Toronto, poses a legitimate threat in the key for the Gaels, whose post-presence was negligible last season. “[Our first year players are] going to have a major impact on whether we succeed, because they have a large bulk of the responsibility on their shoulders,” Barrie said.

“Every game, five to seven of them are going to be playing significant minutes. It’ll vary from game to game who it’ll be, just based on the fact that … they may not be consistent yet.”

Although the Gaels have a solid group of veteran players in Faulkner, Simpson, Misljencevic, and Golden, the youth and inexperience of the recruitment class will make 2012-2013 another building year. But the rookies’ learning curve will ultimately determine the team’s fate. After a poor 2011-12 campaign, the veterans’ thirst for success, paired with a talented group of rookies, could propel this year’s Gaels into a playoff spot. And from there, anything could happen.

“This is certainly one of the youngest teams in the country,” Barrie said. “As long as we keep getting better every week, we’ll be in a pretty solid spot by the end of the year, hopefully secure a playoff spot, and then be a dangerous team heading into playoffs. And once some of these rookies come back in a year from now and they’ve put on weight, got a year of experience, and changed their bodies, some of them have the potential to be tremendous players at this level.”

With only five returning players, nine recruits round out the 2012-2013 lineup – headlined by former Carleton Raven Greg Faulkner.

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Queen’s Gaels

By Nick Wells, Photos by Ian MacAlpine

After their season abruptly came to an end with a heartbreaking defeat in the first round of the 2011-12 playoffs, the Queens University Gaels are determined to atone for their mistakes this year.

The Gaels finished fourth in the Ontario University Athletics Eastern division, with a lot of reliance on their young players to propel them through the season. But the Gaels felt the growing pains that come with a young squad.

The Gaels opened the season 4-4, then went 8-6 to close out the season, seeing both highs and lows along the way, including 75-72 win over Ryerson and the 59-27 loss to Carleton.

The big question hanging over the Gaels will be how they perform without their alltime leading scorer Brittany Moore. Gaels head coach Dave Wilson was quick to pay tribute to Moore, saying you can’t truly replace the top scorer in Queens history.

Having to replace the 18 points a game Moore contributed, Wilson says he is looking for a team approach to knocking in baskets, but will look to players like veteran guard Liz Boag.

“We’re fortunate with Liz playing as well as she is and working as hard as she does.

She’s a strong player that will help us,” Wilson said.

He says that Boag will be playing at point guard, and has improved her ball-handling over the summer. The Gaels will look to Boag to be a key figure at both ends of the court.

Gemma Bullard will also return to the lineup, after missing last season with a knee injury. In her rookie season, Bullard was the team’s second leading scorer and Wilson is looking to utilize her versatility at multiple positions on the floor.

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Women Wilson admits that his starting line up lacks the speed that other teams in the division may have, but he has looked for size in his recruiting. The goal for the Gaels to to play smart fundamentally and focus on one game and one opponent at a time “We need to take advantage of what they [other teams] give us,” he said.

On a team with six rookies on the team, and no fifth year players, the key to success will hinge on the ability of the rookies and veteran players to blend in to a cohesive unit.

“It’s really an exciting time for us,” he said. “One of my captains is in third year, another in fourth year. I only have one other fourth year player,” he said.

With the core of the team taken from the ranks of third years and rookies, the Queen’s Gaels will be no push-overs in the OUA East. The Gaels boast a lot of potential to develop and are looking at a successful season in this year as a stepping stone for things to come.

Liz Boag will be a key figure in the Gaels offence and defence

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Ryerson Rams

By Ryan McKenna, ¨Photos by Steve Brooks

After the team’s first appearance at a national championship since the 1998-99 season, the Ryerson Rams will look to build upon that finish at their new home court.

The Rams are leaving the friendly confines of Kerr Hall Gymnasium and moving up the street to the corner of Church and Carlton to their new home of Coca-Cola Court at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens.

Ryerson will be following up on a 2011-12 season that surprised a lot of basketball fans across Canada; a season where they went 13-9 in regular season play before defeating the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA quarter-finals in thrilling fashion. The win earned them a berth in the OUA Wilson Cup where they went on to upset the No. 2 nationally ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves 86-70, a victory that would earn them a spot at the national championships in Halifax, N.S. A victory against the third seeded Concordia Stingers gave the Rams their first ever win on the national stage and the best finish in Ryerson basketball history. Head coach Roy Rana is excited about the prospects of returning to the national level but is also keeping the season in perspective.

“To get back to nationals we need to continue to build on our strengths from last year which was getting out in transition, defending the paint and maintaining a balanced scoring attack.

The key is for us to stay healthy and get better on the defensive end as the season goes on.”

Much of the Rams’ success last season was due to the play of highly touted freshman Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.), who missed the first half of last season due to injury. Upon his return, Best averaged 12.6 points per game and had a 52.4 field goal percentage, 11th best in the OUA. Best, along with Jahmal Jones, a third year point guard from Mississauga, Ont., will be looked upon again this season to provide offence for the Rams. The combination of Best and Jones has been highly touted by the entire Rams coaching staff and they are excited about their chemistry together.

“Jahmal and Aaron might be the fastest guard duo in the country. Both always know where each other are and have an uncanny timing that makes it look effortless at times”, said Rana.

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Men The Rams will enter the 2012-13 season with a fairly young roster. Seven of nine new players are first year players in the CIS, highlighted by recruits Matthew Beckford (Etobicoke, Ont.), Juwon Ogunnaike-Grannum (Mississauga, Ont.) and Kyle Hankins (Burlington, Ont.) and transfers Ostap Choliy (Oakville, Ont.) and Yannick Walcott (Toronto).

Beckford, Ogunnaike-Grannum and Hankins are Rana’s highly touted prospects from this year’s recruiting class. Beckford stands tall at 6-6 while Ogunnaike-Grannum played last year with the Regional Elite Development Academy and played in the 2012 edition of the Battle of the Boards. Hankins also spent the last three seasons at the Regional Elite Development Academy and is expected to contribute.

“We are very excited with the group that came in”, said Rana. “Juwon, Kyle and Matthew give us an inside presence and depth at our power forward and centre positions.”

Transfer Ostap Choliy spent the last two years with the York Lions of the OUA and in his freshman year was named to the OUA east all-rookie team while Yannick Walcott played two seasons with the Dalhousie Tigers of the AUS where he earned AUS allrookie honours.

“Yannick brings shooting and maturity to our young group.

Ostap brings experience, and can run in transition and has a lights out shooting ability.

Overall, we have addressed our needs from last year with this group providing depth, size and guys ready to contribute right away”, added Rana.

The most significant loss the Rams

Much of the Rams’ success last season was due to the play of highly touted freshman Aaron Best

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will have to fill this season is that of veteran centre Luke Staniscia.

“His leadership and effort on the glass will be missed”, said Rana. “I don’t think one person can step up in Luke’s absence – we believe it has to be an overall team effort.”

Ryerson will get an extra boost this season with the return of junior Greg Osawe (Mississauga, Ont.) who missed all of last season due to an injury. Standing at 6-9, Rams big-man Nem Stankovic (Toronto) will certainly be a factor down low this year.

Third years Bjorn Michaelsen (Otterburn Park, Que.) and Jordon Gauthier (Windsor, Ont.) will continue to play substantial minutes and roles for the Rams this year. Gauthier finished last season tied with Jones for the team-lead in points while Michaelsen is expected to have an increased presence on the glass.

The Rams have had a busy preseason and recently hosted NCAA Division I Wake Forest, losing by just eight points. The opportunity to play against a team of that caliber is expected to help Ryerson in the long run.

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Ryerson Rams

By Nick Wells, Photos by Winston Chow

After bulldozing their way past the Queens University Gaels in the playoffs last season, the Ryerson University Rams women’s basketball team are looking to switch it up to play to their new-found strengths.

New head coach Carly Clarke joined the team in the off-season and says she finds the campus and welcoming atmosphere helping her settle in right away.

With a new coach, comes a new style of play and Clarke is looking forward to helping this team progress, regardless of what they have lost from last year.

“We lost a lot from last season, we haven’t talked about last year to be honest...our focus is really on the process of this year and getting better every day,” she said.

The Rams finished 11-11 last season, after a second half surge. They were 3-5 heading into the exam break, and turned it around in the new year going 8-6, including signature wins over Toronto and Carleton.

Much of their play in 2011-12 relied on the scoring prowess of Ashley MacDonald who buried a third of Ryerson’s points over the course of the season. She also led in both assists and steals for the team, but has since graduated.

Fourth year guard Kelsey Wright will look to step up in her absence and become the outlet for the Rams offence. Wright was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 11.7 points per game.

Fifth-year forward Angela Tilk was also going to relied upon heavily this year. Tilk was second on the Rams in scoring in 11-12, but will be unavailable this season after rupturing her achilles during preseason play. Last season Tilk led the team in rebounding, finishing sixth in the OUA for rebounds per game and fourth in total rebounds.

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Women Second year point guard Chloe Mago will also be missing till after Christmas, having had surgery for compression syndrome on both legs.

With the new rookies, and injuries affecting her squad, Clarke says the focus will be on developing the players in to a solid team “It will be a different year for a lot of players as they’re asked to step in new and larger roles than in the past,” Clarke said.

She believes that her team will play a bit more up-tempo than in the past.

The Rams will also switch up their defensive play, which had been a problem in the past. They will look to keep the ball to the perimeter and apply pressure on the ball.

“We’ll go through some growing pains... but I think over time fans and everyone will see a great improvement in us and I think we’ll be an enjoyable team to watch compete,” Clarke said.

Fourth year guard Kelsey Wright will be heavily relied upon offensively by the Rams this season

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Toronto Varsity Blues ByJill Clark, photos courtesy of varisy blues athletics

The Varsity Blues men’s basketball team opens their 2012-13 regular season this Friday, November 9 as they host the Guelph Gryphons at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym. The Blues also take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday (Nov. 10). Both games will be streamed live via varsityblues.ca, starting at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale at the same URL. Despite losing Rumscheidt three of five starters, the Blues have added six talented rookies and return some of the top talent in the OUA this season.

"With such a young team, we are looking to develop and stay in the mix,” said Varsity Blues interim head coach Rick Dilena. “If we can have a strong start to the season, I think that will give us a good chance once division play starts in the new year.”

Fourth-year guard Alex Hill returns to lead the Blues. The Toronto native led the team for the second consecutive season with 16 points per game and 22 steals in 2011-12.

He will be joined by fellow veterans Arun Kumar and Dakota Laurin. A native of Hamilton, Ont., Kumar stepped up his game last season, ranking third on the team in Arun Kumar stepped up his game last season, ranking third on the team in points

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Men Laurin (Calgary) ranked third on the team last season with 18 steals, and will bring defensive toughness on the ball and on the glass.

Fifth-year forward Ben Garvin (Holland Landing, Ont.) is off to a solid start this season.

The commerce major was named the most valuable player at the Laval Tournament (Oct. 19-21) and is ready to step into a starter’s role.

Garvin will look to third-year forward Adam Plummer for support in 2012-13. A 6-foot-4 native of Ajax, Ont., Plummer has seen limited action in the previous two seasons, but has proven he has what it takes to compete with the best this preseason. He will be relied on to provide a solid presence under the basket at both ends of the court.

Third-year guards Matt Savel (Hamilton, Ont.) and Dylan Churchill (Ottawa) will also see action this season. Savel is a solid ball distributor, while Churchill will catch teams off guard with his accuracy from beyond the arc.

Standing at 6-foot-7, rookie Nick Irvine (Burnaby, B.C.) will provide some height at centre, while fourth-year forward Laszlo Schuetz (Munich, Germany) is expected to be a force under the glass in 2012-13.

Guard Alex Hill led Toronto for the second consecutive season with 16 points per game and 22 steals in 2011-12.

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Toronto Varsity Blues

By Nick Wells, Photos by Michael P. Hall

After a third place finish in the Ontario University Athletics East division, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues are looking to keep their game plan simple this year.

The Varsity Blues succeeded in making the playoffs, but they fell to the Carleton Ravens in the quarter-finals by a disappointing 84-62 score.

While third year guard Jill Stratton has returned for another season, the potent Blues offence will be missing Sherri Pierce.

The veteran guard was a perennial figure in the paint for the Varsity Blues and amassed 753 points in her five years with the team. She now joins head coach Michelle Belanger behind the bench as an assistant coach this season.

With the loss of their second leading scorer from last season, and a roster loaded with talented but raw rookies, Belanger plans to keep the game plan simple.

“We’re hoping to improve our record from last year,” Belanger said. “We want to get deeper in our playoffs and get out of our division.”

The key to the team’s success will hinge on the performance of Stratton at guard.

Topping more than 625 minutes over the course of the season, she also sunk an impressive 302 points - good enough for ninth place in the OUA. An area of concern for Toronto last season was the lack of a proficient rebounder; no Varsity Blues player registered in the top 20 rebounders in the league.

With a host of injured post players returning, including Alicia Van Kampen, Belanger expects more players to be able to crash the boards and improve the team’s rebounding.

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Women “We’ve got more depth in that division and we’re a little bit more aware of that this year,” she said.

The focus for the team this year will be on containment, rather than trying to exploit quick breaks and steals.

Belanger admits that the Varsity Blues will press teams while defending, but denies it is a focus for this year.

Instead, the focus will be on stay at home defending and not giving up sloppy turnovers to enable three-on-ones and fouls.

What will drive the Varsity Blues this year is their hunger for the ball and youthful drive.

Belanger says inexperience can be a positive factor for teams, with pure determination driving them forward.

“We’ve got a little bit of inexperience and sometimes that works in your favour,” she said. “We have some hungry girls, that are really looking forward to challenging.”

The key, Belanger says, will be to not become dependent on one player but instead focus on the team performance.

Toronto’s key to success will hinge on the performance of guard Jill Stratton

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Waterloo Warriors

By Bill Malley, Photos by Steve Brooks

It’s a new era for the Waterloo Warriors as Greg Francis arrives from Alberta to take over as head coach. “Coming from a strong league in Canada West, it doesn’t get any easier,” said Francis about his return to Ontario. “It’s a different style, maybe more physical, but still lots of tough teams and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Coach Francis guided Alberta to last year’s CIS silver medal and brings tremendous credentials from his work in the Canadian national team program.

Having said all that, he takes over a Warrior squad that finished in last place in the OUA West and also graduated its best player in Cam McIntyre. “I feel blessed that there has been so much support. The alumni and the fans

Warriors forward Srdjan Pejicic

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Men have really embraced me and they want to see the program do well,” said Francis. “It’s exciting!”

Despite the apparent re-build that he has undertaken, Coach Francis thinks the Warriors can make some noise in the OUA West. “We have to build a culture,” explained the coach. “It may mean asking players to train harder than they’re used to, scheduling tougher games, changing the style of play…it will take some time.”

Among returning Warriors, the coach took time to single out returning 5th-year forward Brendan Smith. “At 6-7, Brendan is as fast as any post in the country from basket to basket,” Francis said. “He’s a guy who works incredibly hard on the court and off the court, and he will make this young group better.”

Other key returning players are forward Srdjan Pejicic and guards Wayne Bridge and Andrew Melbourne.

Recognizing the need for a talent infusion, the Warriors have added several new players and Francis is expecting big things from two with previous CIS experience.

Point guard Tremaine Fraser comes after spending time at Cape Breton. “He is very quick and strong, and can really push the tempo which is how we would like to play.” said Francis.

Forward Kyrie Coleman previously played at Brandon and in the Alberta college ranks and at 6-7 provides some much needed size. “Kyrie is long and athletic and has some experience. I think they will both be dynamic additions.”

Looking forward, Coach Francis says it may be too early in his tenure to talk about goals.

“You always talk about competing for a championship, but as I said we have to build a culture here,” he added. “Our goal has to be making the playoffs, but I think we might surprise some people in our league.”

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Waterloo Warriors

By Devin Gray, NorthPole Hoops, Photos by Steve Brooks

The Waterloo Warriors have big goals this season, and the playoffs aren’t out of the question for a team finally coming into its own.

For the core of returning players who are now entering their second or third year with the team, 2012-13 will allow them to display what they’ve learned over the previous two tough seasons where they went a combined 1-43.

The young Warriors that struggled through the past two campaigns remain one of the youngest teams in the OUA. “I think we’re going to be interesting,” said head coach Tyler Slipp. “I don’t know if anybody’s younger than us. We’ve got no fourth years and no fifth years.”

Determined to change their fortunes, a tight-knit group of third year players spent extra time in the gym during the summer, preparing for the upcoming season.

“Our third years have put a good summer of work in, there’s a bunch of them that are looking pretty good right now and then we’ve got a couple of rookies that have stepped up and look like they’re going to be able to help us all year too, so I’m pretty excited actually,” said Slipp, now in his sixth year as the team’s head coach.

Waterloo will be led offensively by five-foot-nine third-year guard Laura Burnett (Heidelberg, ON) who averaged a team-high 12.7 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds last season.

Adding to the offence is guard Marti Killeen (Oakville, ON) who was named to the OUA west all-rookie team last season after averaging 7.7 points and 3.9 rebounds.

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Women “She’s calm, she can shoot the three, she can put it on the floor and finish and she’s got some length that’s hard for people to handle too,” Slipp said of Killeen.

In the paint, Kate Kuntze of Stratford (3.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG) is not the typical banging-in-the-post type of player. The six-foot-two forward is quick and mobile, can outrun other players at her position, and is a good passer.

The Warriors will also depend on third-year guards Madison Behr, from Ancaster, Ont. (5.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG), and Laura Bossers from Stratford, Ont. (5.8 and 3.8), and forward Mackenzie Lougheed from Owen Sound, Ont. (2.9 and 3.3).

Experience will be joined by a handful of new recruits including Jacqui Rodrigues, a five-foot-eight point guard from Waterloo, Ont. who was all-star at the Naismith Classic pre-season tournament.

Forward Gia Spiropolous brings experience from time spent with the Greek junior national team, while Swedish exchange student Erika Persson will look to play a key role.

The Warriors will have to play as a team to succeed, Slipp explained, and are strongest as a collection of role players working together.

“We want to make playoffs, that’s my goal,” said Slipp.

2011-12 OUA All-Rookie team award winner Marti Killeen (left) and Waterloo guard Laura Burnett (right).

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Western Mustangs

By Bill Malley, Photos by Corey Stanford

The Western Mustangs were one of the youngest teams in the country last season, and Coach Brad Campbell says this year’s edition will be even younger.

Part of the reason for that is the graduation of all-everything point guard Ryan Barbeau. “Losing Ryan leaves a massive void offensively,” said Campbell. “But the loss of his leadership is even greater. He was like an extension of the coach on the floor.”

With such a young team, Coach Campbell says there is an immense amount of teaching required. “We are trying not to shortcut anything, because we are trying to build a team that will be in the top-ten and challenge for a championship,” said Campbell. “We spend time on the details of how we would like to play, and it takes time for young players to get it. It becomes a thing where we may suffer some short-term pain for long-term gain.”

The leaders on this Western team will be co-captains Peter Scholtes and Quinn Henderson.

Both only in their third-year, Coach Campbell calls them his wiley veterans. “Peter is our proven scorer and we count on him to score and to help run the offense,” adds the coach.”Quinn is our best perimeter defender and always takes on the toughest match-up. He’s a real glue guy for us.”

Two of last year’s rookies are raising some eyebrows and look

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Men ready to increase their contribution. Guard Ryan Higgins was named to the OUA West all-rookie team, and will help replace some of the production Barbeau used to provide, while swingman Greg Morrow has worked hard over the off-season and has been playing well.

The key for Western may be the post production. When healthy, 6-foot-8 Adam Jespersen has been a useful player and Coach Campbell would like to see more of him on the floor, after dealing with some injuries that sidelined him last year. Another post with potential is touted 6-8 recruit Andrew Van Camp, who should get the chance to help the Mustang inside game.

Coach Campbell says that after Scholtes, the Mustangs are still sorting out team roles. “We are still searching for our second, third, and even fourth scoring options,” Campbell said. “With young talent you look for consistency and we are still looking for that.”

Stressing that process is the priority over results at the moment, Coach Campbell still believes Western can make the post-season.

“A very tangible goal is to make the playoffs, he said. “But the OUA West is top to bottom the toughest conference in the country.”

“We’ll be better later in the season, much like last year, and if we are playing well in February anything can happen.”

The leaders on this year`s Western team will be co-captains Peter Scholtes (left) and Quinn Henderson (right).

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Western Mustangs

By Devin Gray,NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com, Photos by Michael P. Hall

Head coach Brian Cheng is now in his second season with the Western Mustangs after a successful decade with the University of Victoria where he was named Canada West and CIS Coach of the Year in 2010.

Though the Mustangs lost to the No. 2 CIS ranked Windsor Lancers in last years’ quarterfinals, they’ve had a season to gel and fit into the system coach Cheng wants to run.

"There's still a lot of growth within this team,” said Cheng. “It's their second year with me at the helm and they're still continuing to learn and get to know the systems and the culture."

Cheng said the team will be physical in the paint to force opponents to take outside shots, and be a steady, defence-oriented team that takes care of the ball.

Leading Western this year will be senior 5’9” guard Jenny Vaughan from Dundas, ON. (14 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 3.8 APG last season) and 6’0” Laura Dally from Bright’s Grove, ON. (12.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG). Together, they form one of the best backcourt tandems in the OUA as Vaughan was named an OUA First Team All-Star and Dally made the Second Team last season.

After Vaughan, Dally and third-year forward Melissa Rondinelli (3.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG), the rest of the Mustangs are in either their first or second year.

Annabel Hancock (5.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG) was a member of the OUA All-Rookie team last year and will step into a larger role this season. Emma Nieuwenhuizen, a second-year wing from Strathroy (5.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG) will be another key piece.

Among the new recruits is Mara Greunke, a well-rounded post player from Langen, Germany who has played for the German U-20 National Team, and Camilla Paluch, a 5’8” defender from Georgetown who was named as one of the top five players in

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Women Ontario by the Toronto Star last season.

Coach Cheng knows it’s a big jump from high school to the University level and expects the rookies to learn as they navigate through the peaks and valleys of the season.

“We’ve got a lot of good offensive players we’ve just got to see if we can sort out our defence,” said Cheng.

"I'm looking forward to this year I think there's going to be tremendous growth within the team not only with the individuals but as the season goes on the team will develop and grow."

Leading Western this year will be senior 5’9” guard Jenny Vaughan.

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Wilfrid Laurier Golden

By Bill Malley

The Laurier Golden Hawks entered last season as one of the favourites to capture the OUA West and possibly make a run to the nationals. Some untimely injuries late in the year derailed the Laurier express and resulted in a playoff exit much earlier than expected.

Looking toward a new season, coach Peter Campbell will lead a much younger team of Golden Hawks after graduating some key veterans, including All-Canadian Kale Harrison. “We are doing a lot more teaching this year,” said, Campbell, who welcomes eight true freshmen to the Laurier program. “A key for us will be getting these young kids to practice the way we need them to. It’s an eyeopening experience for many of them.”

The leader of this flock will be OUA All-star Max Allin, who has done it all since arriving at Laurier. A terrific shooter, Allin has handled Rumscheidt the point when called upon and is one of the best rebounding guards in the OUA. “We’re hoping he’s the guy to lead our team,” said Campbell about his fourth-year stalwart. “Last year we had guys with experience so leadership was shared, but Max is someone who can step up and lead.”

Photo Source: Adam Gagnon

Laurier post Pat Donnelly

Back healthy is 6’8” post Pat Donnelly, who missed the later part of the season after suffering a concussion. A former OUA rookie of the year, Donnelly is a game changer and his absence was a huge loss late last year. Another key returnee is swingman Jamar Forde, who was never fully healthy last year and struggled to find the form that landed him on the all-rookie team the year prior. “Jamar’s game is more like it was before he got hurt,” explains the coach. “It’s not all the way back but he’s getting there.”

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n Hawks

Men

Laurier will get a big boost if senior forward Kyle Enright can build on last year’s breakout campaign. Coming off the bench, Enright displayed a sweet stroke from long-range and had some big games. With Harrison graduated, there will be greater opportunities to play and Coach Campbell is hoping he can build on last season and contribute even more this year.

Second-year guard Will Coulthard was named to the OUA West all-rookie team, and will take over at the point, allowing Allin to work more without the ball. Coulthard trained hard in the off-season to get stronger, and Campbell is impressed with the Oakville native’s work ethic. “He has come back bigger and stronger and I expect him to be better.”

Among the new players joining the Hawks is Jamar Smith, who has OCAA experience at Sheridan College.

That will bring some more maturity to a young squad.

Among the true rookies, Campbell has been impressed with swingman Garrison Thomas and post Matt Chesson.

While not devoid of experience, Campbell knows he may have to shorten his bench at times because of the team’s youth.

“It will depend on how quickly these kids can contribute,” Campbell explained when asked about team keys to success. “Some roles will change but our league is tough. I think there are three teams that are above the rest, but we’re in the mix after that. It should be exciting.”

Photo Source: Trevor Mahoney

Will Coulthard was named to the 2011-12 OUA West All-Rookie team

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Wilfrid Laurier Golden

By Devin Gray, NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com, Photos by Adam Gagnon

Though many of the hey pieces that helped Laurier to a 13-9 record last season have departed, Golden Hawks head coach Paul Falco said they’re “well past the loss of our veteran players.”

Shelby Kurt, the 2011-12 OUA West Rookie of the Year, left to pursue academic studies at another school, while fifth-year forward Christa Mancino graduated, and leading scorer and OUA West Second-Team All-Star Felicia Mazerolle won’t be back.

This leaves plenty of opportunity for players to seize minutes in the Golden Hawks rotation which will be led by 6’0” third-year forward Kimberly Yeldon (9.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG last season), and the lone fifth-year senior Amber Hillis (4.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.4 APG), a 5’3” guard who Falco calls a “leader on and off the floor.”

The frontcourt will remain strong with Yeldon and and leading rebounder Doreen Bonsu (6.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.1 APG), a 5’6” third-year forward. Laura Doyle, a 5’7” third-year guard from Guelph (5.5 PPG), will step into a larger role as well.

Laurier will also be boosted by a robust recruiting class including 5’7” Kaitlyn Schenck of Kitchener, who can run the floor and play both back court positions, 5’10” Heather Payne of North Bay, and 5’9” guard Nadine Chomyc of Barrie who spent two seasons with the University of Prince Edward Island before Lone fifth-year senior Amber Hillis

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Women

playing in Stersund, Sweden, with Jamtland Basket Damligan last season.

These additions along with 2011-12 red-shirt Whitney Ellenor, a 6’3” centre from Pickering, and former University of Miami recruit Lee Anna Osei, a 5’2” guard from Toronto who helped Eastern Commerce to win back-to-back OFSAA gold in 2008 and 2009.

Falco said Osei “gives us good ball control at the point guard position. She’s very good in transition and good defensive stopper.”

The team is currently battling through a few minor pre-season injuries, and the defence is coming along faster than the offence, according to Falco, but when the pieces finally fit together the team could be successful.

“I think we’ll be a little tighter, more consistent defensively, that’s got to be our bread and butter, and I think we’re a better rebounding team overall than we were last year,” said Falco.

“I think we have the potential to be a better transition team, but we’re not there yet.”

Laurier`s leading rebounder Doreen Bonsu

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Windsor Lancers

By Bill Malley

One of the top contenders in the OUA West, the Windsor Lancers may be the most athletic team in the league. When one looks at the Windsor roster, it’s not a surprise the Lancers are listed among league favourites again.

“We are potentially very good,” said Head Coach Chris Oliver. “Good teams usually have veteran players, size and talent. We have those things.”

The Lancers will be led by the senior trio of post Lien Phillip and guards Josh Collins and Enrico Diloreto, who all entered Windsor together and have enjoyed great success. “They have had good careers,” observed Oliver. “They’ve won a lot of games, they’ve been to the nationals, but then there’s the question, ‘what have you done lately?’”

Having been through the OUA West wars over his years at Windsor, and before that at McMaster, Oliver knows that it is very difficult to advance out of Ontario, and he’s looking to advance further in the post-season this year.

Photo Source: Dennis Pagot

“We feel like the program is at that level, where we should compete for the league every year,” said Coach Oliver.

“But that creates expectations and while this group are hard workers, they believe they have left some stuff on the table.”

There is no shortage of talent in Windsor after the big three. Sophomore Rotimi Osuntola made a big splash and was a member of the OUA West all-rookie team, while Evan Mathews allows Windsor the luxury of two quality post players.

5Forward Lien Phillip

Perhaps the biggest addition is combo

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Men guard Mike Petrella, who arrives as a transfer from Guelph for his final year of CIS eligibility. Oliver says Petrella will address one of the few shortcomings the Lancers have had to deal with. “He brings some leadership, a different perspective, and he helps our depth.”

“We didn’t have enough depth last year and it ended up hurting us.”

If adding Petrella can cut down on the minutes played by Collins and Diloreto, that can only help Windsor at playoff time.

There may not be many minutes available for newcomers on such a veteran team, but Oliver is very high on rookie forward Ismar Seferagic, and thinks he can become a useful part of the rotation. He is also counting on Henock Araia and Jared Malcolm to be better, adding to the depth the coach knows is critical. Both arrived as transfers last year and should be improved after a year in the system.

Viewing the OUA West as a whole, Coach Oliver believes Windsor has the pieces needed to compete for top spot.

“We should be in that conversation every year,” said Oliver, who will enter his seventh season on the Lancer bench. “But as we have seen before, from top to bottom in the OUA West, you have to show up every night.”

Photo Source: Dennis Pagot

Photo Source: Edwin Tam

3Forward Enrico Diloreto

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Windsor Lancers

By Tariq Sbiet, NPH: NorthPoleHoops.com, Photos by Michael P Hall

The Windsor Lancers are back-to-back CIS National Champions. But what’s up next for head coach Chantal Vallée, who leads a talented group with a returning core?

Well, much of the same.

“We want to win another championship, we have the pieces necessary and the experience that our players hold is invaluable,” explained Vallée.

This Lancers team has a mixture of veteran leadership, youth and most importantly, the pedigree required on the road to a national championship.

Key returning players for the program include Jessica Clémençon, Miah-Marie Langlois, Korissa Williams, Bojana Kovacevic and Laura Mullins.

Clémençon, a fourth year forward hailing from France lead the Lancers in scoring last season, averaging a team-high 17.6 point per game, good for seventh highest scorer in the country!

Vallée looks to Clémençon for interior contributions on both ends of the floor as she can register a double-double in any given game, averaging 7.2 rebounds last season.

Langlois also enters her fourth year after securing two CIS MVP awards, most recently at last year’s nationals where the #4-seeded Lancers defended their championship.

Miah-Marie Langlois (left), and Bojana Kovacevic (right) are both key returning players to the Lancer lineup in 2012-13.

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Women What Langlois has managed to accomplish with regards to her accolades has been nothing short of remarkable, also being named CIS Defensive player of the year, while selected as a secondteam All-Canadian.

Complimenting Langois at the guard position is third-year Korissa Williams who provides a tool-box of skills that come in handy at any time. Williams averaged roughly nine points, six rebounds and over three assists last season, and was instrumental to the Lancers’ success.

Fifth-year Bojana Kovacevic was responsible for 11 points & seven rebounds per contest, while fellow senior Laura Mullins registered nine points & four boards, shooting it with great consistency (50% FG).

Clearly, Vallée’s group has some fire power on their journey to a ‘three-peat,’ however the coaching staff makes it clear that they will not take the competition for granted.

The Lancers enter the regular season ranked as the number one team in the nation, something they have been accustomed to over recent years.

“We’ve been ranked number one in two of the last three years, so we know what comes with it.”

The University of Windsor opens up their OUA regular season against #4-ranked Carleton, yet Vallée insists that their approach to every game will be consistent.

“We don’t believe in preparing for a certain team, we want to work hard and be ready for every game. There are many good teams in this country and in our conference... we are not taking anyone lightly.”

Always there, cheering you on!

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KORISSA WILLIAMS University of Windsor Program: Bachelor of Business Administration Sport: Basketball Position: Guard Hometown: Windsor, ON Twitter: @WindsorLancers

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York Lions

By Alyson Fisher, Photos couresty of York University Athletics

The York Lions men’s basketball team is ready to show the rest of the OUA how much it has grown.

Last year’s squad was one of the youngest in the league and the Lions went through the growing pains that come with fielding so many new players, finishing in the sixth and final playoff spot in the OUA East. The team will still be young this year but the experience gained last season will go a long way toward helping the squad succeed in an extremely tough division that features two of the top programs in the country.

For head coach Tom Oliveri and the rest of the team, success means a return trip to the post-season and rise in the OUA East standings.

“We are confident we are going to be a playoff team, and that is always our first goal,” said Oliveri. “But to look at it from a larger perspective, we want to host a home playoff game, and that’s something our program hasn’t done in a while. In order to do that you have to finish in the top four, and that’s a goal of ours to host a playoff game and then keep going from there.

With our league being divided into two divisions, in order to accomplish that we need to come out of the crossover in the top four. I don’t think we can fall behind early and then try to fight back, because the home-and-away games within our own division are really tough. We need to do well in the first half to gain momentum going into 2013.”

Lone fifth-year David Tyndale will be looked at to lead the team offensively.

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Men The team’s top four scorers from last year – David Tyndale, Richard Iheadindu, Raheem Isaac and Nick Tufegdzich – are all back this season, and the coaching staff will rely on all of them to contribute offensively.

“It’s probably the most balanced group we’ve had in a long time,” said Oliveri of the squad’s production this year. “Unlike in the past where it’s been 1-2 people leading us, this year it will be 4-5 people and a successful recipe for us is to have five players with 11 points instead of two players with 18-25.”

Tyndale is the offensive leader of the group and, as the only fifth-year player on the roster, will be looked upon to provide his usual scoring touch as well as guidance to the rest of the team. A two-time OUA East all-star, he has averaged more than 15 points per game in each of his four previous seasons with the Lions.

Iheadindu and Isaac were both rookies last season and made an immediate impact on the offence. They were second and third respectively in team scoring with each playing significant minutes. Iheadindu earned a place on the OUA East all-rookie team at the

OUA East All-Rookie Team member Richard Iheadindu

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York Lions conclusion of his first year.

Tufegdzich, a third-year forward, is the squad’s best inside presence. He led the team in rebounding last year and will be looked upon to again be a dominating force under the basket. He and Aaron Rados, a fourth-year forward with a soft scoring touch particularly from behind the arc, will also serve as leaders to the younger players on the roster.

“Nick and Aaron are guys who have been through some battles and have experience in this league,” said Oliveri. “They know what is coming up this year and how hard the team will have to work to be successful, and they will be able to show the rest of the team what that looks like.”

The Lions will also get a boost from the addition of Akeem Isaac, who will make his debut for the team this season after transferring from Lakehead in 2011, and the return of Jordon Campbell, who missed all of last year with an injury one season after a solid rookie campaign.

The newest faces in the line-up are a pair of forwards in T’J Rutty and Daniel Tulloch, as well as guard Nidun Chandrakumar. All three of them are talented players who can contribute immediately, and they will be counted on from the beginning to provide support to the rest of the team in different areas.

“I am looking forward to watching them grow up and come together,” Oliveri says of his squad. “Like any young team, they come together with experience and more practice and games. This group has a chance to be a pretty good team; they just need to spend more time together.”

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York Lions

By Nick Wells, Photos couresty of York University Athletics

After finishing sixth in the Ontario University East division, York’s women’s basketball team is taking it back to basics this year. The Lions finished last season with an 8-14 record and fell in the first round of the playoffs to the University of Toronto.

Having been reliant on the shooting prowess of Brittany Szockyj, who led the team averaging 12.3 points per game, York has been forced to change tactics this year.

“My philosophy is I don’t worry about what I can’t control,” said head coach Bill Pangos. “It’s time to move on and look for other players to step up.”

With the loss of their lynchpin on offence, York is also facing several injury concerns.

Llyandra Kerr, who went down with a concussion last year, is still on the sidelines.

Kerr led the team in rebounding, and importantly for Pangos’ fledgling team she led on defensive glass, ranking 11th in the division.

With injuries to key players affecting the team down the stretch last year and Pangos has taken steps to rectify that, recruiting seven first year players to bolster the roster.

One player he says to keep an eye on is Cyrielle Recoura, who played professionally in France for Voiron.

Recoura is on exchange at York and Pangos is hoping she will help use her experience to lead by example.

Kayla Pangos led the Lions in assists in 2011-2012

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Women Another plus will be the continued presence and play of Kayla Pangos,who led the team in assists and is heading in to her fourth year with the team.

But with the loss of Szockyj, York’s offence is going to need to step up to shoulder the burden. Szockyj accounted for roughly a fifth of all of York’s points, and her presence in the paint will be missed.

“Our biggest weakness now is offensive execution,” he said. “We don’t have a natural scorer right now.”

Instead, Pangos says he is not looking for any one player to step up rather for scoring to become a team responsibility.

With the struggle to get a “blue-chip” recruit, the emphasis is on a team oriented approach.

“We need to score by committee,” he said, demonstrating the need for all of his players to contribute What Pangos says he wants is for his team to show the commitment that playing basketball at York deserves.

If they show that commitment then he sees the team adapting to the rigours of playing in the competitive East division.

“You’ve got a very competitive OUA league,” he said, “I don’t think there’s going to be any days off here.”

2011 -2012 OUA East All-Rookie Team member Samantha Ernest

Questions, Comments, Concerns Contact Samantha Magalas Ontario University Athletics (OUA) 1119 Fennell Ave. E., Suite 230 Hamilton, Ontario L8T 1S2 Phone: (905) 540-1966 Fax: (905) 574-2840