Men's Basketball: 2013 Outlook: McGill Redmen

To finish off our look at Quebec teams we think have a shot at nationals, here are the McGill Redmen.

Record: 3-1 conference (t-1st, RSEQ), 11-3 overall, +5.1 SRS (11th in CIS)

Offensive/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank): 101.4 ORtg (15th), 89.7 DRtg (7th)

First half highlights:
  • A solid non-conference season with wins over Ottawa and Queen's (twice).
  • A tight road win over Concordia in the Shrine Classique.
  • The standout play and excellent nickname of 'Prince' Vince Dufort.
First half recap: McGill's excellent non-conference play gave them the look of a Final 8 contender, something rarely said about RSEQ teams. They beat several solid Ontario opponents and saw the rise of super sophomore Dufort. But a loss to Bishop's to close out 2012 in conference play and a sobering performance at Ryerson's holiday tournament have the Redmen looking in need of a turnaround for 2013.

What makes them good: Good looks at the basket, a stout defence and The Prince. McGill has benefited from a mark 53% on two-pointers, second best in the country. But the defence has been the calling card — so good, that you have to wonder if it's sustainable, especially with teams shooting just 29% from three against them. Dufort's numbers — 72 eFG%, 73 TS%, 32.0 PER — have been outstanding (All-Canadian worthy, though it's early), and coach Dave DeAveiro has said he "[doesn't] know where the team would be without him."

What they need to improve on: The first order of business is for the Redmen to cut down on their 23% turnover rate (paging Christian McCue and Aleksander Mitrovic, at 27% and 32% respectively). From there, they can work on solidifying their offence, and if the defence holds up, they've got a great shot at the Final 8.

Goals/Outlooks/Scenarios: Not long ago, it looked like McGill was the favourite to come out of Quebec. They've fallen since, but behind the strong play of Dufort and their defence, it's possible for them to return. The RSEQ title and a trip to the Final 8 is still a very, very reasonable goal.
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