Linking the country ...

By gar, it's been a while ...

Basketball

• Tonight's must-read is on No. 10 Saskatchewan's big-man brother act of Clint and Chris Unsworth, whose dad Art raised them alone after the boys' mother died in a farming accident. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)
  
  
• Calgary coach Dan Vanhooren, ahead of Friday night's Dinos-Simon Fraser Clan Canada West semifinal, describing SFU's proficiency with Princeton offence: "(SFU) runs that offence better than anyone we’ve seen. They get open on backdoor cuts, lots of three-point opportunities ... we really have to concentrate to defend them well.” (Dinos Hoops News)
  
  
• Simon Fraser women's coach Bruce Langford says the No. 1 Clan having their 54-game win streak snapped "did serve some good ... It let our players know we can be beaten. Since that loss, practices have been better." (Vancouver Sun)
  
  
• Congratulations are in order for Brock women's basketball coach Si Khounviseth, who has had the interim tag removed. Khounviseth's roots in Hamilton will add to the recruiting dynamic. (St. Catharines Standard)

Hockey

• Much has been written about McGill grad Mathieu Darche playing for the Montreal Canadiens, but it's worth noting he talked to the McGill Tribune.
  
  Darche is wearing No. 52 for the Habs, the same digits his brother J.P. Darche had during his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks long snapper. A less-known fact: Mathieu Darche played football at McGill — he was a linebacker like his brother — before he played on the hockey team.
  
  
• Goalie Travis Rolheiser, who posted a 1.58 goals-against average and .934 save percentage this season with the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, has committed to the York Lions.
  
  Presumably, Spruce Grove would have to be ridiculously stacked for its goalie to put up such numbers. That best defensive support in the world won't turn Steve Penney into Dominik Hasek.
  
  
• Our own Evan Daum previews the Calgary-Alberta Canada West semifinal, which is for a University Cup berth. (South Campus Sports)
  
  
• Saint Mary's scored on four consecutive power plays in their clincher vs. Acadia on Wednesday. How about a defenceman, Andrew Hotham, getting the mortarboard trick in that game? (Halifax Chronicle-Herald)
  
  
• There's an Eastern Ontario connection to St. FX's "Maritime Miracle on Ice."
  
  X-Men captain Chris Hulit is a former Ottawa 67 who played on their most recent Memorial Cup team in 2004-05. Centre Phil Mangan is from the area (Gananoque, also the hometown of Queen's coach Brett Gibson) and played for the 67's and Kingston Frontenacs before coming into his own in the QMJHL. (Ottawa Sun)