The march is on to the month of March and the CIS Men’s Basketball Championship. Here is my projected top-eight seeding if the tournament was to start today.
1. CARLETON (13-0; last week: 1)
The Ravens blew out the Toronto teams in impressive fashion, beating Ryerson and U of T by a combine 82 points. Everything they do at this time of year causes observers to yawn, which is why it is so impressive they are still performing with razor-like focus. Carleton’s best players get extended rest because they’re blowing teams out early. Quite simply they are the best basketball team in Canada not named the Raptors. What makes them most dangerous long term is how healthy they are relative to their OUA counterparts.
2. OTTAWA (12-1; LW: 2)
The Gee-Gees are still prone to mental lapses on defence, which is their lone weakness to try and clean up before the games become crucial in February. Competing consistently on the defensive end of the court is what separates Carleton from them. What makes them dangerous is they can run a play and get scores from multiple guys. Transfer Terry Thomas has been a revelation and helped fill the void left by all-time Ottawa great Warren Ward. Mike L’Africain’s ability to take care of the ball and hit timely threes makes them a tough team to beat in close games.
3. VICTORIA (12-2; LW: 4)
The Vikes have lost 2 games all year by a combined six points. They do it with defence and at times this year UVic has been just as good as the Ravens defensively. No team has scored 70 on them and only four have broken the 60-point mark. It seems every game they’ll run off a five-or-so-minute span where they shut their opponents out. At nationals—where the rims play tighter than normal to begin with—their defence will be their greatest asset in their bid for a long tournament run.
4. ALBERTA (12-2; LW: 3)
The Golden Bears rebounded nicely from a 10-point loss to Lethbridge to beat them on the road by 17. This week they will try to remain undefeated at home with a doubleheader against provincial rival Calgary. If the Bears continue to hit their free throws they’ll continue to win. In wins they are shooting 70 percent from the charity stripe in comparison to a paltry 54 percent in their two losses.
5. McMASTER (11-3; LW: 6)
One thing the Mac men do well is share the wealth. Six Marauders average at least eight points, and centre Taylor Black is the only player on the team in the top 50 in scoring. Black also commands a double team, which opens up their offence for clean three-point looks. This team has great depth, great balance, great time spirit, no egos. With Lakehead falling off the map with a mass exodus of seniors and Windsor being inconsistent and at times looking bored, the Marauders have filled the void and taken a stranglehold of the OUA West.
6. SASKATCHEWAN (11-3; LW: not ranked)
Last week was a large step in the right direction for a re-emerging Huskies program as they came away with a convincing two-game road sweep of Calgary. Coming up they have a tough test in hosting a feisty Lethbridge team, which is playing the best basketball in the recent memory of their program. Reigning Canada West MVP, Stephon Lamar, is having another MVP type year but will have to improve on his 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio if he wants to be the MVP of the Canada West playoffs.
7. McGILL (5-1; LW: 7)
The Redmen are a hard squad to get a read on. They’ve played only six games so far, which is the equivalent of a two- or three-week span for the Canada West or OUA. Their extended training camp comes to an abrupt halt now as the games come fast and furious down the stretch. They play 10 games over the next month. With a considerably softer schedule than Bishop’s, who are currently tied with them for first, the Redmen are still the best bet to emerge from the Q.
8. ACADIA (8-3; LW: 5)
From a talent perspective Acadia is clearly the cream of the AUS crop. A mixture of injury issues and a rough travel schedule to start the year might explain their inconsistency early on. Last week was a microcosm of their up and down year as the suffered a bad 8 point loss to UPEI Saturday at home after beating them the night before by 16 in a game they could have easily won by 25. The schedule remains tough as they have a tough road test against the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Wednesday night and then host Cape Breton on Friday.
Honourable mentions: Ryerson (11-3; LW: honourable mention), Windsor (9-5; LW: not ranked)
Dropped out: UNB (8-3; LW: 8), York (8-6; LW: honourable mention)