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johnson"},{"term":"do not adjust your set"},{"term":"funding"},{"term":"host berths"},{"term":"international basketball"},{"term":"interviews"},{"term":"journalism"},{"term":"mud fights"},{"term":"schedules"},{"term":"technical difficulties"},{"term":"ted goveia"},{"term":"tiering"},{"term":"tragedy"},{"term":"trinity western"},{"term":"trivia"},{"term":"university sport"},{"term":"Étienne Légaré"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The CIS Blog"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"News and notes on U SPORTS - even if we refuse to change our name"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/previews?alt=json-in-script"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/search\/label\/previews"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/previews\/-\/previews?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"152"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-791074287912209000"},"published":{"$t":"2017-11-24T17:12:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-24T22:55:24.012-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2011 Vanier Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanier Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Vanier Cup preview: Western has to win one of these, right, while Laval doesn't know the meaning of No. 2"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/rdsimages.cookieless.ca\/polopoly_fs\/1.2572100.1479424961!\/img\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/main-xxxhdpi\/image.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ELaval QB Hugo Richard.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe greatest concern troll ever invented is projecting a \"mental out\" on to the teams in a championship showdown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDeep down, or so the you-totally-are-parodying-Bill-Simmons-here-are-you-not notion holds, one team or athlete is already bargaining internally about being able to settle for second-best. As an over- simplification, it probably is great for resisting paralysis-by-analysis. The Dodgers were going to beat the Cubs in the National League playoffs since the Cubs were satisfied by getting their World Series championship in 2016. The Ottawa Redblacks and \u003Cb\u003EHenry Burris\u003C\/b\u003E were impelled to win the 2016 Grey Cup due to an understanding it was their last chance, while the Calgary Stampeders side they supposedly upset were just obsessed with playing a perfect game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern and Laval is another matchup of usual suspects, although it is only the third time they have played in November and only the fourth time coaches\u003Cb\u003E Greg Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EGlen Constantin\u003C\/b\u003E have matched brain trusts and behemoths. There is no mental out on either side. Western has not won the Vanier Cup in 23 years, and an entire conference that has spent the last decade increasingly being sluiced through the Mustang machinery is most vituperative on the subject of this drought: Where's the Vanier Cup? When are you going to get the Vanier Cup? Why aren't you getting the Vanier Cup now?\" And so on. So, please, da Vanier Cup.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Rouge et Or, of course, have the first-world problem of having no concept of second place. They have come away empty-handed at only one of these, against McMaster in Vancouver in 2011. That was an alien environment — 5,000 kilometres from home, CFL building, a crowd clearly eager to throw in with the Marauders. Yet it still took double overtime before Mac sealed it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe best way to tee up any final in university sports, until such time that there's decisive action to take in to help the 99 per cent catch up to the Clobbersauruses (Carleton men's basketball, UNB men's hockey, et al.), is to simply look at what happened when Clobbersaurus has lost. In football, lines win championships and it says here that will probably have the most sway on Saturday. Does the Western offensive line — where all-Canadian tackle \u003Cb\u003EDavid Brown \u003C\/b\u003Eis the only senior alongside \u003Cb\u003EGrégoire Bouchard\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EDylan Giffen\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EMatt Bettencourt \u003C\/b\u003Eand \u003Cb\u003EMark Wheatley \u003C\/b\u003E— handle the Laval force unit, with all-Canadian DI \u003Cb\u003EVincent Desjardins\u003C\/b\u003E and edge rushers extraordinaire \u003Cb\u003EMathieu Betts \u003C\/b\u003Eand \u003Cb\u003EEdward Godin\u003C\/b\u003E? On the other side of the ball, this iteration of Western is the first to allow 300 yards per game since 2010, when coincidentally they outplayed Laval \u003Ci\u003Eat Laval\u003C\/i\u003E in the Uteck Bowl only to get beaten by a nose (13-11 on two late field goals set up by Rouge et Or interceptions).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOther, better sources have the nuts-and-bolts circles-and-X's stuff covered.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIf you're looking for something on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E and Laval for the Vanier Cup, there's information in this. Two meet Saturday. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ldnont?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#ldnont\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/football?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#football\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SekcnW0Q07\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/SekcnW0Q07\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/934050640770293762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EYes Laval has sponsorships but it's tough to teach a bag of money to play any position in football. Credit where credit is due. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VanierCup?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#VanierCup\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/football?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#football\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wEYzjVnxOu\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/wEYzjVnxOu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/934051019645997056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENew \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/KCU?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#KCU\u003C\/a\u003E Episode : Preview of the 53rd \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VanierCup?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#VanierCup\u003C\/a\u003E between \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026amp; \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@USPORTSca\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/s0IULZg7sQ\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/s0IULZg7sQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Krown Countdown U (@KrownCountdownU) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KrownCountdownU\/status\/933519514880303104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 23, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOne. More. Sleep. 👏 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Vanier53?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Vanier53\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E🏈: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E v. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E⌚️: 1 PM ET\/13h HE\u003Cbr\u003E📍: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TimHortonsField?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TimHortonsField\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E📺: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Sportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E 360, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Sportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E 1, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TVASports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TVASports\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E💻: Sportsnet Now, TVASports.ca\u003Cbr\u003E📻: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AM900CHML?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@AM900CHML\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KGo2mXVjFh\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/KGo2mXVjFh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca\/status\/934251935300911106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 25, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EOn this end, it seems more informative and illustrative to look at the template created by Laval's rare season-ending losses\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2015 Dunsmore Cup, 18-16 against Montréal\u003C\/b\u003E — The Carabins won the day by blocking a 19-yard field goal attempt on the last play. To be honest, as a Minnesota Vikings fan, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportetudiant-stats.com\/universitaire\/football\/stats\/2015\/2015-S03.htm\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eporing over the boxscore is triggering since the game was decided by field goal follies\u003C\/a\u003E. The reason that Laval was kicking for the win, instead of passing or rushing was that Montréal had two placements from inside of 40 yards go for singles.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo what did Montréal do that Western will have to replicate?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIt built a two-touchdown lead halfway through the third quarter\u003C\/b\u003E, forcing Laval to play catch-up. In\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean Thomas Erlington and change-up back Gabriel Parent were able to get into the open field\u003C\/b\u003E, combining for three rushes of at least 35 yards. Two came on consecutive plays; Thomas Erlington scooted for 38 and checked out for a blow, then Parent went to the house on the next play. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe running game is Western lifeblood and it can tag-team with multiple backs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELes Bleus had three sacks on Laval QB Hugo Richard\u003C\/b\u003E, but all of them came between the 40s and stopped drives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern's defensive line has earned its epaulets, but its 16 sacks in the regular season were eighth of 11 teams in OUA and the fewest among playoff teams.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2014 Dunsmore Cup, 12-9 (OT) against Montréal\u003C\/b\u003E — As one would anticipate with a field goal battle, there was very little statistical separation; it was pretty much a Quebecois take-off on that 9-6 Alabama-LSU game in 2011.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Carabins pass defence held after Laval drove to the 16-yard line in the final 90 seconds, forcing the Rouge et Or to take a Boris Bede triple for a 9-9 tie. In the mini-game, Montréal promptly got behind the chains with a holding penalty but a 26-yard completion to \u003Cb\u003EPhillip Enchill \u003C\/b\u003Ewas enough to set up a field goal. Laval got pushed back by a sack from \u003Cb\u003EByron Archambault \u003C\/b\u003E— the Carabins' fourth of the day — and a 47-yard attempt for the tie failed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose extra 10 yards between the 50s are a killer in Canadian football sometimes; the game had offence, just not points. But Cousineau was interception-free on his way to a 312-yard passing day. The Carabins defence picked Richard once, although it didn't lead to scoring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mustangs' relationship with ball security has been strained by times; they were intercepted once per 24.7 attempts in OUA's regular season, which was ahead of only Toronto. \u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant \u003C\/b\u003Eand backup \u003Cb\u003EKevin John \u003C\/b\u003Ehave not been intercepted during the playoffs, though, so huzzah for small samples and recency!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2011 Vanier Cup, 41-38 (OT) against McMaster (B.C. Place, Vancouver) — \u003C\/b\u003EPro tip: go out and find a \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan \u003C\/b\u003Eof your own, or failing that, his non-union Mexican equivalent. The Marauders walked it off in the second overtime after skunking Laval with an interception before nestling the ball into range for \u003Cb\u003ETyler Crapigna \u003C\/b\u003Eto slot through the sayonara kick.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow did McMaster pull it off?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThey passed, like, really really well. \u003C\/b\u003EQuinlan was hucking, chucking, for 482 yards. That didn't even include a 101-yard touchdown to wide receiver \u003Cb\u003EMichael DiCroce\u003C\/b\u003E in the third quarter that was negated by a penalty. It didn't count and it did count, since McMaster's confidence was starting to fray.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm not big on time-of-possession — it's a by-product stat — but Mac controlled the clock (34 minutes, 22 seconds) and ran 90 plays to Laval's 57.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVery few teams have done that to Laval late in the season. Calgary had 399 passing yards in the 2016 Vanier (and a 553-481 edge in total offence), but a blocked punt and own-zone turnovers turned the tide.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThey put Laval in a corner.\u003C\/b\u003E McMaster led 23-0 at halftime as Quinlan, his blockers and the McMaster offensive coaches played Laval's front seven like advanced beginner band sheet music.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd yet, Laval made a 24-point run, helped by two return touchdowns. The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and again during the first mini-game, before McMaster prevailed.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPressure from here, there and everywhere.\u003C\/b\u003E Laval QB \u003Cb\u003EBruno Prud'homme \u003C\/b\u003Ehad 35 dropbacks that night and five ended with him being dropped for a loss. The Mac sacks came from five different players, including one from \u003Cb\u003EScott Martin\u003C\/b\u003E, a rookie defensive back listed at 183 pounds. Two of the sacks came in the red zone and forced Laval to try field goals, cutting 14 potential points down to three.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2009 Mitchell Bowl, 33-30 at Queen's\u003C\/b\u003E — Gaels defensive coordinator \u003Cb\u003EPat Tracey\u003C\/b\u003E, as early as 2003, began poring over Laval game video on the premise the road to a national championship would go through the Rouge et Or. The residue of that design was eight sacks on Hec Crighton-winning QB \u003Cb\u003EBenoit Groulx\u003C\/b\u003E, including 3½ by \u003Cb\u003EShomari Williams \u003C\/b\u003Eand a strip-sack deep in the Laval zone in the final seconds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe key elements:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPressure, as already noted. \u003C\/b\u003EThe biggest of those eight sacks came with 3:10 left in the third quarter and Queen's up by six. With Williams occupying the left tackle and Laval tailback Sebastien Levesque minding the A-gap, Queen's outside 'backer Chris Smith was left completely unblocked and sacked Groulx.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval had a blown read on second and long that left\u003Cb\u003E Chris Milo \u003C\/b\u003Ewith a 45-yard try on a muddy field. It went wide left, and Queen's cornerback \u003Cb\u003EJimmy Allin \u003C\/b\u003Ereturned it 120 yards for a touchdown to complete a 10-point swing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn Laval's final two plays, Queen's defensive line drew a holding penalty that stanched Laval's momentum. On the next play, Queen's only needed a three-man rush to get to Groulx, with \u003Cb\u003EFrank Pankiewicz\u003C\/b\u003E knocking the ball free for \u003Cb\u003EOsie Ukwuoma\u003C\/b\u003E's win-sealing recovery.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETimely takeaways.\u003C\/b\u003E The reason Queen's built a 20-point lead came through some special teams resourcefulness. Laval had some trickeration blow up real good after the Allin touchdown. A cross-field lateral to speedster Guillaume Rioux created a slew of space, but Rioux had the ball loose and Queen's Ben D'Andrea forced a fumble. Four plays later, Queen's scored.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChunk yardage. \u003C\/b\u003EThe Gaels' \u003Cb\u003EDanny Brannagan \u003C\/b\u003Ewas 17-of-33 for 286 yards with two touchdowns, which represented high-end production for a game on the third Saturday in November in a stadium by a lake. Working behind an offensive line that gave him lots of time, Brannagan was able to take downfield shots, including one to \u003Cb\u003EMark Surya\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;for a touchdown opened a 20-point early fourth-quarter lead that provided jussssst enough cushion.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003ETo sum up, there is no set formula to beat Laval, but a fearsome four-man pass rush and some breaks in the third phase, the kicking\/return games, seem to loom large. Offensively, just do what you do, on all eight cylinders.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval can be had. Saturday will show whether Western has it in them; we know they would not easily live down a loss.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/791074287912209000\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-vanier-cup-preview-western-has.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/791074287912209000"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/791074287912209000"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-vanier-cup-preview-western-has.html","title":"Football: Vanier Cup preview: Western has to win one of these, right, while Laval doesn't know the meaning of No. 2"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8003278395732505241"},"published":{"$t":"2016-08-25T01:45:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-08-25T02:18:47.580-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"football realignment"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Northern 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: OMG, OUA football kicks off in 72 hours! An eternal optimist's cynical preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Who is going to be good in OUA? Probably the same teams that were good last season, and the season before, and most of the seasons stretching back two decades. Who will struggle? Paste in the second sentence of this paragraph and a do a find\/replace with \"were good\" and \"struggled.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet's be real; of course every player and coach on all 11 teams has worked hard since January and is sweating through the two-a-days while internalizing all the schemes and concepts and pre-snap adjustments. Overall, though, football is the game where success is most tied to support from the top down, and it is hard to play it straight when there are so many underlying factors for why OUA is a three-, or four-, or five-tiered league.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESomeone has to speak truth to power and tell the bankrollers, your \u003Cb\u003EStu Lang\u003C\/b\u003Es and \u003Cb\u003EDavid Sidoo\u003C\/b\u003Es and \u003Cb\u003EDavid Braley\u003C\/b\u003Es and \u003Cb\u003EJacques Tanguay\u003C\/b\u003Es, that their enthusiasm is great, but the growth needs to be more level across the full 11, and the full 27. \u003Ci\u003EThree\u003C\/i\u003E teams went winless in 2015. \u003Cb\u003EDavid Dubé\u003C\/b\u003E is the best example of a patron of the sweaty arts, since the Saskatchewan Huskies alumnus has invested in getting Canada West back on broadcast TV and in trying to get interlock play off the ground, even if OUA didn't want to hear out anyone on the latter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat probably comes across negatively, but CIS needs everyone pulling on the same rope. Hence the pet idea of a not-for-profit collective to improve competitive standards across Canada. Will never happen, of course.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are more talented football players than there has ever been in CIS. There is better coaching. There are more people employed full-time as coaches than there has ever been. Yet it is undeniable that the growth has not been even. Roughly one-third of games across the country are perfunctory and predictable, and that is holding the sport back at the amateur level, and keeping it from getting the audience it deserves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, that and the toothless CRTC deciding Canadian sports networks are not obligated to show truly Canadian competition. At least three games are getting on City TV this fall, starting with the Western-Queen's inaugural game at new Richardson Stadium on Sept. 17.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EAs far as how it plays out on the field, the bowl rotation pits the Yates Cup winner against the Dunsmore Cup winner, which is a bad omen. Ontario is 1-6 in that matchup since Laval came into being. It can be done; Western almost did it in 2010.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe other framing device for an OUA schedule, is Know Your Non-Combatants. And know the combined 2015 records of the teams your guys are missing:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton: \u003C\/b\u003EGuelph, Queen's (12-4)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph: \u003C\/b\u003ECarleton, Waterloo (5-11)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier: \u003C\/b\u003EMcMaster, Ottawa (9-7)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster:\u003C\/b\u003E Laurier, Windsor (6-10)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa: \u003C\/b\u003ELaurier, Toronto (7-9)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen's\u003C\/b\u003E: Carleton, York (6-10)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EToronto: \u003C\/b\u003EOttawa, Western (11-5)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo:\u003C\/b\u003E Guelph, Windsor (9-7)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern:\u003C\/b\u003E Toronto, York (4-12)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWindsor:\u003C\/b\u003E McMaster, Waterloo (6-10)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork:\u003C\/b\u003E Queen's, Western (13-3)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESnap reaction: the rotation worked out well for Carleton, which is due to be coming of age in Season 4.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow we come to the point where we sum up every team with a\u003Ci\u003E Simpsons\u003C\/i\u003E quote, in descending order of likely finish.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"You know Mr. Burns, you're the richest guy I know. Way richer than Lenny.\" \"Yes, but I'd trade it all for just a little more.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 'Stangs will gain more yards in the rushing phase than some teams gain aerially. The defence is laden with linchpins: \u003Cb\u003ERupert Butcher\u003C\/b\u003E in the middle of the D-line, Ottawa Redblacks draftee \u003Cb\u003EJohn Biewald\u003C\/b\u003E on the edge,\u003Cb\u003E Jean-Gabriel Poulin\u003C\/b\u003E at the second level and \u003Cb\u003EJesse McNair \u003C\/b\u003Eroaming centre field. Buffalo transfer \u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant \u003C\/b\u003Eshould be OK at quarterback. Or a little more than OK.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet's not write off OUA's chances in that semifinal. Montreal has a new quarterback. Laval lost a lot of guys.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Her idea of wit is nothing more than an incisive observation humorously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAre people sleeping on Mac after a 6-2 third-place showing? \u003Cb\u003EGreg Knox\u003C\/b\u003E seems like the classic case of the defensive coordinator who could have been a head coach long ago if the timing had worked out. \u003Cb\u003EGary Jeffries \u003C\/b\u003Ewas that type of guy at Laurier in the early aughts and that worked out well for everybody. \u003Cb\u003EAsher Hastings\u003C\/b\u003E will throw for about a bajillion touchdowns, and Mac is loaded with seasoned receivers and pass defenders.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"This is the greatest thrill of my life! I'm king of the world!\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gryphons were Ontario's best team for the past two years, regardless of whose colours are on the Yates. There is talent out the yin-yang, and\u003Cb\u003E Kevin MacNeill \u003C\/b\u003Ehas more than paid the dues to become head ball coach. Receiver \u003Cb\u003EJacob Scarfone\u003C\/b\u003E's ACL-related absence is a fairly big loss in the passing phase, where Guelph's always been more about speed than surprise.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHaving Western and McMaster back-to-back (home Sept. 24, road Oct. 1) will be tricky.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"You hear me? No comeuppance!\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Ravens got everyone's attention by outscoring Laval by three touchdowns during the 30 minutes that each team played their starters during the exhibition game last weekend. The top strata of their '12 and '13 recruiting classes (QB \u003Cb\u003EJesse Mills\u003C\/b\u003E, REC\u003Cb\u003E Nathaniel Behar\u003C\/b\u003E, REC \u003Cb\u003EWilson Birch\u003C\/b\u003E, LB \u003Cb\u003ELeon Cenerini\u003C\/b\u003E, DB \u003Cb\u003ETunde Adeleke\u003C\/b\u003E, and so on, and so forth)\u0026nbsp;have come of age. Carleton's also going to be physical on both lines.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFourth could be an undersell. Carleton opens at McMaster and then hosts Western on Labour Day weekend. They should run the rest of the table.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Grade me! Evaluate and rank me! Oh, I'm ever so smart!\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Golden Hawks are getting there; they hung in with Montreal in their exhibition game. No doubt headline writers are hopeful \u003Cb\u003EMichael Knevel \u003C\/b\u003Eends up prevailing in the position battle at quarterback with \u003Cb\u003EJulien John\u003C\/b\u003E. Whether they have 10- or 11-game staying power is tough to tell, but they should be at least 3-1 when they go to Western on Oct. 1.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa:\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\"I live in a single room above a bowling alley and below another bowling alley.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERecord-setting QB\u003Cb\u003E Derek Wendel \u003C\/b\u003Eand the Gee-Gees get Guelph, Mac and Western at home, and their road slate includes Carleton. The good news: no 'good luck with that' roadies. The bad news, that's tough competition, and there isn't a lot of margin for error. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOttawa should score a lot of points again, and\u003Cb\u003E Mitchell Baines\u003C\/b\u003E should have a big year to help make up for \u003Cb\u003EIan Stewart\u003C\/b\u003E aging out. It has been a long while since Ottawa really played lights-out D against a good team.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen's:\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\"Yeah, you should be very proud, Homer, you, uh... got a beautiful home here.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERichardson 3.0 is small, but it will be a nice stadium, especially when the east-side pavilion is completed. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the field, it's fair to say Queen's has been inconsistent for two seasons, and that 31-point qurter-final loss to Carleton was disspiriting. \u0026nbsp;Quarterback\u003Cb\u003E Nate Hobbs \u003C\/b\u003Estruggled, and the defensive coordinator\u003Cb\u003E Greg Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E's charges were a half-step behind the Ravens at every turn.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EToronto:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"For once maybe someone will call me 'Sir' without adding 'you're making a scene.' \"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn an idealized CIS football world where the scheduling among the three Central\/Eastern Canada conference was more apples-to-apples, U of T would play other brainiac schools (McGill, Queen's) along with AUS and OUA bantamweights. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is an either\/or whether York or U of T gets the best of the rest belt, which is actually an extension cord.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"I'm tired of being a wannabe league bowler! I wanna be a league bowler!:\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELions coach\u003Cb\u003E Warren Craney \u003C\/b\u003Ehas had some good gets on the recruiting front, most notably with DE \u003Cb\u003ERossini Sandjong-Djabome\u003C\/b\u003E, who was all-everything in CEGEP.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWindsor:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Ahh. Sweet liquor eases the pain.\"\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWaterloo play-by-player \u003Cb\u003EAdam McGuire\u003C\/b\u003E, who might or might not have indirectly guilted someone into writing this post -- ah, the art of deflection --\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adammcg1983\/status\/768286010937528320\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebelieves the Lancers could finish 0-8\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConference tackling leader\u003Cb\u003E Matt Gayer \u003C\/b\u003Eis down for the season with a knee injury. Windsor was last in OUA last season in 'disruptions' with a combined 26 fumble recoveries, interceptions and sacks. They'll need a few more takeaways to help out an offence whose only big commodity is RB \u003Cb\u003ETarrence Crawford\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo: \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"Is this how you imagined your life, Edna?\" \"Well yes, but then I was a very depressed child.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Warriors have almost as many rookie recruits (49) as they had points (66) last season. Quarterback \u003Cb\u003ELucas McConnell \u003C\/b\u003Eis a slender figure in No. 7, so he's always good for a gratuitous\u003Cb\u003E Matt Saracen\u003C\/b\u003E reference. \u003Ci\u003EFriday Night Lights\u003C\/i\u003E wrapped five years and four Warriors wins ago.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8003278395732505241\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/08\/football-omg-oua-football-kicks-off-in.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8003278395732505241"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8003278395732505241"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/08\/football-omg-oua-football-kicks-off-in.html","title":"Football: OMG, OUA football kicks off in 72 hours! An eternal optimist's cynical preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8020016309213055041"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-05T11:38:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-05T19:07:39.285-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Algoma Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Tiers of the OUA: A Men's Basketball Season Preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"For the 2013-14 OUA preview, I've divided all the teams up into tiers. Ontario is deep this year with four teams being in the conversation for nationals. There are other teams who could surprise too, if they get a few lucky bounces and some transfers pan out. Then, we have some programs floundering in the basement without a shred of hope of making noise. For each team, I've given a projected finish and a player to watch. That player is a combination of on-court entertainment while also being a barometer for the success a team will have. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECIS Title Contenders\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ECarleton Ravens\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere is no weakness in the Ravens’ game. Sure, their jerseys are lacking in creativity, but that’s the most significant criticism I can find. The team that claimed its ninth CIS title in 11 seasons this past year, Carleton will put more distance between themselves and the rest of the pack come March 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBehind \u003Cb\u003ETyson Hinz\u003C\/b\u003E, the \u003Cb\u003EScrubb\u003C\/b\u003E brothers, and transfer \u003Cb\u003EVictor Raso\u003C\/b\u003E there is just no way another team beats these guys. We’re talking about a team that nearly beat the Syracuse Orange.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPhil Scrubb\u003C\/b\u003E is the best player in the country — this much is tough to debate and until he shows any signs of slowing down, Carleton is a lock to compete for the W.P. McGee Trophy. Scrubb led the conference in PER (with Tyson Hinz and \u003Cb\u003EThomas Scrubb\u003C\/b\u003E right behind him) and he shoots 47 per cent on two point shots and 41 per cent on three point shots. (Unless otherwise specified, all statistics refer to the 2012-13 season.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year, Dave Smart orchestrated the best offence and defence in the country. Not just the OUA — the entire CIS. The Ottawa Gee-Gees had an offensive rating of 107, second in the country to Carleton’s 122 (!). The gap between the Ravens and the field for defensive was closer — Carleton put up a defensive rating of 84, with the next closest figure being 89 from the Ryerson Rams.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECarleton owns the best REB% in the league at 41 per cent. They get to the line at a great pace – second to McMaster – and shoot the highest 78 per cent at the charity stripe. The Ravens hold teams to a 40 per cent eFG% too. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you haven’t caught on yet, Carleton can do it all and their key players all fall somewhere in the top ten in the nation. Expect another dominating season from the Ravens.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Phil Scrubb. I just want to know what this guy’s ceiling is. He opened the year with 38 points on 13 shots through two games. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: CIS Finals – Wilson Cup Champions\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWindsor Lancers\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a veteran team. \u003Cb\u003EJosh Collins\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EEnrico Diloreto\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ELien Phillip\u003C\/b\u003E are all in their fifth year of eligibility. They are this year’s version of the 2012-13 Lakehead Thunderwolves, relying on experience through the long season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWindsor’s strength lies in their defence, which plays a suffocating press that forces turnovers at the highest rate in the conference. Phillip grabs 28% of the Lancers’ defensive rebounds, good for No.1 in that category. He’s also a highly capable defender on the block and while not a player who blocks shots (he only had 14 blocks last season), Phillip can bother shots in a help situation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe concern for this team will be how they function on offence. \u003Cb\u003EMichael Petrella\u003C\/b\u003E played a ton of minutes at guard for the Lancers last year, but with his departure, Windsor has to look elsewhere to get the ball moving on offence. Collins is a top-level point guard, great at distributing the ball to his teammates. His average of 4.1 assists per game put him at 15th in the country. But the issue here is his turnovers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe talented teams in the OUA prey on turnovers, and if you can’t control turnovers — as Collins has shown — you’re not going to win. Last year, take a look at the OUA teams who made it to the CIS Final 8: Lakehead, with Greg Carter and Dwyane Harvey leading the charge; Carleton, with the Scrubb brothers and Clinton Springer Williams wreaking havoc on ball-handlers; Ottawa, with Johnny Berhanemeskel and Warren Ward finishing top-five in total steals, and the Lancers. Windsor as a team has a low TOV% (20 per cent) but Collins owns a 24 per cent TOV%. It’s tough to build a successful offence around that, proven by their lowly 98 O-Rtg. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother key to shoring up their offence will be reigning in Diloreto. He’s a talented offensive player, but he shoots an abysmal eFG% of 44 per cent. His shooting is only compounded by his USG%, which ranks 13th in the league among qualified players. If coach \u003Cb\u003EChris Oliver\u003C\/b\u003E can move some of those possessions to \u003Cb\u003ERotimi Osuntola Jr.\u003C\/b\u003E - a hyper-efficient guard with range - Windsor should be able to come out on top of the OUA West.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELastly, they need to improve in all areas of free throws — both getting to the line and knocking them down. Their free throw to field goal attempted ratio is second worst in the OUA (to Western), and their free throw percentage is the worst, at 65%. If they can do a better job at getting to the line and setting up that hellacious press that Oliver has crafted, the O-Rtg should improve greatly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Lien Phillip - Professional-level talent, will be key to maintaining their defence. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Medal at the CIS Championship - potential Wilson Cup finalist\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EContenders for a Final 8 berth\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EMcMaster Marauders\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe talk in Hamilton has been about nationals, and I think that’s a fair conversation to have.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAdam Presutti\u003C\/b\u003E had a rough sophomore season, riddled with injuries causing him to never catch on in the lineup. Outside of that, McMaster’s roster all made significant strides; \u003Cb\u003EJoe Rocca\u003C\/b\u003E become a reliable offensive weapon, \u003Cb\u003ETaylor Black\u003C\/b\u003E emerged as one of the best players in the conference (and nation), \u003Cb\u003ERohan Boney\u003C\/b\u003E won a Rookie of the Year award and \u003Cb\u003ENathan McCarthy\u003C\/b\u003E proved himself to be a top defensive big man. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith all of those players back, the Marauders seemed poised to build off a good season in 2012-13. It started off rough, with only two wins and five losses after the interlock period. But the team would turn it around and finish 13-8 and were this close to getting to the Final Four before succumbing to Lakehead in the Thunderdome. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster had an average offence, but that was largely a product of Boney and Redpath having to take control when Presutti missed games. When the 2011 CIS Rookie of the Year did play however, he improved the offence with his playmaking ability. Presutti posted a 26 per cent AST% last season, good for second in the conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhere McMaster hangs their hat is on defense, and don’t expect a regression there. Boney is a great defender, Black and McCarthy can handle nearly any frontcourt and head coach \u003Cb\u003EAmos Connolly\u003C\/b\u003E has added some other talent to beef up the defense. \u003Cb\u003ETrevon McNeil\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EHamid Nessek\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ELeon Alexander\u003C\/b\u003E — all in their first year with the program — are solid players who are overwhelming when defending the perimeter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlack could take the next step and be in the conversation for an All-Canadian spot. He posted the best PER for players not from Carleton and has shown a knack for scoring at the right time and taking over quarters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m very high on this team because I’ve already said a couple hundred words about them and haven’t even talked about some players who won't be playing major minutes for them. They lost \u003Cb\u003EScott Laws\u003C\/b\u003E, an emotional leader for the team, but as the team matures, they should have been able to replace the void.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey’ll need to knock off a ranked team to get to the CIS Final 8, but don’t be surprised if they do. This team is ten players deep and capable of playing with any team in the conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Taylor Black. He is only in his fourth year of eligibility and has already made noise through the beginning of this season. Just how good can he be?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Second in the OUA West, potential Wilson Cup finalist.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EOttawa Gee-Gees\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the departure of \u003Cb\u003EWarren Ward\u003C\/b\u003E — a player who received NBA camp invites and praise from professional hoops writers — \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawacitizen.com\/sports\/Former+Warren+Ward+signs+deal+Germany\/8737365\/story.html\"\u003Eto Germany\u003C\/a\u003E, it’s easy to sweep the Gee-Gees out of the conversation. But there is more to the Garnet and Grey than Ward. \u003Cb\u003EJohnny Berhanemeskel\u003C\/b\u003E is the league-leader in three-pointers made, \u003Cb\u003EVikas Gill\u003C\/b\u003E is an efficient option to take some more of the offensive load and \u003Cb\u003EMike L’Africain\u003C\/b\u003E has been stellar through the Gee-Gees undefeated pre-season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo say L’Africain struggled through his sophomore season is putting things gently. Offensively, he was unable to be efficient while playing off Ward’s double teams and was an average defender with a D-Rtg of 98. But L’Africain has all the tools to be an effective point guard for an electric offence. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003EJames Derouin\u003C\/b\u003E has looked to increase the tempo of the game, and that lends to L’Africain’s ball handling abilities and decision-making. Last year, the second-year guard finished 16th in the OUA for assists. Playing alongside Gill and Berhanemeskel gives L’Africain two lethal weapons on the perimeter, so his assist numbers should improve this year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI mentioned earlier that the Ottawa offence is second in the conference and while it will regress due to the loss of Ward, it will still be up there with the best. The defence is what’s suspect here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMatt Nelson\u003C\/b\u003E, a six-foot-nine centre, hardly played last year after suffering multiple injuries. In fact, he even doesn’t show up on the CIS roster for last year’s team. But he’ll be the key to keeping the Gee-Gees defence in the upper echelon of the OUA ranks. Ottawa played a small-ball rotation, with Gill at six-foot-seven being the largest player on the court. While this rotation led them to a CIS bronze, it’s hard to imagine this being sustainable after losing a strong perimeter defender in Ward. If Nelson can come in and become a fearsome paint presence, Ottawa’s defence could take a leap. But that’s a tall task for a second-year player with minimal on-court experience. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother key piece to the defensive puzzle is \u003Cb\u003ECaleb Agada\u003C\/b\u003E, who showed himself to have a little something during the Gee-Gees CIS Final 8 run. He has been getting a lot of minutes early in the season and I'm bullish on his perimeter defence being able to slow some offences down.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENelson should have time to grow, however. Last year, Derouin had his team forcing opponents into difficult shots, gang-rebounding and forcing turnovers. All of those skills do not require height; they require extreme amounts of will and no player missing a beat. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith Derouin behind the bench, L’Africain poised to become a top OUA point guard and the majority of the parts from a CIS medal finish still in tact, the Gee-Gees could be in the hunt for a CIS wild card berth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Mike L’Africain. With Ward gone, someone will have to take over on offense and orchestrate. Can L'Africain pick up the slack? My quick answer is yes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: potentially in the OUA bronze medal game - CIS wild card conversation\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ERyerson Rams\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou could make the case for Ryerson to be a CIS contender. They have the pieces; they only lost one player from last year’s team and added some intriguing talent.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut I’m pessimistic about this Rams squad. Their offence earned a pedestrian O-Rtg of 100 despite having \u003Cb\u003EJahmal Jones\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EAaron Best\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJordan Gauthier\u003C\/b\u003E. Those players though, might be the reason that their offence struggled. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth Best and Jones have been efficient on two-point shot attempts: Best shot 55 per cent from inside the arc while Jones shot 45 per cent last year. That figure from Jones is a dip in production from his first three years in OUA play, when he shot 48.3 per cent in 2011-12 and a scorching 52.4 per cent in 2010-11. His shot totals through those years were all within 11 FGA of each other. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGauthier shot 51 per cent on non-threes last year, but 122 of 266 shot attempts were threes last year, where he only made 40 — or 32 per cent of his attempts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s the three-point shots that are killing the Rams. Through twenty games last year, 38 per cent of Ryerson’s shots were threes and they only shot 29.0 per cent behind the arc. That’s a lot of threes for a team that isn’t particularly good at it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETeams with similar three-point shot rates? Carleton with 39.5 per cent and Ottawa with 39.7 per cent. But those squads are really, really good at threes. The Ravens knocked down 40.2 per cent of threes and Ottawa knocked down 40.1 per cent.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m not saying that Ryerson should abandon the three-point shot. My point is that they’ll need to make better decisions in the half court. The three aforementioned guards lead the team in USG% and if they want to make it to the Final 8 tournament, head coach \u003Cb\u003ERoy Rana\u003C\/b\u003E is going to have to reign their shooting in. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstead, they should look to \u003Cb\u003EBjorn Michaelsen\u003C\/b\u003E. He is a solid big man and shoots a team-best eFG% of 56 per cent. He is polished in the post and should receive more touches than he did last year. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERyerson is capable of making nationals, but it will take a major shift in player tendencies to get there. Can Rana change the established player styles of his three guards?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Aaron Best. In his third year, he has the opportunity to climb into the top five scorers of the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: potentially in the OUA bronze medal game - Wild card conversation\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EUp-and-comers\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ELaurentian Voyageurs\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManny Pasquale\u003C\/b\u003E is gone, but this team has the ability to rework itself and make noise in the OUA East. Don’t expect them to be challenging Ottawa or Carleton at the top of the standings, but they should have upset potential in the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGeorges Serresse\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJamie Weldon\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EStephen Williams\u003C\/b\u003E have all moved on from the program but \u003Cb\u003EJosh Budd\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003ENelson Yengue\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ETychon Carter-Newman\u003C\/b\u003E should have no issues filling those minutes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBudd has already shown a scoring prowess, leading the team in scoring over Waterloo in the season opener. Carter-Newman is a defensive monster and able to clean up some plays on the offensive glass too. Nelson Yengue didn’t use a ton of offensive possessions last year, but made good on the times he did, shooting a 52 per cent eFG%.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis team is balanced, with an O-Rtg and D-Rtg of 101. \u003Cb\u003EAlex Ratte\u003C\/b\u003E had a great year last year while leading the team in USG%, but it’ll be interesting to see how the loss of Pasquale impacts the defenders he faces. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m buying Voyageur stock because of that Sudbury advantage and returning players who are capable of filling in for the losses. The only thing that worries me about this team is what happens when Ratte has an off night or takes on an elite defender. Who takes on the shooting responsibilities? It looks like Budd, but he only averaged 7.2 points a game last year in 24 minutes per game. Will he be able to carry the offence?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Josh Budd. I hinted at it before, but I’m really curious to see if the fourth-year can take these offensive units to new heights in the post-Pasquale era.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Third in OUA East\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EQueen’s Golden Gaels\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EQueen’s has never made the national tournament. For a school with rich history and enough spirit to support a handful of OUA competitors, that’s a jarring fact. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the Gaels seem to be building towards something now. Last year, rookies \u003Cb\u003ESukhpreet Singh\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ERoshane Roberts\u003C\/b\u003E were second and third in minutes played per game. Fourth-year \u003Cb\u003EGreg Faulkner\u003C\/b\u003E led the team in minutes and scoring before going down with an injury. His strong debut in tricolour after transferring from Carleton put Queen’s at 6-3 heading into the winter break. The wheels fell off later in the season, going 1-4 in their final five games without Faulkner to finish 10-10.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s those outstanding rookies that put the Gaels in the up-and-coming conversation. Both were thrust into high usage situations, tasked with carrying the offence. The adjustment from high school to the OUA got the best of the two, with Singh putting up an eFG% of 46 per cent and Roberts hitting at a 40 per cent clip. Those are two sobering numbers, but there are positives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESingh got the line at an all-OUA level. His free throw rate of 0.37 was good for ninth in Ontario. He only made 74 percent of his free throw attempts, but for a rookie to come out and make a habit of getting to the charity stripe is nothing short of impressive. Singh also has an elite play-making ability, finishing his first-year campaign with a 21 per cent assist rate to put him at tenth in the conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor Roberts, there are not many redeeming offensive numbers. All around, it looks pretty bleak. He’s not a great shooter from anywhere, doesn’t do well at the line (71 per cent last year) and averaged just over an assist a game. Those numbers will definitely turn around as he gains experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhere Roberts could redeem himself is to grow on the defensive end. He showed promise; he averaged a hair over a steal per game last year and owned an impressively low 2.6 fouls committed per 40 minutes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike Mullins\u003C\/b\u003E — brother of Columbia University and member of the Canadian development team Grant Mullins — joins the team and should take some of the scoring load off of Roberts.\u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENikola Misljencevic\u003C\/b\u003E has had a strong pre-season, including 20 points over No. 8 McGill to lead his team to an OT victory. He only averaged seven shots a game, but it’s likely that he’ll take more possessions too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDon’t expect a breakout season though. This team will likely be building off of last year’s success and give their young players more on-court experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Greg Faulkner. He is a savvy player with range who has the potential to go for 30 if the defence is sleeping on him.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Loss in OUA quarterfinals\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ELaurier Golden Hawks\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis one is a tough call. Their roster screams \"average\" as evidenced by last year’s O-Rtg of 94 and D-Rtg of 101. Both marks are just middle of the pack, but more importantly, they are far off from the mark of teams that compete for the Wilson Cup year-in and year-out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStill, they have a chance to make a run. \u003Cb\u003EMax Allin\u003C\/b\u003E, in his final year of eligibility, is one of the best scorers in the country. He plays an efficient style; good three-point shooting and a ton of free throws. Third-year \u003Cb\u003EWill Coulthard\u003C\/b\u003E has one of the quickest triggers in the conference, willing to throw it up at any second. Consistency is still an issue for him, though. He used the most possessions out of any player on his team, but only shot at an eFG% of 45 per cent. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile those two players are good on the offensive end, there are not many other players to rely on and that’s where we see the difference between them and true contenders. Allin and Coulthard combine for many of the team’s possessions per game but the others go to players who simply are not efficient enough to be deemed worthy of using a possession.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next two leaders in USG% are \u003Cb\u003EPatrick Donnelly\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJamar Forde\u003C\/b\u003E, at 20 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Donnelly, who left the team late last year for unknown reasons but is back now, shot a horrific 39 per cent eFG%. That’s 96th worst among players that played at least one-third of team minutes. There were only 107 players that qualified. Forde isn’t much better - he ranks 85th in the category.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003EPeter Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E will have to either move those shots to Coulthard and Allin or find new sources of offence. \u003Cb\u003EMatt Chesson\u003C\/b\u003E, OUA Rookie of the Year, and incoming rookie \u003Cb\u003EJack Simmons\u003C\/b\u003E could give them that offence. Chesson has size and a post-game, while Simmons has put up 11.6 points through five preseason games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETheir defence is average but should be better with Donnelly back, Chesson playing more minutes and Allin maintaining a low foul rate. Turning that offence around is more important than making that defence on par with team’s in the running for the title.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Max Allin. He broke the school scoring record last year in his first game back after the passing of his father. Allin can light it up with the best of them and is always worth a look.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Fourth in OUA West - OUA semifinal loss\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ELakehead Thunderwolves\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI refuse to put Lakehead in the basement. Yes, \u003Cb\u003EScott Morrison\u003C\/b\u003E is on a professional leave of absence, scouting for the NBA D-League’s Maine Red Claws. Yes, the group of players like \u003Cb\u003EJoseph Jones\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EGreg Carter\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EYoosrie Sahlia\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EBen Johnson\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EMatthew Schmidt\u003C\/b\u003E who took this program to a new level are all gone. But the Thunderwolves will find a way, as they always seem to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELakehead had a surprising preseason, playing the Victoria Vikes tough and grinding through a game against Carleton. They dropped some games to inferior opponents, but once this team plays gets their feet wet and uses that Thunderdome advantage, they’ll be back in the conversation for the top of the OUA West. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince the majority of players who played for this team are gone (and \u003Cb\u003ERyan Thomson\u003C\/b\u003E is sitting out the year to recover from knee surgery), I’ll shy away from putting stock in team stats. However, we can look at some players with increased roles that will try to get Lakehead back in the CIS Final 8.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAnthony McIntosh\u003C\/b\u003E is a fourth-year player who has been asked to take on increased importance for this squad. He did not log major minutes last year — his highest minute total was in the final game of the regular season with 13 — but has already played a ton in the preseason.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIgor Lebov\u003C\/b\u003E is a transfer from Franklin Pierce University and he has a wealth of talent. Lebov could another one of those players that Morrison has plucked out of seemingly nowhere and has potential to lead this team in scoring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJustin Bell\u003C\/b\u003E is in his final year of eligibility after bouncing around the OUA. He’s played for Ottawa and York but looks poised to grab a starting forward spot on the roster. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith so many moving parts, this season could go very right or very wrong for the Thunderwolves. Not having Morrison behind the bench puts a damper on my optimism slightly. What will kill this team’s chances is a slow start in the difficult interlock period.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Igor Lebov. The transfer is a talented player on offensive who can hit from anywhere on the court. He could give below-average defenders nightmares.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Third in the OUA West, loss in the semifinals\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPlayoffs, but barely\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EYork Lions\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003ETom Olivieri\u003C\/b\u003E has built a good roster here, with a lot of depth and experience. True, this team is competing in a tough conference, but I like their chances.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAaron Rados\u003C\/b\u003E is leading this squad as a fifth-year forward. He plays tough and led the team in minutes last year, although just barely beating out \u003Cb\u003EDavid Tyndale\u003C\/b\u003E. Rados will be asked to take on more of the offensive load this year since Tyndale was a major source of their scoring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis could be a good shift though, as Rados had a 52 per cent eFG% last year, a respectable mark in the top-third of the conference. He spreads his shots well; taking just under half his shots from three while shooting a decent 35 per cent and getting to the line consistently. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Lions’ defence was respectable last year too, posting a D-Rtg of 103. A lot of that can be credited to \u003Cb\u003ENick Tufegdzich\u003C\/b\u003E, a fourth-year forward who anchors this defense. Olivieri has to hope that his presence inside can push that D-Rtg south of 100. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ve put this team in the \"up-and-coming\" section because I think their experience will pay off. But there is no time for growing pains and the loss of Tyndale can’t linger on the offence. Tyndale was an \"oh no the shot clock is running down, here just take the ball\" guy and did a decent job in that role. But do they have the pieces to replace that? They should, as Olivieri seems intent on playing nine guys in his rotation, according to a York Lions website video. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Aaron Rados. With more possessions heading for his hands, he is one of the most intriguing players in the OUA East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Sixth in OUA East, lose in quarterfinals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWestern Mustangs\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m expecting this team to squeak into the playoffs but only as a product of a weaker lower half of the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m not a fan of this team whatsoever, as they play a rough style that is not exactly fun to watch. Last year, in a regular season match-up against McMaster, the Mustangs could not hit a shot from anywhere on the court. Mac was running them out of the gym and instead of accepting that the game was lost, Western decided to just start playing dirty. They began to hit players at every possible second and it became a safety concern.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat Mustang squad is the proud owner of the worst O-Rtg in the conference, at 86. The leader for that offensive unit was \u003Cb\u003EPeter Scholtes\u003C\/b\u003E, who used 27% of the possessions but put up an eFG% of 41 per cent. He is back to lead the offensive, which is not an encouraging sign. Western also turned the ball over on 25% of their possessions last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlongside him on offence is \u003Cb\u003EQuinn Henderson\u003C\/b\u003E. He too used a lot of possessions for them and shot a better percentage at 47 per cent, but that mark is not something to structure an offence around.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDefensively, this team was bad. They posted a D-Rtg of 106 and turned the ball over at an OUA-worst rate of 25 per cent of possesions. There is reason for optimism, though. \u003Cb\u003EGreg Morrow\u003C\/b\u003E is back for a third-year and he was the strongest defensive player for the Stangs last year. He also shot a great percentage from the field with a 58 per cent eFG%, so if you’re looking for a bright spot, here it is.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEric McDonald\u003C\/b\u003E is a transfer from Guelph and could provide more offence for the squad. He had a strong preseason, including 18 points against Acadia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBrad Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E has added some recruits but it’s yet to be seen how many minutes they will play. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern’s experience could pay off and they should prey on weaker OUA teams like Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto and Algoma. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Greg Morrow. He shoots the best percentage (by far) on this team and can get his own shot. Will he be given the keys to the offence over Scholtes though?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Fifth in the OUA West. Quarterfinal loss.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EGuelph Gryphons\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph is just too young of a team to put in a category other than the basement. \u003Cb\u003EZach Angus\u003C\/b\u003E is one of my favourite players to watch in this league, but he can only do so much. Angus and \u003Cb\u003EMichel Clark\u003C\/b\u003E are two returning players who logged major minutes, but the rest of the returning cast are relative unknowns. 13 (!!!) players averaged double-digit minutes per game last year too, and they need to figure out their rotation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETheir O-Rtg and D-Rtg were so bad last year, I contemplated not putting them in to save the horror. For offense, Guelph was tied for third worst in the league with 92 and for defense, they were second worst in the league, with 107. What’s scary is that \u003Cb\u003EDan McCarthy\u003C\/b\u003E — one of the team’s best defenders — is gone. \u003Cb\u003EAdam Kemp\u003C\/b\u003E is a six-foot-seven forward and has a year of experience under his belt. They will need him to anchor the defence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOffensively, McCarthy’s departure means that the team will need to look elsewhere for offence. He used a lot of possessions for the team last year and the Gryphons will miss his production. For a player using as many possessions as McCarthy did, you would want his eFG% to be higher (it was 46 per cent) but Guelph needs whatever they can get.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey have a fresh crop of rookies, with 12 first-year players listed on their 2013-14 roster. It’ll be a rough start for the season to them if head coach \u003Cb\u003EChris O’Rourke\u003C\/b\u003E spreads the minutes as much as he did last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph has committed themselves to the development of athletics, with a new indoor complex, brand-new football stadium and revamped soccer complex. They have some highly competitive teams in soccer, rugby, football, field hockey and cross country (to name a few). Basketball has been lacking though. Could this be the year where they start to turn that around? Probably not on paper, but through the development of their first-years, it could be the beginning.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Zach Angus. He is a tough player with solid stroke and ability to get to the hoop. He’ll get more touches this year and it’ll be fun to see what he does with it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Sixth in the OUA West. Quarterfinal loss.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBasement Dwellers\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EToronto Varsity Blues\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ve put Toronto here because of the conference they play in, but I’m optimistic about the future of this team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor one, \u003Cb\u003EJohn Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E is the new coach. He is leaving Dalhousie, where he took two teams to the Final 8. He has implemented a new system, but said that it’s been \"challenging\" to introduce. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen there is the new Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport opening in 2014. If you’ve seen the promotions for it, you know that Toronto has laid the foundation to host a CIS-best athletic department.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut for this year, they have \u003Cb\u003EAlex Hill\u003C\/b\u003E returning, \u003Cb\u003EMatt Savel\u003C\/b\u003E should hopefully be healthy and \u003Cb\u003EDakota Laurin\u003C\/b\u003E should get more shots since \u003Cb\u003EArun Kumar\u003C\/b\u003E has left. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year, Kumar and Hill used a large proportion of the team’s possessions and neither was even close to efficient. Losing Kumar is a blessing for Campbell, as he stopped any and all ball movement. If he can rein Hill in a bit, Toronto will improve on offence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe defence was an issue last year, but again that comes from Kumar. He is a short guard and let a lot of guys get by him. If your point guard can’t defend in the OUA, you’re going to have a bad time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThese guys will be worth a watch to see what Campbell can do, but you won’t see these guys making much noise in a loaded OUA East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Eighth in the OUA East. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EAlgoma Thunderbirds\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe newest OUA team could turn into a Lakehead-lite. Their coach, \u003Cb\u003EThomas Cory\u003C\/b\u003E, casts a wide net in recruiting — he grabbed recruits from British Columbia and Michigan — and he has been the team’s coach through their college competition. Throw in the travel factor, where teams are playing in Sudbury the night before and you’ve got a distinct advantage. The two schools even share the same weird \"Thunder\" prefix. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster’s \u003Cb\u003EJoe Rocca\u003C\/b\u003E said that the team is ultra-athletic and will look to just run teams out of the gym, a sentiment Mac coach \u003Cb\u003EAmos Connolly\u003C\/b\u003E echoed in a separate interview.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey’ll be able to surprise some teams too, with teams having to do so much travelling to get there.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Cb\u003ETerrell Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E. Athletic player who can get up and down the court as fast as anyone. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Seventh in OUA East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EBrock Badgers\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe new head coach in St. Catharines has already called this a rebuilding season, but Brock seems to finally be having a positive rebuild.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor the past couple of seasons, the Badgers have fielded teams that struggle to mesh on the offensive end. Last year, they put up a brutal O-Rtg of 90. With \u003Cb\u003ECharles Kissi\u003C\/b\u003E in charge, the offence already looks better when I watched a preseason game against Niagara College. The ball moved a lot quicker and they were playing an inside-out style instead of the iso-ball of years past.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike Luby\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EBrian Nahimana\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJameson Tipping\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EMark Gibson\u003C\/b\u003E have all moved on from the program. Tipping had two years of eligbility remaining but left the program to play for the Brampton A’s — where Tipping’s older brother is the president and his father is the owner. Tipping used a lot of possessions for this team but was a treat to watch, as he could get to the hoop with ease, back you down in the post and hurt you from outside — evidenced by his 34 per cent mark from three. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETshing Kasamba\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EIssack Egueh\u003C\/b\u003E played the most minutes of returning players and are set to lead this squad. Alongside them is \u003Cb\u003EDani Egaldi\u003C\/b\u003E, a six-foot-seven rookie with long arms and scoring touch. He doesn’t have the size to handle older players on the defensive end but his quickness is a plus if Kissi wants to switch him on to a guard.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou don’t want to look too much into last year’s team stats because the roster will be comprised of a whole new crew. I’m looking forward to seeing where this team ends up in February because they could be really coming into their own. Egaldi is a player with OUA Rookie of the Year potential and Kissi is a coach who seems intent on changing the culture at Brock. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Dani Egaldi. I can’t say enough about him. He looks like he could really give defence problems with his size and ball handling abilities. Needs to find a three point shot, though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Eighth in OUA West\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWaterloo Warriors\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Warriors only lost two players — Brendan Smith and Kyrie Coleman — but having so many players return is exactly what I don’t like about this squad.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWaterloo was just as bad as Western was last year offensively and marginally better defensively. Their offence lacks any balance and their defence is susceptible to foul trouble, with abysmal fouling numbers for their major players. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ll highlight some positives for the team, though: it’s \u003Cb\u003EGreg Francis\u003C\/b\u003E’ second year with the program, and perhaps that will give the team a little more stability. \u003Cb\u003EJaspreet Gill\u003C\/b\u003E has potential to be a dynamic offensive weapon too. But I’m running low on positives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESimply, this roster lacks the talent to compete. In losing Smith, they lost their best rebounder, a loss that is already showing signs of problems as they nearly got doubled in rebounds in their season opener. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo get back to the playoffs, players need to have worked hard at becoming better defenders and cleaning the defensive glass. Otherwise, this team is going to be lucky to reach the quarterfinals again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Jaspreet Gill. He could be asked to take even more shots than he did last year, and that could lead to some eye popping stat totals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Seventh in the OUA West.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8020016309213055041\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/the-tiers-of-oua-mens-basketball-season.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8020016309213055041"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8020016309213055041"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/the-tiers-of-oua-mens-basketball-season.html","title":"The Tiers of the OUA: A Men's Basketball Season Preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5903876760546142440"},"published":{"$t":"2013-10-17T21:01:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-10-21T08:11:21.186-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Aigles Bleus"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AUS men's hockey update"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"FISU"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tigers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tommies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"University Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Hockey: 2013-14 AUS Men's Hockey Preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ayJil-_vcoo\/UmBPC5gihdI\/AAAAAAAAAIY\/xRFTt9dBGIU\/s1600\/72715_10151456576843880_420886725_n.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ayJil-_vcoo\/UmBPC5gihdI\/AAAAAAAAAIY\/xRFTt9dBGIU\/s400\/72715_10151456576843880_420886725_n.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E2013 CIS University Cup \/ Josh Schaefer Photography\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EAUS men's hockey kicks off for real tomorrow, while the rest of the CIS has been at it for a couple of weeks now. Saving the best for last! \u003Ci\u003E(Getting my trolling of OUA and Canada West supporters out of the way early\u003C\/i\u003E). The truth is that AUS hockey is considered a pretty big deal in most local media markets out here in the Maritimes, plus the fact that the conference has the best fan attendance in the CIS. And their men's hockey teams do pretty well on the national stage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe UNB Varsity Reds won their 13th AUS championship last season, followed by their 5th CIS University Cup (and 4th in the last 7 years) by the lowest score ever (2-0) in the national championship game against conference rival Saint Mary's. A good showing for the AUS in Saskatoon to say the least.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOnly one team from the AUS gets a ticket to the 2014 PotashCorp University Cup, putting a lot more emphasis on playoffs this year. The conference schedule makers have responded this season, making both the semi-final rounds and finals best-of-five series. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo who's it gonna be? Hard to argue against the reigning champ Varsity Reds, but they've had another large turnover in players and of course anything can and does happen in AUS playoffs. Not to mention that the other teams have ganged up and trimmed UNB's legendary depth with the new 22-skater roster cap. So maybe they're beatable this season. Saint Mary's, Acadia, and StFX are all legitimate challengers for the AUS crown, and UPEI and Moncton could be in the mix as well (and perhaps not coincidentally the first four names are all bidding to host the 2015 and 2016 University Cups). \u003Ci\u003E[Update: The Halifax Metro is \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/metronews.ca\/news\/halifax\/826914\/halifax-to-play-host-to-cis-mens-hockey-nationals-in-2015-2016-source\/\"\u003Ereporting\u003C\/a\u003E that Friday the joint SMU\/StFX bid will announced as the successful bidders.]\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDalhousie will need someone ahead of them to stumble for them to make the the playoffs. STU's rebuild program got interrupted when coach Troy Ryan left the team in the off-season, so it would be really surprising if they can climb out of the AUS basement.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA new wrinkle this year is that it is the AUS' turn to represent the CIS in men's hockey at the FISU World University Games in December in Trentino, Italy. UNB's \u003Cb\u003EGardiner MacDougall\u003C\/b\u003E plus UPEI's \u003Cb\u003EForbie MacPherson\u003C\/b\u003E and StFX's \u003Cb\u003EBrad Peddle\u003C\/b\u003E will be the coaching brain trust. They have not yet made the cuts for the team roster, so there will be a lot of incentive for players to try to have a career first-half and force their way into a Team Canada jersey. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe AUS has stepped up their marketing and promotions this year, and hockey is getting more attention. Today, Thursday, the AUS has for the first time posted detailed team profiles for each of the teams on their \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/atlanticuniversitysport.com\/sports\/mice\/index\"\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cb\u003EGlenn MacDonald\u003C\/b\u003E of the \u003Ci\u003EHalifax Herald\u003C\/i\u003E has his annual preview of the four Nova Scotia teams in today's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thechronicleherald.ca\/sports\/1160992-new-man-behind-huskies-bench\"\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E. The bible of AUS previews is still \u003Cb\u003EBruce Hallihan\u003C\/b\u003E's annual opus, which will be in tomorrow's (Friday's) \u003Ci\u003EDaily Gleaner\u003C\/i\u003E in Fredericton.\u0026nbsp; And below, you'll find my much less detailed contribution (but it does have fearless picks!). \u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EACADIA AXEMEN\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 17-9-2 (3rd place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E 3-4-0. Got by Moncton is first round and lost to SMU in 2nd round.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 18.4% (5th in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 87.4% (1st in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E Good first half marred by three-game losing streak to start second half, and then .500 hockey the rest of the way. Hot goaltending almost undid them in the Moncton series (they outshot UdeM 68-39 in game 3 double-OT win) and did bite them in the Saint Mary's series. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Departures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Andrew Clark, F Jonathan Laberge \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Arrivals:\u003C\/b\u003E F Michael Clark, F Scott Trask, F Taylor Makin, F\/D Tyler Ferry, D Chris Buonomo, D Geoffrey Schemitsch, G Brandon Glover.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Darren Burns (13th season)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E Two-time All-Canadian defenceman Chris Owens is Acadia's version of Erik Karlsson.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E While Clark and Laberge are big losses, the Axemen do return 18 players, including AUS rookie of the year Mike Cazzola. This team should have learned a lot from their comparative second half slump last year that cost them a first-round bye. The only AUS team to play on Olympic-sized ice, they could maybe exploit their home rink advantage a bit more. If they can have a little more finish around the net (they led the AUS in shots on goal last year) this year and continue to get solid goaltending they are going to be dangerous.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 2nd place. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EDALHOUSIE TIGERS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 8-17-3 (7th place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E N\/A. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 16.7% (7th in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 76.1% (8th in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E The Tigers had another tough season. They had the largest roster in the AUS as Coach Donnelly tried different combinations of players to try to find some scoring. Bobby Nadeau had some good games in nets, but was only healthy enough to make 9 starts, while Wendell Vye struggled.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Departures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Ben Breault, F Shea Kewin, F Daniel Bartek, D Jacob Johnston\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Arrivals:\u003C\/b\u003E D Wes Herrett, D Luke Madill, D Tyler Hart, F Andrew Rieder, F Fabian Walsh, F Alex Cote, F Mitch O'Neill \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Chris Donnelly (3rd season).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E Pierre-Alexandre Vandall will be expected to continue to spark the offence.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook: \u003C\/b\u003EThe still-not-released CIS report continues to hang over the Tigers like the Sword of Damocles, except no one is talking about it. While Dal may be better this year, and have had a decent preseason, they still don't look ready yet to make the playoffs unless their goaltenders can steal them a ton of games. Competition can be cruel in the AUS.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 7th place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EMONCTON AIGLES BLEUS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 12-10-6 (6th place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E 1-1-1. Pushed Acadia to double-OT in game 3 of 1st round. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 16.9% (6th in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 83.9% (2nd in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E After a good start, including a rare win at UNB, les Aigles Bleus cooled off in mid-November and had a 7-game losing streak that extended into the first week of January. Overtime was not kind to Moncton last year; they lost 6 of 7 that went past regulation time. Despite being badly outshot in their playoff series, Moncton did put a scare into Acadia, taking them to the second overtime in Game 3. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDepartures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Christian Gaudet, D Mathieu Boulduc, F \u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EMarc-André Côté, F Francis Rochon, G Andre-Michel Guay\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EArrivals: \u003C\/b\u003EF Alex Saulnier, F Allain Saulnier, D Pierre Durepros, F Steve Lebel, F Danny Chiasson\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Serge Bourgeois (5th season). \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E Éric Faille really stepped up last year and became the team's offensive leader.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E 17 players are back. The Moncton power play should be lethal with the Saulnier twins, and the other new forwards should help them improve their overall goal scoring as well. UdeM look to be better, but good enough to pass the teams that finished ahead of them last year? It will be interesting to see where this team finishes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 6th place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003ESAINT MARY'S HUSKIES\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 18-7-3 (2nd place in AUS)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E 6-2-3. Beat Acadia in four games in semis and lost to UNB 2-0 in game 3 of AUS finals. Lost to Alberta 4-3 in OT at UCup and beat Waterloo 5-1. Lost 2-0 to UNB in championship game.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 23.1% (1st in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 82.1% (5th in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E The Huskies had their typical slow start last season before rounding into fine form, including a 7-game winning streak that bridged across the Christmas break. After earning the first-round bye, they dropped the first game to Acadia before winning three straight (with Peters in nets twice named player of the game). They lost first game of AUS finals 1-0 in double-OT vs. UNB, and rebounded with solid 5-2 win at home, only to be shutout by the V-Reds in game 3 in Fredericton. The wildcard entry at the University Cup in Saskatoon, they lost in OT to Alberta while being outshot 2 to 1. Once again they rebounded, beating Waterloo 5-1, and thanks to the tie-breaking formula, advanced out of their pool to play UNB for the Cup. Unfortunately they got shutout by the V-Reds 2-0 for the second time in a row.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Departures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Shawn O'Donnell, D Justin Wallingford, D Paddy O'Keefe\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EArrivals: \u003C\/b\u003ED\u003Cb\u003E \u003C\/b\u003EStephen Gillard, D Alex Cord, D Cam Wind, F Steven Shipley, F Francis Menard, F Steven Beyers, F Mitch Maynard, G Anthony Terenzio,\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Trevor Steinburg (17th season) *. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E All-star goaltender Anthony Peters started 26 regular season games last season and was often the difference maker for SMU, especially in the AUS playoffs and at the University Cup. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E News broke this week that Steinburg would be stepping back from the team and taking a sudden and temporary break from coaching for health reasons, with longtime assistant coach Tyler Naugler taking over behind the bench. This comes on the heels of a winless preseason. But this still a veteran squad that was in a one-goal game with UNB until late in the championship final when they pulled Peters. CIS player of the year Lucas Bloodoff arrived at the University Cup with a broken hand and was pretty much ineffective. He's healthy now, as is Michael Stickland who missed most of last season. While it might be natural to pencil them in at second place again, not having CIS coach of the year Stienburg around for awhile might cost them a spot.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 3rd place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EST. THOMAS TOMMIES\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 3-24-1 (Last place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E N\/A. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 6.5% (8th in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 78.6% (7th in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E The Tommies suffered a horrendous start (losing 12 in a row) and never recovered in a rebuild year. Their power play went missing, as did most of their offence. The only real bright spot was the play of rookie goaltender Jonathan Groenheyde, who weathered more rubber than any goalie in the AUS.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Departures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Matt Eagles, F Alex Labonte\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Arrivals:\u003C\/b\u003E F Brendan Childerley, F Derek Froats, D Jordan Moore\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Pat Powers (1st season).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E If they win games, it will because Jon Groenheyde saved the day in nets.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E The departure of coach Troy Ryan caught everyone off guard, and the late hiring of Pat Powers didn't leave him much recruiting time. Powers was head coach of Western last year while Clarke Singer was on sabbatical and did a good job, but he's inheriting a significantly different roster with the Tommies. Powers will make the Tommies a difficult team to play against, but they still look to be offensively challenged. It will probably be a long season for the STU faithful. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 8th place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EST. FRANCIS XAVIER X-MEN\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 16-10-2 (4th place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E 0-1-1. Lost two 1-goal games vs. UPEI in 1st round (2nd in double-OT). \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 22.1% (2nd in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 83.1% (3rd in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E While StFX wasn't the most consistent team last year, they had improved on the year before, and did finish just two points out of third place and on a three-game winning streak. However they lost two close games in the first round of the playoffs to UPEI and suddenly their season was over. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDepartures:\u003C\/b\u003E D Nick Pageau, G Joey Perricone\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EArrivals:\u003C\/b\u003E F Robert Slaney, F Blake Gal, D Nathan Chiarlitti\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Brad Peddle (8th season).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E Forward Jason Bast was the CIS Rookie of the Year in 2010-11 and their go-to forward last season.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E StFX was fairly young last year, but they've returned 21 players this season and probably lost the least of any of the teams. Gal has been scoring in the preseason and former Leafs farmhand Slaney red-shirted last season and will be an impact player this year. X are a gritty bunch with good special teams and opportunistic scoring, and they never seem to worry about being out-shot in games with Drew Owsley in nets. A very dangerous opponent who could finish as high as second place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 5th place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EUNB VARSITY REDS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 23-5-0 (1st place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E 8-2-0. Took four games to knock off UPEI in semis and a deciding 3rd game in finals vs. SMU. At Nationals beat host Saskatchewan 3-1, UQTR 8-3 and then SMU 2-0 in UCup final.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 18.8% (4th in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 81.9% (6th in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E Only Acadia and SMU were .500 against the V-Reds in the regular season; their only other loss was to Moncton. In nets, Dan LaCosta was 15-1 with a .938 save percentage and 1.92 GAA and not named an All-Star; he then shut-out the Huskies 2-0 in both the AUS and CIS championship games. Other than a propensity to get into penalty trouble, and only average special teams, there were very few flaws with the deep UNB team last year.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Departures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Colby Pridham, F Bryce Swan, F Matt Fillier, D Daine Todd, D Josh Kidd, D Ben Wright, G Travis Fullerton, G Dan LaCosta\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EArrivals:\u003C\/b\u003E F JP Labardo, F Mike Thomas, F Dylan Willick, F Cam Maclise, F Shea Kewin, D Matt Petgrave, D Jordan Murray, D Keevin Cutting, G Joel Vinneau\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Gardiner MacDougall (14th season).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E Chris Culligan is the best, and perhaps most unselfish, playmaker in the AUS. If he took more shots on goal ...?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E Only a dozen players are back from last year's championship team. Under-rated Travis Fullerton won't be in the UNB nets for the first time in five years, and LaCosta is gone as well. Pridham and Todd will be particularly missed. But MacDougall added a number of new players last season and the team hardly missed a beat, so you might assume similar results this year. There will be a lot of pressure on former STU goalie Charlie Lavigne (who in effect red-shirted last season) to match his predecessor's success as the new number one, but at least he won't be required to steal games as was needed with the Tommies. The new defencemen have all got a lot of minutes in the preseason, and had a few adventures in their own zone, while there has been less pressure, so far, on the new forwards. D-man Matt Petgrave may have the biggest upside of the new recruiting class.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 1st place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EUPEI PANTHERS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 Regular season record:\u003C\/b\u003E 15-11-2 (5th place in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayoffs:\u003C\/b\u003E 3-3-0. Squeezed by StFX in 1st round but could only manage one win against UNB in semis. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPower play:\u003C\/b\u003E 19.0% (3rd in AUS) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPenalty kill:\u003C\/b\u003E 82.9% (4th in AUS)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast Season:\u003C\/b\u003E The Panthers has a poor first half and were much, much improved in the second half, reeling off a 5-game win streak after the Christmas break. Over the last two seasons they have become a much quicker team, which still maintaining their Island hockey edginess. After getting by StFX in the first round of the playoffs, they then had the misfortune to run into UNB for the second year in a row, and it didn't go well.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Departures:\u003C\/b\u003E F Jordan Knox, F Mike MacIsaac, D Dylan Quaile, D Matt Boyle\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Arrivals:\u003C\/b\u003E F Cody McNaughton, D Brock Beukeboom, D Derek Ryckman, D Casey Babineau\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECoach:\u003C\/b\u003E Forbes “Forbie” MacPherson (5th season).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKey Player:\u003C\/b\u003E Chris Desousa is their top forward and key man in all situations.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2013-14 Outlook:\u003C\/b\u003E UPEI is returning 18 players, all with a burning desire to get past UNB. They have solid goaltending, led by 1st Team All-Star Wayne Savage. Their new defenceman have all looked good in the preseason, where UPEI went 5-1. The Panthers are hard to play against and very good on transition and should only be better this season. Finishing in second place is not out of reach.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected conference finish:\u003C\/b\u003E 4th place.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5903876760546142440\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/10\/mens-hockey-2013-14-aus-mens-hockey.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5903876760546142440"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5903876760546142440"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/10\/mens-hockey-2013-14-aus-mens-hockey.html","title":"Men's Hockey: 2013-14 AUS Men's Hockey Preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"David Kilfoil"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16821812362923440575"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"22","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_ZSfv79uXrWQ\/SmbzQBQU15I\/AAAAAAAAAAM\/-NRmEHNVB7o\/S220\/David.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ayJil-_vcoo\/UmBPC5gihdI\/AAAAAAAAAIY\/xRFTt9dBGIU\/s72-c\/72715_10151456576843880_420886725_n.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2422951285524672465"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-05T14:46:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-05T14:46:54.997-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CIS Countdown 2013: Saint Mary's Huskies"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWith our final AUS preview here is \u003Cb\u003EKevin Garbuio\u003C\/b\u003E once again.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: 3-5 season, 4-6 overall, -1.2 SRS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExtra AUS opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: Acadia\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInterlock opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: Montreal\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Huskies were doomed to fail last year. \u003Cb\u003EPerry Marchese\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/08\/cis-countdown-2012-aus-preview-part-one.html\"\u003Ewas put into a horrible situation\u003C\/a\u003E that only got worse as the season started. To refresh everyone's memory, SMU fired \u003Cb\u003ESteve Sumarah\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/02\/football-breaking-down-saint-marys.html\"\u003Efor reasons many of us did not understand\u003C\/a\u003E, they didn’t have a contingency plan, and that created some huge problems. One was losing blue-chip QB \u003Cb\u003EJesse Mills\u003C\/b\u003E to Carleton (of course, coached by Sumarah) and another was not being able to recruit. The Huskies struggled to fill out a roster and at times only had 60 serviceable bodies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Huskies were given a death blow when quarterback \u003Cb\u003EJack Creighton\u003C\/b\u003E was severely injured when scrambling for a first down in week one; with no serviceable backup, the Saint Mary’s offence was unable to produce.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis year should have a different look. For one, they were able to have a full recruiting season, but more importantly they have depth at the QB position. Western transfer \u003Cb\u003EBen Rossong\u003C\/b\u003E looks to be the starter but will be challenged by returning senior \u003Cb\u003EJack Creighton\u003C\/b\u003E. They also have an explosive tailback with \u003Cb\u003EMelvin Abankwah\u003C\/b\u003E who overtook \u003Cb\u003EJahmeek Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E as the primary weapon last year. There is a lot to be optimistic about in Halifax this year offensively. Marchese looks like he is trying to establish a run-first identity this season and with capable passers they will actually be able to keep teams honest. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDefensively the Huskies are strong. Their new defensive co-ordinator \u003Cb\u003EMarcello Simmons\u003C\/b\u003E should continue the SMU tradition of having strong D. The Huskies lost \u003Cb\u003ENeil King\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EKyle Norris\u003C\/b\u003E to the CFL which leaves two big holes to fill, but they still return nine starters including DE \u003Cb\u003ERob Jubenville\u003C\/b\u003E and All-Canadian \u003Cb\u003EKayin Marchand-Wright\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI want to say the Huskies need to be able to pass the ball to be successful but I have seen this program win without being able to throw so I’ll end with this: If the Huskies can have an above-replacement-level player at quarterback they could be have home field advantage heading into the playoffs. Their week one match up vs. Acadia on Friday night is a definite must-win as they face Montreal on the road in week two and would most likely be facing an 0-2 start otherwise.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2422951285524672465\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-saint-marys-huskies.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2422951285524672465"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2422951285524672465"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-saint-marys-huskies.html","title":"CIS Countdown 2013: Saint Mary's Huskies"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2698809605688060765"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-05T14:41:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-05T14:41:49.085-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CIS Countdown 2013: Acadia Axemen"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: 7-1 season, 8-2 overall, +2.1 SRS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExtra AUS opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: SMU\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInterlock opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: Laval\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEvan Brown\u003C\/b\u003E is getting some much-needed experience this coming season as he steps in for former Axemen quarterback \u003Cb\u003EKyle Graves\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAcadia lost a valuable player in Graves, who received the AUS MVP and Loney Bowl Player of the Game, was a Hec Crighton nominee, and signed (albeit briefly) with the Alouettes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, anticipate Brown to step in and easily fill the gap. Brown was recruited from CEGEP in 2008 and is in his fifth year of eligibility. Although he has a small arm it is deceiving to opposing teams as it leads him to quick passes, which can work out but not if they face a lot of 2nd-and-long situations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDefensively, Acadia lost their defensive MVP, Ed McNally, and though their three-time All Canadian DB \u003Cb\u003ECam Wade\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.kingscountynews.ca\/Sports\/Football\/2013-08-29\/article-3367901\/Quiet-confidence-Axemen-aim-for-threepeat\/1\"\u003Ewill be returning to the team\u003C\/a\u003E, they won't have their DB coach \u003Cb\u003ESean Hall\u003C\/b\u003E, who left for Carleton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlthough Acadia is taking a hit with the losses of McNally, Graves, and receiver \u003Cb\u003EMike Squires\u003C\/b\u003E, they are bringing in a fresh, strong line-up. Head coach \u003Cb\u003EJeff Cummings\u003C\/b\u003E was able to sign players and talent from across the country: receiver and return specialist \u003Cb\u003EKory Morgan\u003C\/b\u003E (Ottawa), offensive lineman Bauer Negrych (Onapin, Ont.) and defensive back \u003Cb\u003EBrandon Jennings\u003C\/b\u003E (St. Albert, Alta.) represent some of the non-Maritime talent, while some local recruits include QB \u003Cb\u003EKris Brine\u003C\/b\u003E, DB \u003Cb\u003EJosh Sampson\u003C\/b\u003E, OL \u003Cb\u003EBrennan Turner\u003C\/b\u003E, and REC \u003Cb\u003EAndray Brady\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe top recruit to look out for this season will be \u003Cb\u003EShaquille Cezont-Holmes\u003C\/b\u003E. The 2012 All-New England Team quarterback is joining the Axemen as a receiver after averaging 27.1 yards per return with seven returns of 190 yards, and 21 touchdowns in a single season for Hebron Academy in Maine.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2698809605688060765\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-acadia-axemen.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2698809605688060765"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2698809605688060765"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-acadia-axemen.html","title":"CIS Countdown 2013: Acadia Axemen"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bronté James"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/106742509156511623904"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-Oz-jrukc3VY\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAACY\/wcJUcKUv9eY\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2029740494027149751"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-04T16:30:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-04T16:30:00.177-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CIS Countdown 2013: St. Francis Xavier X-Men"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EContinuing with our AUS previews, here's \u003Cb\u003EKevin Garbuio\u003C\/b\u003E on St. F-X.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: 1-7 (ignoring forfeitures), -27.2 SRS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExtra AUS opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: Mount Allison\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInterlock opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: Concordia\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI have been the biggest supporter of X over the past few years, writing about their athleticism and how they are a team on the rise, and year after year they make me look like a liar. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA big reason, or the biggest reason, has been their coaching which has been horrible. Defensively, they didn't align properly and were put into positions to fail. People can’t blame the players when the scheme is flawed. The linebackers lined up too close to the line of scrimmage which made them unable to defend the toss; also, they never adjusted to the fullback which left them outmanned at the point of attack on most run plays. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe X-Men hope to rectify this problem by bringing in \u003Cb\u003EBob Mullen\u003C\/b\u003E, the former Golden Gael coach. If Mullen can stabilize the defence and align his players correctly, X should see significant improvement. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn offence, they promoted former Acadia offensive coordinator \u003Cb\u003EJosh Lambert\u003C\/b\u003E. Lambert has a few players to work with, one of which is receiver \u003Cb\u003EDevon Bailey\u003C\/b\u003E. The fourth year wideout is poised to have a big year and is seen as a top prospect entering this year's CFL draft and is probably Lambert’s best prospect since \u003Cb\u003EMatt Carter\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EIvan Birungi\u003C\/b\u003E during his Air Acadia days. Beside Bailey are \u003Cb\u003EJordan Catterall\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ERandy Roseway\u003C\/b\u003E, two of the most explosive players in the AUS. At tailback they have \u003Cb\u003EAshton Dickson\u003C\/b\u003E who had six rushing touchdowns last year, one off the conference lead.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe big question mark for X is at quarterback. Last year \u003Cb\u003EClay Masikewich\u003C\/b\u003E struggled at times and was not the player they anticipated him being. Masikewich is now in his fifth year and with former prospect \u003Cb\u003ETivon Cook\u003C\/b\u003E entering his second year on the team it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cook getting the bulk of the snaps if the veteran fails early. (Also of note: Cook took over the OC job from Lambert this summer for the Huronia Stallions of the OFC.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI have been almost a fanboy over the past few years when it comes to X. They have produced elite level talent like the \u003Cb\u003EMuamba\u003C\/b\u003E brothers and \u003Cb\u003EAkeem Foster\u003C\/b\u003E but when it comes to wins and losses there has been less success. Head coach \u003Cb\u003EGary Waterman\u003C\/b\u003E is now entering his fifth year and hasn't delivered. In his first year he lost in the Loney Bowl on a missed field goal in the closing moments. Since then the team has struggled immensely, being outscored 37-15 on average. This could be Waterman’s final year if the team fails to make the finals. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf X can put it together they have a shot of making it to the Loney Bowl, but then again, I did have them as Loney-bound last year so who knows with this squad.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2029740494027149751\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-st-francis-xavier-x.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2029740494027149751"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2029740494027149751"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-st-francis-xavier-x.html","title":"CIS Countdown 2013: St. Francis Xavier X-Men"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8675444734051846779"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-04T15:43:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-04T15:43:34.816-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CIS Countdown 2013: Mount Allison Mounties"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EOur AUS previews begin today. First up, \u003Cb\u003EKevin Garbuio\u003C\/b\u003E looks at Mount A.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: 3-5 season, 3-6 overall, -25.3 SRS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExtra AUS opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: St. F-X\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EInterlock opponent\u003C\/b\u003E: McGill\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMount Allison returns plenty of starters on both sides of the ball and that certainly is a reason for optimism. The Mounties should be excited about this season due to their soft schedule. While Acadia and Saint Mary's potentially will start the season 0-2, there is a legitimate reason to believe the Mounties will be 2-0 going into week three. They have played X extremely tough the last few seasons and face a beat up McGill team in week 2. The magic number for making the playoffs in the AUS is usually three wins so a 2-0 start will obviously help.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mounties return 11 starters on offence, the most impressive of which is standout tailback \u003Cb\u003EJordan Botel\u003C\/b\u003E who averaged 110 yards per game last year. If the Mounties hope to be successful in 2013, Botel needs to be equal to what he was in his rookie season (he was a rookie in the CIS but due to his time in the CJFL he was not eligible for any rookie of the year awards). Starting QB \u003Cb\u003EBrandon Leyh\u003C\/b\u003E needs to step up his production this year; he had 878 yards passing with only three touchdowns. While he had just three interceptions he needs to be able to produce points. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn defence the team returns nine starters. \u003Cb\u003EJacob LeBlanc\u003C\/b\u003E, the defensive tackle, has really emerged as the face of the program since the graduation of \u003Cb\u003EGary Ross\u003C\/b\u003E. The team needs to be stronger this year on defence especially against the stronger opponents if they hope to be successful. Mount Allison had issues in coverage last year. \u003Cb\u003EDonovan Saunders\u003C\/b\u003E will have to translate his athleticism from returner to defensive back. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe issue for the Mounties is that they don’t have the athleticism to keep up with the top teams in the conference. Head coach \u003Cb\u003EKelly Jeffrey\u003C\/b\u003E is one of the most innovative coaches in the conference and always manages to get his skill players the ball, but can only do so much. Even with a large number of returning players it would be stretch to think the Mounties would be in the Loney Bowl but stranger things have happened. At the very least a winning season could stick it to those who think the program should fold.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8675444734051846779\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-mount-allison.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8675444734051846779"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8675444734051846779"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/cis-countdown-2013-mount-allison.html","title":"CIS Countdown 2013: Mount Allison Mounties"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-9098783032028108955"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-30T16:43:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-30T21:58:03.818-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Canada West football recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Regina Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2013 Canada West Preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EContinuing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-oua-preview_25.html\"\u003Eour previews\u003C\/a\u003E, Kevin Garbuio and Andrew Bucholtz discuss some key questions about the Canada West teams ahead of Friday's kickoffs.\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E GENERAL:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EJust how well does Canada West stack up nationally? The last two years have seen the conference champion (Calgary both seasons) pummelled 41-10 by Laval and 45-6 by McMaster in national semifinals. Are those results indicative that Canada West is behind the best Ontario and Quebec teams, or were they more anomalies?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E The West right now is the third conference, but that could soon change. Calgary is a great program, and they should always be in the conversation, but the last two years they ran into the cream of the crop when it came to the CIS. McMaster and Laval were the two top teams and it wasn’t a fluke that they met up in the finals. The rest of the West has been forced to play catch-up, but it looks like the conference is getting stronger. With the Okanagan Sun rumored to join the CIS (with UBC-Okanagan), it shows the game is growing. More players are playing which means more talent should be reaching the university ranks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe major issue that has plagued the West has been the change in recruiting models. Teams can no longer rely exclusively on the junior ranks. The five in seven rule (players have 7 years to complete their five years of eligibility after high school. CEGEP is excluded) has hurt many programs. Junior-alum-heavy teams like the '07 Manitoba Bisons are things of the past, forcing many teams to rely on developing 18-year-olds with coaching. Great coaching isn’t cheap, and it comes at a cost. McGill, U of T and Carleton recently opened their coffers and spent large sums of money bringing in top level coaching. With CanWest schools like Calgary getting huge donations, it will be interesting to see how the money is spent. Long-term success in the CIS is easy to predict: the team that spends the most money on coaching usually wins.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003ECalgary's results in the national semifinals the last two years certainly haven't been great, but that doesn't necessarily diminish the whole conference. A two-game sample size against very strong teams isn't a lot to go on. It would be hard to put Canada West's top teams ahead of the best in Ontario or Quebec right now, but it's still quite conceivable a Canada West team could make the Vanier \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-everyone-looking-knock-off-laval-anyone-221636539.html\"\u003Eand perhaps even upset Laval\u003C\/a\u003E. There's good depth at the top of the conference, too, with the Dinos looking strong again but the Huskies, Bisons and Rams looking to knock them off. Kevin's quite right that Canada West schools need to adjust to the new junior eligibility rules and need to catch up to the investments in coaching and facilities \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-mcmaster-laval-vanier-shows-finances-importance-225202113.html\"\u003Emany high-profile Ontario and Quebec schools are making\u003C\/a\u003E, but it may not be as great a divide as those national semifinals suggested. There are good programs out West, and while they have work to do to rebuild the conference's reputation, it's far from a hopeless cause.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E (9-1 in conference last year, +24.3 SRS): \u003Ci\u003EWill the Dinos be able to keep their stranglehold on Canada West titles despite some key departures?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E The Dinos' ability to send talent to the next level is impressive. Players like Matt Walter, Nathan Coehoorn, Linden Gaydosh, Mike Edem, Steven Lumbala, etc., are all contributing this season in the CFL. These contributions have to come at a cost, though, and at some point CFL U has to rebuild to a certain extent. The Dinos only lost a few starters on offence and return QB Eric Dzwilewski. The fourth-year pivot had an impressive season in 2012 and probably feels snubbed about not receiving an All-Canadian award. On defence they are new, with only one returning starter in the secondary. They will have to overcome growing pains early on but a program like Calgary should be able to reload at many of the spots where they graduated players. This might be one of the weaker teams Coach Nill has fielded at U of C, (remember: the bar is set fairly high at U of C) and this could be the year they are knocked off, but I can’t see anyone knocking off the Dinos. The team should start slow but they have a top coaching staff and a great program. Until someone shows they can defeat Calgary it is hard to bet against Blake Nill.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EThis definitely is a Calgary team with less big names than we've seen in the recent past, and their defence is going to be tested early and often. However, while it might be a weaker Dinos' squad than recent editions, they still look like the class of Canada West at the moment, and they very well could have some unexpected players step up. The \"CFL U\" reputation that saw \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/godinos.com\/news\/2013\/5\/6\/FB_0506132049.aspx\"\u003Efive Dinos chosen in this year's draft\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and 17 players (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/godinos.com\/news\/2013\/6\/27\/FB_0627131551.aspx\"\u003Emore than any other school\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Canada or the U.S.) in the CFL to start this year is one that's really boosted Calgary's recruiting, and there are some great players who may well start making an impact for them sooner rather than later. It's a young Dinos' squad, but several of their new starters have already impressed (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/godinos.com\/news\/2013\/8\/28\/FB_0828134550.aspx?path=football\"\u003Eincluding\u003C\/a\u003E new offensive tackles\u0026nbsp;Jordan Filippelli and Braden Schram). They still look like the team to beat.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegina \u003C\/b\u003E(7-3, +5.3): \u003Ci\u003EHow will this team replace Marc Mueller at QB? How will he do in his new role as a QB coach?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E If Regina is relying on their next quarterback to be Marc Mueller, they are setting themselves up to fail. While Cayman Shutter has experience coming from the University of Hawaii, he still will have some big shoes to fill. The QB, who is entering his third year of eligibility, should be mature enough (agewise) to live in a CIS legend’s shadow but he should not be expected to match his new coach’s production. That pressure should be on the Rams' veteran group of receivers. That unit is going to have to step up as Shutter adjusts to the Canadian game. The Rams also lost four offensive linemen, which could be a bigger loss than Mueller, but with a veteran at QB and some talent recievers they could elevate some pressure with some early success. As for the question about Mueller at QB, it is always interesting to see how former great players do when coaching immediately after playing football. in the past players like Ryan Pyear, Michael Faulds, Chris Judd and Benoit Groulx have all moved seamlessly from being top quarterbacks to being top coaches so it woudn’t be a shock for him to be successful. In this case, like Judd and Pyear, he is coaching a lot of the same players he played with, which can always be an issue. (A line worker moving to management, a friend becoming a boss, it is the same thing in sports and testosterone.) Mueller brings a wealth of experience (a CFL camp) and comes from a coaching pedigree (grandson of Ron Lancaster.) The easiest answer would be: Mueller will do fine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EI like Mueller's move to coaching: he's a great football mind, and one that should be able to help elevate the Rams' offence. The move to go with Shutter is more of a risky one in my mind, though: he was born in Regina and lived there until he was 10, but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.leaderpost.com\/sports\/Cayman+Shutter+settling+with+Rams\/8670023\/story.html\"\u003Ehas spent most of his football career in the U.S.\u003C\/a\u003E, so he'll have a lot to learn about Canadian football. Bringing him in\u0026nbsp;may pay off down the road, but there are so many differences in the American and Canadian games (the bigger field, the three downs, the 12-a-side game dramatically shifting route and coverage packages) that it usually takes quite a while for U.S. quarterbacks to adapt. That may lead to some growing pains for Shutter early this season, especially with that offensive line turnover. He has a great Canadian quarterback to ask for help in Mueller, but it may take him some time to get used to how things work in CIS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E (5-4, -3.3): \u003Ci\u003EAfter a rebuilding year with a lot of young faces, are the Huskies ready to break through?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Saskatchewan is certainly a team on the rise. Drew Burko and Kit Hillis had chemistry last season, and with many players returning on offence, it is no surprise the Huskies were placed in the initial CIS top ten (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-first-top-10-of-2013.html\"\u003E#9\u003C\/a\u003E) despite going 5-4 last season. While defensively they lost a few starters, judging by the Huskies' recent recruiting success they have players ready to fill and contribute immediately. The Huskies look to be on the right track and setting themselves up for prolonged success with this young talent. They may be a year away from being for real but with Calgary on a down year, U of S might be able to surprise early.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EIn my mind, the Huskies are the most likely contender to potentially dethrone the Dinos as Canada West champions. Burko might be the best Canada West quarterback behind Dzwilewski, and he's certainly more proven at the CIS level than Shutter or Jordan Yantz. He's pretty efficient (a 65.3 per cent completion rate and 10 TDs against five picks last season) and should have another strong season at the helm of the Huskies' offence. Last year saw this team use plenty of young players in significant roles, and that was part of the reason they took a bit of a step back. In my mind, a lot of that young talent is ready for its spotlight. Just how well they do with the pressure on will determine if they can top Calgary, but they certainly have the potential to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E (4-5, -4.9): \u003Ci\u003EHow will Jordan Yantz do in his transition to the CIS level? Will playing at Investor's Group Field give the Bisons an edge, or will it be too cavernous?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E Yantz comes in with an impressive resume. He is one of the most highly touted players to come into the CIS in awhile. Manitoba hasn’t gotten a player with this much fanfare since Matt Henry bursted on the scene. The thing about quarterbacks is that they normally take some time to adjust to CIS. While the CJFL is a talented league and the BC conference has produced plenty of talent, it still isn’t CIS, and it will be interesting to see how Yantz does this season. As for the new stadium, if your name isn’t Laval, smaller is usually better. Big professional stadiums create weak atmospheres. Calgary and McGill struggle to do their high capacity stadiums justice and it usually gives a flat feel. While, it remains to be seen if Manitoba manages to pack in their newly minted stadium, I doubt it will be packed consistently.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EI like Yantz a lot, and I think he has the ability to be a great CIS quarterback. It says a lot about his potential that he's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thehuddle.co\/huddle\/yantz-to-start-for-bisons-in-season-opener\/\"\u003Ebeen anointed as the Bisons' starter Friday\u003C\/a\u003E. He'll have some pieces to work with, too, especially All-Canadian RB Anthony Coombs. I'm not sure we'll see that this year, though, especially early on: he'll be adjusting to both the CIS level of play and to his new teammates and coaching staff. However, I do think Investor's Group Field will work out well for the Bisons. It's a fantastic stadium, and with the Bombers struggling, cheaper Bisons' games may look like an appealing option for local football fans to get out and experience the new environment. We'll see just how many they draw, but they may well pick up some new fans from the move.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EUBC\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -11.7): \u003Ci\u003ECan Shawn Olson lead the T-Birds forward this season, or were last year's struggles suggestive of larger problems?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EUBC is looking to be a middle of the pack team this year. They return 14 total starters but returning that many for a team that struggled really doesn’t indicate success this year. Olson has a tough-luck record. His one year of success was wiped due to an ineligible player which leaves him with a 5-21 record entering his 4th season. The Thunderbirds need to prove two years ago wasn’t just a fluke, but realistically, a .500 season would be a triumph this year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EOlson certainly isn't in an easy spot, but there are some reasons to think the Thunderbirds may improve this season. Their offence \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ubyssey.ca\/sports\/ubc-football-preview-013\/\"\u003Eshould start on the ground\u003C\/a\u003E, where Brandon Deschamps is back after leading the conference with 785 rushing yards in 2012. Through the air, losing Billy Greene hurts, but Carson Williams has showed some promise, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gothunderbirds.ca\/news\/2013\/8\/28\/FB_0828131312.aspx\"\u003Ehe's learned under Greene for three seasons now\u003C\/a\u003E. Junior transfers Donovan Dale, Boyd Richardson, Yianni Cabylis, and Bobby Davis may help steady a defence that struggled this year. Beyond that, there are plenty of veterans coming back, and while they didn't all shine in 2012, that year of seasoning may help this team look much better this fall.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlberta \u003C\/b\u003E(0-8, -20.5): \u003Ci\u003EIs there any glimmer of hope, or are the Golden Bears going to be doormats again?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E Again, just because teams are returning starters does not mean that they are going to eventually start winning, (although it does mean they have players who aren’t flunking) especially when those starters struggled so much the year before. Alberta is on the right track, returning talent is important but as mentioned earlier, money is important. Alberta needs to start bringing star recruits in order to create a buzz and change. Star recruits usually get grabbed by top coaches and money gets top coaches. Alberta should be better this year; largely due to the fact they can’t get worse. \u2028\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EThere aren't a ton of reasons for significant optimism with the Golden Bears this season, and new head coach Chris Morris will have his work cut out for him. It will be more than just his team adapting too, as he's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.edmontonjournal.com\/2012\/12\/04\/morris-hiring-brings-much-needed-shot-of-optimism-to-bears-football\/\"\u003Enever coached at the university level before\u003C\/a\u003E. Morris does have a strong background as a CFL player with the Eskimos and a high school coach and administrator locally, though, so he knows what he's getting into, and there are some intriguing names on his staff, including \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bears.ualberta.ca\/Teams\/Football\/Roster\/Profile.aspx?type=coach\u0026amp;id=569\"\u003EOL coach Tim Prinsen\u003C\/a\u003E (who used to hold that position with the Eskimos). Turning the Golden Bears around is going to take time and effort, but Morris does seem to have a clear plan, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.edmontonjournal.com\/Golden+Bears+football+program+undergoes+plenty+changes+greater+focus+academic+excellence\/8795265\/story.html\"\u003Ethe rigorous off-season workout program he implemented\u003C\/a\u003E is a step in the right direction. Results this year won't be easy, but the Golden Bears could lay the foundation for better years down the road.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/9098783032028108955\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-canada-west-preview.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9098783032028108955"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9098783032028108955"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-canada-west-preview.html","title":"Football: 2013 Canada West Preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Andrew Bucholtz"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14156615450275929751"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PYfWMgcgT4k\/Vs738VQPajI\/AAAAAAAAApE\/c7WzHdUaERU\/s113\/Profile%2B1.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6779922688049154853"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-30T21:58:20.690-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yates Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2013 OUA preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EFraser Caldwell, Perry King, and Neate Sager answer some burning questions about the Ontario teams ahead of Sunday's openers. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDisclosure: Fraser is employed by McMaster's athletics department as a communications assistant.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGENERAL\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Ci\u003EDoes the 8-games-in-9-weeks schedule make much of a difference vs. 8-in-8? In 2010, when teams also opened early, attendance was not significantly lower in those home openers, for whatever that's worth. And will the clear distinction from last year remain, with four good teams at the top?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPK\u003C\/b\u003E: For the time being, I don't see this making a big difference but the potential of a rested team making a game of it with a powerhouse club this season is likely, and probably better for 1) morale on lower echelon clubs and 2) for competitive balance in the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf a \"middle\" team, like a Toronto or a Guelph, can have some rest before taking on a (beatable) powerhouse, then we could have a chance for parity. If the added rest just gives the powerhouse clubs more ammo to load up, then so be it. Honestly, parity can only build interest, and ample rest goes a long way for a conference known to be more lighter in the belt, so to speak. The distinction between upper and lower echelon clubs should be distinct, but making efforts to support parity is a long term project, like it would be in the CFL or NFL.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: Whether 2012 was an anomaly or watershed for competitive balance will be determined by how it plays out this fall; how is that for a nice fence-straddling opening statement? York and U of T \u0026mdash; which, you decide what it's worth, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.varsityblues.ca\/news\/2013\/8\/18\/FB_0818134255.aspx?path=football\"\u003Etied Concordia in exhibition last Sunday\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026mdash; are proving they can compete with mid-pack teams. Laurier and Ottawa definitely trended downward over 2011 and '12, but with new head coaches in place, there's some shot of renewal; new Gee-Gees coach \u003Cb\u003EJamie Barresi\u003C\/b\u003E has been described to me as an \"evil genius.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOverall, seeing each team post at least two wins last fall was a welcome sight. It is shaping up as a year where there is going to be some parity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: I don't foresee the new wrinkle in the schedule having any tangible effect on the product on the field. Where I do see a potential difference is in the marketing of games and the attendance\/viewership numbers. It's right to point out that an earlier start did nothing to dampen opening week receptions a few seasons ago. But I can't help but think that the hype machines in the OUA will lose some of their edge when teams are two games deep before students have attended a single class. Diehards will make their way to the stadium, but it's the casual student who has yet to even consider school or their varsity teams as they try to suck the last vestiges of free time from their summer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cy3i0gB0UrQ\/Uhld7kWkdqI\/AAAAAAAABM0\/l8MFFiLVC5s\/s1600\/marauders.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cy3i0gB0UrQ\/Uhld7kWkdqI\/AAAAAAAABM0\/l8MFFiLVC5s\/s200\/marauders.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMASTER\u003C\/b\u003E (last year in OUA: 10-0, +26.0 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EOnly one non-Laval loss in two years is impressive. Do they take a step back without \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E (or other key players)? \u003Cb\u003EMarshall Ferguson\u003C\/b\u003E's numbers were usually impressive as well, so they may have a good system in place, or they may simply have had two very talented QBs in recent years.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: McMaster is still McMaster and they have experienced new starters to plug in, including Ferguson replacing Quinlan as QB1, but keep in mind the depth players on a championship team always benefit from a 'halo effect.' They're still loaded, though, let's not kid ourselves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: This is not the seemingly invincible team of 2012. But the Marauders will be more competitive in 2013 than many realize (again, I work for them, so take that with as much salt as you wish). The list of graduands is long, and filled with many an all-star. Gone is Quinlan, quarterback and talisman, and with him two of McMaster's best receivers and four of their starting five offensive linemen. Also remove three starters from the defensive line, including CIS single-season sack leader \u003Cb\u003EBen D'Aguilar\u003C\/b\u003E. Oh, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/the-anatomy-of-mcmasters-yates-cup.html\"\u003EYates Cup MVP \u003Cb\u003EShane Beaton\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the Marauders have built a great deal of depth in the past few years, and will be putting it to use in 2013. Ferguson will not be the athletic, defender-leaping threat that Quinlan was, but brings a cerebral approach and a sure set of hands to the McMaster offence, already \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/09\/calculated-reactions-2011-quarterback.html\"\u003Eproving capable during Quinlan's suspension in 2011\u003C\/a\u003E. While \u003Cb\u003ERob Babic\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBrad Fochesato\u003C\/b\u003E represented dependable production through the air, \u003Cb\u003EDahlin Brooks\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EMax Cameron\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003ETyler Loveday\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBen O'Connor\u003C\/b\u003E have all shown comparable ability in extended action. The Marauders will lean on a formidable secondary which returns all five of its starters, while hoping that the lines gell quickly in what is a tough early schedule.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vuIkpHJe0CE\/UhleEvsH05I\/AAAAAAAABM8\/_QX5wYCHzfs\/s1600\/gryphons.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vuIkpHJe0CE\/UhleEvsH05I\/AAAAAAAABM8\/_QX5wYCHzfs\/s200\/gryphons.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGUELPH\u003C\/b\u003E (8-2, +6.3 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003ESome would say the Gryphons got lucky last year. If so, does it run out in 2013?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: With Quinlan moving on, Guelph's \u003Cb\u003EJazz Lindsey\u003C\/b\u003E and Queen's \u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E are the only incumbent QBs in the league who have guided a team to a 6-2 finish or greater. The Gryphons are evidently talented and have given themselves a leg up with their recruiting. One warning is that some regression might be inevitable after a year where seemingly every up-for-grabs football bounced into their hands.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: There's an awful lot of hype surrounding this team this season, after an improbable run to the Yates Cup final a year ago. Many other pundits seem to think that the Gryphons are ready to take another step forward, but I have the opposite opinion. I think they overachieved in a big way a year ago, no more so than \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-twice-in-lifetime-guelph-comes.html\"\u003Eduring that semifinal in which the Gaels mashed the self-destruct button\u003C\/a\u003E. Offensively, the Gryphons do have continuity going for them, and will return 11 of 12 starters. \u003Cb\u003ERob Farquharson\u003C\/b\u003E should be among the league rushing leaders once again, and Lindsey will be steady if unspectacular. But those who only remember the Gryphons' late-season romp should reacquaint themselves with Guelph's narrow victories over Toronto and Laurier. This was a Jekyll and Hyde team a year ago, and I think that we'll see more of Hyde in 2013.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jHY09XBxZKg\/UhleIwpNDOI\/AAAAAAAABNE\/HQoKdZ18Z_k\/s1600\/mustangs.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jHY09XBxZKg\/UhleIwpNDOI\/AAAAAAAABNE\/HQoKdZ18Z_k\/s200\/mustangs.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWESTERN\u003C\/b\u003E (6-4, +14.2 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EWhat determines the success of this team, one that drew Mac in last year's OUA semi, and might have gone to the Yates otherwise?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: How far along \u003Cb\u003EWill Finch\u003C\/b\u003E is in his progression will determine just how deep the Mustangs go this season. I see Western at the top of the heap, winning the Yates Cup, because I believe that he'll fulfil the potential that made him the top quarterback prospect in Canada in 2011. Finch doesn't need to be a world-beater, because he has the best running game in the province (by a landslide) at his beck-and-call, and the most well-rounded offensive line. Defensively, Western returns most starters, including defensive linemen \u003Cb\u003EDaryl Waud\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EDylan Ainsworth\u003C\/b\u003E, and linebacker \u003Cb\u003EBeau Landry\u003C\/b\u003E. The loss of \u003Cb\u003EHarold Mutabola\u003C\/b\u003E will hurt the secondary, but \u003Cb\u003EGreg Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E recruited heavily, and successfully, at that position. With the strength of Western's ground game, their line play, and the expected emergence of Finch, the Mustangs are in an enviable position this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: Western could be very dangerous \u0026mdash; \u003Cb\u003EMatt Uren\u003C\/b\u003E is such a good all-purpose threat \u0026mdash; but Finch is still very early on in his maturation cycle as a quarterback. It might be another season before Marshall really opens up the whole playbook. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UmNkEspahv4\/UhleMuIirPI\/AAAAAAAABNM\/JIkd_2YZyUY\/s1600\/goldengaels.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UmNkEspahv4\/UhleMuIirPI\/AAAAAAAABNM\/JIkd_2YZyUY\/s200\/goldengaels.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQUEEN'S\u003C\/b\u003E (7-3, +10.7 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EAnother member of the top four that just missed a shot for the championship. Will they return to the Yates Cup for the first time since 2009, the year they won some other trophy as well?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: Queen's is in the same turn-hurt-into-hunger scenario some of its past teams faced. The 2009 team was coming off consecutive home playoff losses; their '92 Vanier winner also had a 22-point lead go up in smoke in the playoffs, just like the '12 crew did \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-twice-in-lifetime-guelph-comes.html\"\u003Evs. Guelph last November\u003C\/a\u003E. Their window to win might not be as wide open as it is this fall; they return 20 starters and McPhee will now have a dedicated offensive coordinator with \u003Cb\u003ERyan Sheahan\u003C\/b\u003E rejoining the staff after his year with the Tiger-Cats. That might provide the solution to an all too frequently peaks-and-valleys passing game. There's a good skill-position group with the fifth-year trio of \u003Cb\u003ERyan Granberg\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EGiovanni Aprile\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJustin Chapdelaine\u003C\/b\u003E, incoming D1 transfers \u003Cb\u003EBrandon Morgan\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EDaniel Heslop\u003C\/b\u003E, and the emerging \u003Cb\u003EAlex Carroll\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EChris Patrician\u003C\/b\u003E. Queen's, for the most part, has been steady in its running game, defence and special teams for the last two years, notwithstanding the inordinate number of punt blocks they allowed last fall.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: A year ago, the Gaels remembered that they planned a kegger for the day of the Yates Cup and promptly shuffled out of their OUA semifinal. I wouldn't bank on that happening again. This is the most veteran squad in the province in 2013, with one last chance to take top prize before hanging up the tricolour. Aprile and Chapdelaine provide a great one-two threat through the air, and Granberg is reliable as always (though overused). Both lines are chalked full of experience and size, and will be among the very best in the province. Veterans abound on defence as well, with \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Lue\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EChase Dunawa\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003ESam Sabourin\u003C\/b\u003E anchoring a fearsome back eight. But the lynchpin in it all may be McPhee, and that's why I don't think Queen's can win the championship they so desperately want this season. Quite simply, I've never thought very highly of McPhee as a passer. He does well underneath, and makes the routine play, but he doesn't protect the ball particularly well and he doesn't throw deep routes on par with a passer like Austin Kennedy. Maybe this is the year that McPhee makes a breakthrough, but I wouldn't bet on it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-TS45fJ8LJhY\/UhleRYGZfwI\/AAAAAAAABNU\/c5bWginfkq4\/s1600\/lancers.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-TS45fJ8LJhY\/UhleRYGZfwI\/AAAAAAAABNU\/c5bWginfkq4\/s200\/lancers.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWINDSOR\u003C\/b\u003E (3-6, -2.8 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EDo they have a shot at getting past those 5-at-4 or 6-at-3 matchups, losses in which seem inevitable for midpack OUA teams? Having perhaps the best returning OUA quarterback won't hurt.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: The Lancers will have to navigate a few key losses in 2013, and how they fare this season may depend on how well they fill those holes. First and foremost, Windsor will be without the services of \u003Cb\u003EJordan Brescacin\u003C\/b\u003E, far and away the most dominant receiver in the OUA in 2012 (and as an aside, the fact that Brescacin is currently without a CFL employer baffles me). Look for the ball to be spread more evenly between returnees \u003Cb\u003EEvan Pszczonak\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EDylan Whitfield\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EKyle Tyo\u003C\/b\u003E. Defensively, both of the Lancers' 2012 all-stars have graduated, in halfback \u003Cb\u003EMatt McGarva\u003C\/b\u003E and corner \u003Cb\u003EShea Pierre\u003C\/b\u003E. That could set Windsor's secondary back, at least momentarily. But if \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy\u003C\/b\u003E can keep the Lancers' offence firing at the rate it did last season, it might not matter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-OvUv6eeJ9Jo\/UhleVCipRHI\/AAAAAAAABNc\/VRecdFS7jyk\/s1600\/geegees.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-OvUv6eeJ9Jo\/UhleVCipRHI\/AAAAAAAABNc\/VRecdFS7jyk\/s200\/geegees.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOTTAWA\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -3.3 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003ECompared to the other 2-6 teams they weren't blown out nearly as badly, so they have to get better, right?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: Looking at the Gee-Gees and the Lancers, I think these teams could easily flip between 5th and 6th. Let's put it this way: both teams are better than the bottom half of this division, but a clear step behind the Big Four. I put Ottawa behind Windsor because their defence still terrifies me, but I'll get to that in a second. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe foundation of Ottawa's offence remains intact and very dangerous, with \u003Cb\u003EAaron Colbon\u003C\/b\u003E back under centre along with his two favourite targets, \u003Cb\u003ESimon Le Marquand\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EVincent Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E, and fifth-year rusher \u003Cb\u003EBrendan Gillanders\u003C\/b\u003E. With the offensive line intact and a year wiser, there's no reason to expect a regression on offence. But where the Gee-Gees were so often victimized last season was in their backfield, and that area will take time to address. Will the group be better than they were last season? Probably. But not good enough to make Ottawa a real threat in this division.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: On gut instinct alone, Ottawa gets back in the playoffs. Colbon, Gillanders, and Le Marquand are a good set of fifth-year triplets on offence and their line play should improve on each side of the ball. Their 'back eight' has been an Achilles heel for a couple years, perhaps more schematically than athletically.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ej0DYF6Md3E\/UhleooC9mSI\/AAAAAAAABN0\/-SLXFgZEqmE\/s1600\/lions.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ej0DYF6Md3E\/UhleooC9mSI\/AAAAAAAABN0\/-SLXFgZEqmE\/s200\/lions.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYORK\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -12.6 SRS) and \u003Cb\u003ETORONTO\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -20.0 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EIs there any hope?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPK\u003C\/b\u003E: They had games they could have won in 2012. Both teams came off seasons with upsides but not a whole lot of results. Toronto lost something after their Laurier opener, and York simply had trouble putting a complete performance in games last season. Both teams will be hungry, and have a lot of their core guys back to play. There are a lot of beatable teams in the OUA, including the Beta version of Carleton's program, and they have the assets to win.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-TYONdzeNn8o\/UhleuOwGstI\/AAAAAAAABN8\/cIurxg4bAz0\/s1600\/varsityblues.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-TYONdzeNn8o\/UhleuOwGstI\/AAAAAAAABN8\/cIurxg4bAz0\/s200\/varsityblues.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: If I had to pick an adjective to best encapsulate Toronto, it would be “nondescript”. The Varsity Blues are there. They're not terrible. They're not very good. They're there. There's a reason that there were no All-Stars named from Toronto in 2012. The quarterbacking duo of \u003Cb\u003ESimon Nassar\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ERichard Quittenton\u003C\/b\u003E return to do completely average things, and the amazingly-named \u003Cb\u003EPaul de Pass\u003C\/b\u003E will lead the way as Toronto's fifth-year receiver. Leading rusher \u003Cb\u003EAshton Nelson\u003C\/b\u003E is gone, but on the plus side, the Blues return the bulk of their young defence, which should improve this season. Still, they look to be set for yet another year in the murky middle ground of the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for York, there are a lot of new faces in the Lions' defensive backfield this season, and rightly so. The secondary was victimized early and often last year en route to the dubious distinction of giving up the most passing yards of any defensive unit in the OUA. So in scanning the Lions' roster, it doesn't surprise me to see 12 rookie defensive backs listed. If York is to make further strides this year, it will need its defence to stop holding back a promising offence, which was quietly among the OUA's best last season. \u003Cb\u003EMyles Gibbon\u003C\/b\u003E has one last kick at the varsity can, as do primary targets \u003Cb\u003EWill Austin\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJonelle Tolbert\u003C\/b\u003E. The question is whether that offence can adapt to the loss of leading rusher \u003Cb\u003EKyle Exume\u003C\/b\u003E. I think they'll manage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-6WNx8TU3dYc\/Uhle1XA7u9I\/AAAAAAAABOE\/1GNZkZmqfzM\/s1600\/goldenhawks.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-6WNx8TU3dYc\/Uhle1XA7u9I\/AAAAAAAABOE\/1GNZkZmqfzM\/s200\/goldenhawks.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELAURIER\u003C\/b\u003E (3-6, -16.1 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003E2012 was quite an awful year, especially by their standards. What happened? Can they improve?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: Remember when the Golden Hawks were perennial contenders and a feel-good story of small town success? Good, because those times are long gone. This team reached a new low last season, and I see nothing to expect an immediate turnaround. What seniors there were in last year's atrocious offence – which scored the fewest points in the OUA (109) by a fairly wide margin – are gone, including receivers \u003Cb\u003EAlex Anthony\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EAnton Bennett\u003C\/b\u003E, and fullback \u003Cb\u003EJosh Pirie\u003C\/b\u003E. Sophomore \u003Cb\u003EJames Fracas\u003C\/b\u003E takes over under centre, after being thrown to the wolves appearing in four games \u0026mdash; including Laurier's 34-0 quarterfinal thrashing at the hands of Queen's \u0026mdash; and completing 28 of 57 passes for 327, a pick and no points in 2012. Oh, and Laurier's only All-Star from a season ago, linebacker \u003Cb\u003EMitchell Bosch\u003C\/b\u003E is gone, alongside fellow linebacking starter \u003Cb\u003ENick Sapone\u003C\/b\u003E, defensive back \u003Cb\u003ECarlos Naranjo\u003C\/b\u003E and defensive linemen \u003Cb\u003EAlex Brouwers\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBen Ivany\u003C\/b\u003E. This could be fun for the other teams in the league.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-37aWEUgUwfs\/Uhle5OdEMNI\/AAAAAAAABOM\/tK_bnwjNfkU\/s1600\/warriors.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-37aWEUgUwfs\/Uhle5OdEMNI\/AAAAAAAABOM\/tK_bnwjNfkU\/s200\/warriors.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWATERLOO\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -22.0 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EThe great saga continues: this team's last win over a non-York\/Toronto\/Windsor opponent was five years ago. Will they get one this year?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: Little by little, the Warriors pick up the pieces and get crucially older. With \u003Cb\u003EJoe Paopao\u003C\/b\u003E sticking around, the Warriors will also enjoy continuity at the top, which is a must if they want to dig themselves out of the cellar anytime soon. But returning your players only matters if those players were worth a toss in the first place. On offence, there were some things to like, namely, receiving warhorse \u003Cb\u003ENick Anapolsky\u003C\/b\u003E and lineman \u003Cb\u003EMatt Vonk\u003C\/b\u003E. But this is a group whose returning quarterbacking duo of \u003Cb\u003EJamie Cook\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBrian Chris\u003C\/b\u003E threw four more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (8), and didn't boast a single rusher inside the league's top 20. Not to mention, the offence means very little when your defensive line is being treated like a TTC turnstile and there's only scorched earth where your backfield should be. This will be another ugly season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-xpIBmCwX5Ng\/UhlfZ_2jW4I\/AAAAAAAABOc\/HqiBqZy3Yvc\/s1600\/ravens.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-xpIBmCwX5Ng\/UhlfZ_2jW4I\/AAAAAAAABOc\/HqiBqZy3Yvc\/s200\/ravens.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECARLETON\u003C\/b\u003E (did not play) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EWhat is our realistic expectation for their success this year? Can you build a program from scratch that's instantly better than some or all of Waterloo, York, and Toronto?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E[Ed. note: Neate has covered Carleton's return for Yahoo \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-ottawa-gee-gees-carleton-ravens-giving-190803207.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-carleton-ravens-reboot-nears-launch-amount-175607974.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.]\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: In talking with football folk around McMaster and elsewhere, the sense that I get of Carleton is that this is a program with great potential, but one that won't be able to realize it for a few seasons. \u003Cb\u003ESteve Sumarah\u003C\/b\u003E has gathered together an impressive first class of recruits to much fanfare, but they remain just that: recruits. There's obviously a desire to win on the administration's part at Carleton, and they've put their money where their collective mouth is. But this football embryo needs time to grow. I would peg the Ravens at 1-7 this season, with the victory coming at the expense of Waterloo in Week 2.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6779922688049154853\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-oua-preview_25.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6779922688049154853"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6779922688049154853"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-oua-preview_25.html","title":"Football: 2013 OUA preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cy3i0gB0UrQ\/Uhld7kWkdqI\/AAAAAAAABM0\/l8MFFiLVC5s\/s72-c\/marauders.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-33281691081213516"},"published":{"$t":"2013-03-06T13:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-03-17T23:09:21.985-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2013 Men's Basketball Final 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Capers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Final 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vikes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Previewing the 2013 Men's Basketball Final 8"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EHere's our capsule preview for each of the Final 8 teams, presented in descending order of how likely that team is to win, per our odds \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026amp;hl=en\"\u003Ebased on RPI and SRS\u003C\/a\u003E. \"Offence and defence\" are points scored and allowed per game, adjusted for that team's pace factor. \"Top-100 players\" refers to our player rankings through March 3 (the final version, including Final 8 games, will be published next week). Players marked with 1st or 2nd were first- or second-team conference all-stars and awards listed are conference awards (\"conference\" meaning OUA East\/West in the case of Ontario). \"Bracketology consensus\" refers to the majority opinion for this team's seeding in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/bracketology-one-last-time.html\"\u003Eour last Bracketology post\u003C\/a\u003E. \"What we thought\" refers to our in-season preview of this team, from January. Commentary below provided by \u003Cb\u003EBrian Decker\u003C\/b\u003E unless otherwise noted. Schedule, scores and TV\/webcast information are available \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2013\/schedule\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. CARLETON RAVENS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 1st \/ +24.2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 51.7%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 95-66\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Basketball robot Phil Scrubb (1st, player of the year), Tyson Hinz (1st), Thomas Scrubb (2nd, defensive player of the year), Clinton-Springer Williams\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: Host and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-ottawa-takes-carleton-to.html\"\u003EOUA champions\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 1st\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: OUA champion, No. 1 seed, 47.5% chance of winning, won tournament.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-carleton.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"Anything less than a national title is once again a disappointment for Dave Smart's team. With Ottawa and Ryerson both looking strong, there's more competition for Carleton in the OUA East than in recent years, but it would take a massive upset for either of those (very good) teams to knock off the Ravens\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: Favoured by 24 against UVic, 8pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: Trying to make it 3 for 3 in national titles in the Scrubb Era, the Ravens have everything to lose as the absolute favourite. That being said, they've reached that status legitimately, with the emergence of Thomas Scrubb this season as another reason for coaches to shake their heads and rub their temples. With an All-Star crew that plays together, it's going to be a tall task for anyone to knock them off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. CAPE BRETON CAPERS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 2nd \/ +5.9\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 12.6%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 80-68\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Jimmy Dorsey (1st, MVP), Meshack Lufile, AJ Geugjes (2nd)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-cape-breton-wins-aus-title.html\"\u003EAUS champions\u003C\/a\u003E, losing only once in conference play and three times overall\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 2nd\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Did not qualify. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-cape.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"If both teams are 100%, the battle between Cape Breton and Acadia for the AUS title should be one of the closest nationwide. With a healthy Dorsey, this team is a legitimate threat at the Final 8.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: Toss-up against Lakehead, 12pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: Behind Dorsey's monster numbers and a unique style of play, the Capers have set themselves up to be a team nobody wants to face at the Final 8. How interesting would a CBU-Carleton final be? The fastest and slowest teams in the country pace-wise would make an interesting chess match, and it's looking like a distinct possibility. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. OTTAWA GEE-GEES\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 3rd \/ +13.2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 11.1%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 84-73\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Johnny Berhanemeskel (1st), Warren Ward (1st), Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: OUA finalists, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-worldwide-performance-leads.html\"\u003Edefeating Windsor by 20 points in an OUA semifinal\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-ottawa-takes-carleton-to.html\"\u003Ethen gave Carleton a fight in the Wilson Cup\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 3rd or 4th, mostly\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Did not qualify.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ottawa-gee.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"Dueling with Ryerson for the second spot in the East is a realistic goal. That would give the Gee-Gees a shot at the Wilson Cup final four, where, as Ryerson showed last year, anything can happen. It would be a great story for Warren Ward to finish his career at nationals in Ottawa.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: Favoured by 9 points against McGill, 2:15pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: The Gee-Gees have perhaps become the buzz of the tournament, going on an impressive run to reach the Final 8 in their hometown (well, kind of). Beating Ryerson, crushing Lakehead and nearly toppling Carleton has been fun to watch, and with Warren Ward set to give it one last go (plus a draw that doesn't put them against Carleton in the first two potential rounds), it wouldn't surprise many at Scotiabank Place to see Ottawa make a run to the final. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E4. UBC THUNDERBIRDS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 4th \/ +11.2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 8.9%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 81-71\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Doug Plumb (1st), Brylle Kamen, David Wagner\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: Canada West champions (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/vikes.uvic.ca\/news\/2013\/3\/3\/MBB_0303135706.aspx\"\u003Eholding off UVic's last push\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 3rd\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Did not qualify\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ubc.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"UBC has seen its fair share of heartbreak at the Final 8, but missing out on the big dance last year has got to sting for Kevin Hanson's club. With the lead in this year's parity-filled Canada West, UBC could be back in contention for the national title\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: Favoured by 7 points against Acadia, 6:00pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: Though less star-studded than past Final 8 squads, this year's version of UBC has proven to be up to the task of living up to the program's reputation. That reputation includes a lot of recent heartbreak at the Final 8, and to break out of that shadow, Hanson's squad may need bigger performances from Plumb and Kamen than they've been able to get by with.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E7. LAKEHEAD GREAT GROUP OF DUDES\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 10th \/ +10.3\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 5.0%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 78-69\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Yoosrie Salhia (1st), Ryan Thomson (1st), Greg Carter (defensive player of the year)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-lakehead-shoots-lights-out.html\"\u003EWon the OUA bronze-medal game\u003C\/a\u003E after \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-carleton-crushes-banged-up.html\"\u003Ea 21-point loss to Carleton in the OUA semifinal\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 7th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Wildcard choice after losing an OUA semifinal, No. 4 seed, 5.8% chance of winning, lost 83-71 to UFV in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/03\/mens-basketball-final-8-notebook-part-1.html\"\u003Ethe McMuffin Classic\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/mens-basketball-top-ten-tracker-way-too.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"A win at Winnipeg's Wesmen Classic over the break, feasting on lesser OUA West foes and the return of Thomson should all help Lakehead improve in 2013. An 11-3 mark against the West would give them a 14-7 total and a reasonable shot at finding their way into the Wilson Cup Final Four. If they can do more and catch Windsor, however, they'll have a better shot at facing a non-Carleton team in the semi-finals and possibly punching their fourth straight ticket to the Final 8.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: Tossup against CBU, 12pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: It's been a fun ride with the GGODs, hasn't it? Thanks to a core of seniors that will be gone after this year, their four trips to nationals after a stunning rise from obscurity have Lakehead a staple of the CIS hoops scene. They may not have enough to make a run to the final (especially with Thomson's status up in the air after a knee injury), but they'll be fun to watch doing it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E8. VICTORIA VIKES\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 5th \/ +6.2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 4.4%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 80-74\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Terrell Evans (somehow only a 2nd-team all-star), Chris McLaughlin, Michael Acheampong\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: CW finalists\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 8th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Did not qualify\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: 24-point underdogs against Carleton, 8pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: Evans has been criminally underrated this year, and with McLaughlin the Vikes provide some serious matchup issues for the undersized Ravens in round one. That may not be enough to stop Carleton on their quest to pass UVic on the all-time national titles list, but it's a solid stepping stone for the program to get back here nonetheless. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E6. MCGILL REDMEN\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 9th \/ +4.2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 3.6%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 72-66\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Vincent Dufort (1st), Aleksandar Mitrovic (2nd)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-mcgill-does-double-for-first.html\"\u003ERSEQ champions\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 6th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Did not qualify\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-mcgill.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"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.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: 9-point underdogs against Ottawa, 2:15pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: Hey, reaching the Final 8 for the first time in 34 years is sweet, no matter what conference you squeak your way out of. With Ottawa looking solid it's an uphill climb to get out of round one, but the McGill bunch overcame doubts from our midseason previews to get here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E5. ACADIA AXEMEN\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI \/ SRS\u003C\/b\u003E: 12th \/ +3.6\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOdds of winning\u003C\/b\u003E: 2.7%\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffence and defence\u003C\/b\u003E: 78-68\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETop-100 players and award-winners\u003C\/b\u003E: Owen Klassen (1st, defensive player of the year), Tyler Scott, Anthony Ashe (2nd)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow they got here\u003C\/b\u003E: Wildcard team after \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-cape-breton-wins-aus-title.html\"\u003Ereaching the AUS final\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBracketology consensus\u003C\/b\u003E: 7th or 8th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELast year\u003C\/b\u003E: Surprise AUS champions, No. 8 seed, 3.9% chance of winning, lost 82-68 to Carleton in the first round\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-acadia.html\"\u003EWhat we thought\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E: \"If Klassen can return [after his ankle injury and his \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thechronicleherald.ca\/novascotia\/725106-acadia-basketball-player-not-guilty-in-assault-case\"\u003EFebruary court date for assault\u003C\/a\u003E] and Sears can help on offence, it should be a pretty good battle for the AUS title between Acadia and Cape Breton. If not, however, it could be a long winter in Wolfville.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOpener\u003C\/b\u003E: 7-point underdogs against UBC, 6pm ET\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOutlook\u003C\/b\u003E: In tough against UBC in a rematch of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/03\/liveblog-mens-basketball-final-8.html\"\u003Etheir 2011 first round game that we covered\u003C\/a\u003E, the Axemen have grown in leaps and bounds since that underdog appearance two years ago. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/03\/mens-basketball-quarterfinal-quotables.html\"\u003EKlassen gave the Thunderbirds mismatch issues then\u003C\/a\u003E and he will continue to do so this weekend. With both teams playing a fast pace, this one could be a track meet.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/33281691081213516\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/previewing-2013-mens-basketball-final-8.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/33281691081213516"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/33281691081213516"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/previewing-2013-mens-basketball-final-8.html","title":"Previewing the 2013 Men's Basketball Final 8"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1096298586807095814"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-11T18:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-11T18:04:54.128-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: UBC Thunderbirds"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWe finish up this series with the (almost-)perennial contenders otherwise known as the Thunderbirds.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 8-2 conference (1st, Canada West Pacific), 14-2 overall, +11.5 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E4th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 103.6 ORtg (12th), 92.4 DRtg (12th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI could summarize it here, or you could read \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/gothunderbirds.ca\/news\/2012\/12\/18\/BBALLM_1218124413.aspx\"\u003Ethis excellent recap\u003C\/a\u003E from UBC athletics.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHolding Saskatchewan, the country's second best offence, to 42.4% shooting on their home court.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe overall balanced play of a no-star lineup (though Doug Plumb has been fantastic).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E The Thunderbirds have weathered the storm of high turnover, staying competitive despite losing program cornerstones like \u003Cb\u003ENathan Yu\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJosh Whyte\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EAlex Murphy\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EKamar Burke\u003C\/b\u003E in recent years. UBC's two losses are by a combined seven points, and they've shown they can win multiple ways \u0026mdash; for example, see their win at UFV, despite shooting 34.4%, as evidence they can grind out wins, too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E The T-Birds make their living at the free throw line, shooting more from the charity stripe than any other team in the country at 0.31 FTs per FG attempt. Otherwise, it's fair to say they don't do anything great but do everything well. Balance is the name of the game for this team, with four starters averaging double figures in scoring, led by Plumb at 16.0 points per game. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes this team stand out other than the fact they're well-coached and don't make many mistakes for other teams to capitalize on. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: Lacking some of the firepower of recent UBC teams and without a dependable lead guard like Yu or Whyte to lean on, it will be interesting to see how the UBC will progress towards the playoffs. That being said, the well-balanced approach in almost every aspect of the game has led them to the top of their division, and could be the new formula for success going forward. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E UBC has seen its fair share of heartbreak at the Final 8, but missing out on the big dance last year has got to sting for Kevin Hanson's club. With the lead in this year's parity-filled Canada West, UBC could be back in contention for the national title.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1096298586807095814\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ubc.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1096298586807095814"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1096298586807095814"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ubc.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: UBC Thunderbirds"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4739004194312536288"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-11T17:50:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-11T17:50:56.176-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Alberta Golden Bears"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ENext up in our series of 2013 previews: the U of A.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 9-1 conference (1st, Canada West Prairie), 11-3 overall, +10.2 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E7th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 106.8 ORtg (6th), 90.8 DRtg (10th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA wild win over UBC with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gothunderbirds.ca\/news\/2012\/11\/25\/BBALLM_1125124512.aspx\"\u003Ea crazy final sequence\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA 35-point punishing of Victoria.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETwo convincing wins over Lethbridge in November.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E Coming off a national championship game loss to Carleton in 2012, the Golden Bears have again looked like a Final 8 contender, looking better and better as the season has gone on. Their home-heavy schedule has helped them to jump out to a 9-1 record, but this is a solid team on both ends of the court. Sharpshooter \u003Cb\u003ESahr Saffa\u003C\/b\u003E, who didn't play in the team's only loss, has worked well with \u003Cb\u003EJordan Baker\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EKenneth Otieno\u003C\/b\u003E and helped space the floor since coming back from a groin injury.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E With new coach \u003Cb\u003EBarnaby Craddock\u003C\/b\u003E implementing a slower-paced defensive style (73.9 possessions per game, sixth-lowest in the country), the Bears have still managed to score efficiently, shooting 50% on two pointers and posting the sixth-best offensive rating in the country. That's largely thanks to the duo of Otieno (28.9 PER, 60 TS%) and Baker, who has struggled from the field (39.5 FG%, 43% eFG) yet remained effective with a 27.6 PER and is leading the team in scoring. The Bears also have a league low turnover rate (tied with Lakehead and Carleton at 16%), generally a good sign that this offence can continue to score at a high rate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: Baker is a fantastic talent, but he's going to need to get even better to lead this team back to the national championship game, and one way he could do that is with improved shot selection. There's a lot to be said for Baker's ability to create his own shot and get the defence moving, but he's shooting almost five threes a game and making less than a quarter of them. It's a lot to ask an already great player to get better, but it might behoove the Bears to get a little more controlled play from their standout forward.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E With Saffa and big man \u003Cb\u003ERobert Dewar\u003C\/b\u003E coming back from injuries, there might be some more consistency to Craddock's lineups \u0026mdash; nine different players have started for the Bears this year. Alberta will face a road-heavy schedule (8\/12 out-of-province), and will need their veterans to play at their best to hold on to their division-leading record and start their journey back to the Final 8.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4739004194312536288\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-alberta.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4739004194312536288"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4739004194312536288"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-alberta.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Alberta Golden Bears"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-396317278985135611"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-10T13:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-11T17:19:38.907-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Cascades"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: UFV Cascades"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EOur next 2013 outlook examines the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, who bring lofty expectations into the new year.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 7-3 conference (2nd, Canada West Pacific), 10-3 overall, +10.3 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E6th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 102.3 ORtg (15th), 91.5 DRtg (11th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA 13-point road win over UBC that snapped a three-game losing streak.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA five-game winning streak to close the semester.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe strong play of \u003Cb\u003EKevon Parchment\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ESam Freeman\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E Despite losing their head coach and two star players to the University of Alberta, the Cascades have managed to stay competitive under new bench boss \u003Cb\u003EAdam Friesen\u003C\/b\u003E. After losing coach \u003Cb\u003EBarnaby Craddock\u003C\/b\u003E and standouts \u003Cb\u003EJoel Friesen\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJasper Moedt\u003C\/b\u003E, it looked as though all the momentum from last season's banner campaign for the program would be lost. But Freeman has adapted well to a bigger role, Parchment, a transfer guard from Lakeland College, has been a potential All-Canadian, and fifth year forward \u003Cb\u003EKyle Grewal\u003C\/b\u003E has been a solid glue guy to keep the men in green in contention. UFV has responded well to a mid-season slide (where they lost two home games to Victoria and a road game to UBC), reeling off five straight wins including a signature victory over the Thunderbirds on the road. They've done it with very stingy defence, holding teams to a combined 35.7% shooting in those five wins.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Parchment and Freeman are two of the best scorers in the league, and have been the key to UFV's offence. Parchment's 29.7 PER and 64 TS% rank among the elite nationwide, while Freeman's 41.3% mark on nearly eight threes per game has made him very dangerous (his 62 TS% despite shooting 59.4% on free throws is kind of incredible). Grewal, despite a 39.4 FG%, has helped spread the floor as a three-point threat (48.8% on more than four attempts per game) while posting 15 points, eight rebounds and nearly four assists per game. As a team, UFV has kept turnovers to a minimum (just an 18% turnover rate) and doesn't foul much, making teams work to score against them. That's translated into good defence, especially in their stingy defensive run to end the first semester.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: In their three losses so far, the Cascades have struggled to rebound. Their two losses to UVic saw them get beaten 66-52 over two games on the glass, and UBC beat them 54-35 in their win (UFV's bounceback win the next night saw them win the board battle 36-32). Perhaps it's a small sample size, but it looks like there's some value in UFV rebounding as a key to win.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E With Parchment and Freeman leading the way, there are high expectations on the Cascades for the second semester. They deserve them, too, and the showdown between UFV and UBC (who's had a slightly easier schedule in their 8-2 record) should be a dandy. A medal at nationals is certainly not out of the question.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/396317278985135611\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ufv.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/396317278985135611"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/396317278985135611"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ufv.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: UFV Cascades"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6781227091619430331"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-10T09:00:05.929-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Saskatchewan Huskies"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThe Saskatchewan Huskies are the first of our Canada West teams as we reach the home stretch in our 2013 hoops previews.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 6-4 conference (4th, Canada West Prairie), 10-5 overall, +7.7 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E9th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 112.0 ORtg (2nd), 102.8 DRtg (31st)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA road win over Lethbridge where they shot 56.9%.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe country's top offence, non-Carleton division.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe very solid seasons of \u003Cb\u003EStephon Lamar\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EMatthew Forbes\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E Behind the ball-dominant play of Lamar, the latest California-born point guard to lead the Huskies, the Huskies have once again produced a high-octane offence at 112 points per 100 possessions. But a back-and-forth first semester sees the Huskies just 6-4 and looking at themselves in the mirror for 2013. Three of their losses are by less than five points, but there's a long road to climb in a parity-filled Canada West this winter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Despite his astronomical usage rate (33.4%, north of the 'Pasquale Line'), Lamar has been great, leading the country in scoring at 25.8 points per game. And he hasn't been the only bright spot in Saskatchewan's lineup: Matthew Forbes actually has a higher PER (26.1 to 25.8) and has a 66 TS%, while \u003Cb\u003EBen Baker\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EPatrick Burns\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EEvan Ostertag\u003C\/b\u003E have been dependable as starters. The Huskies have put up a ton of points (over 80 in every game), have shot 52% on twos and get to the line a ton at .28 free throws per FG attempt.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: Defensively, the Huskies have struggled. Opponents have a red hot 53 eFG% and have shot an absurd 43% on threes. Those numbers have to come down if the Huskies want to win, regardless of how many points Lamar and Forbes can score. In addition, the Huskies are running the risk of burning out their starters. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2012-13\/boxscores\/20121109_uxm5.xml\"\u003EIn that win against Lethbridge\u003C\/a\u003E, exactly 0 points came from the bench and four starters played at least 37 minutes. Lamar, Forbes, Burns and Baker are all averaging at least 31 minutes, and some bench contribution could go a long way to easing the burden on the starters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E Saskatchewan's first game back from the break is against UFV, a great litmus test for whether this team can make it back to the Final 8. But with five teams .500 or better in their division, the Huskies will need as much as they can get from Lamar and co.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6781227091619430331\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6781227091619430331"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6781227091619430331"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Saskatchewan Huskies"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-9094888368038438272"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-08T08:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-08T08:00:04.940-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Capers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball: 2013 Outlook: Cape Breton Capers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThe Cape Breton Capers, who open up their January schedule tonight, are next as we wrap up the AUS.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 7-0 conference (1st, AUS), 12-2 overall, +4.9 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E12th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 110.7 ORtg (3rd), 88.6 DRtg (5th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA non-conference win over a very good Ryerson team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAn undefeated conference record.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe outstanding play of guard \u003Cb\u003EJimmy Dorsey\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E The Capers have cruised to a 7-0 conference record that's partially due to having just the 36th-toughest schedule in the country, but mostly thanks to a novel style of play and senior guard Jimmy Dorsey. His 25.4 points per game and PER of 34.7 are both second in the country, and he's remained efficient while shouldering a huge load. He's within shouting distance of a 50-40-90 season (46.5 FG%, 39.3 3PT%, 91.9 FT%) and making a surefire case for an All-Canadian nod. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E The Capers run teams off the court, once again playing the country's fastest pace at 88.7 possessions per game. With a team full of very good athletes, that's translated into a very efficient offence at 110.7 points per 100 possessions, third best in the country behind Carleton and Saskatchewan. The breakneck pace has also proven effective defensively, as Cape Breton has forced a ton of turnovers and turned in a defensive rating of 88.6 points per 100 possessions. That means the Capers are one of just three teams (joining Carleton and Ryerson, who are kinda good) to have a top five offence and defence. In addition to Dorsey, rookie \u003Cb\u003EShaquille Keith\u003C\/b\u003E (16.6 PPG, 57 TS%) and \u003Cb\u003EMeshack Lufile\u003C\/b\u003E (14.6 PPG, 59 eFG%, 33.1 PER) have benefited from the quick pace and filled up stat sheets all season. Lufile has been especially solid in helping CBU become great on the offensive glass, where they grab 42% of their own misses, third best in the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: Like their AUS rival Acadia, Cape Breton will have to deal with the injury bug for the time being. Dorsey has a hand injury and will \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thechronicleherald.ca\/sports\/361457-klassen-among-key-aus-hoop-injuries\"\u003Emiss an undetermined number of games\u003C\/a\u003E. While there's plenty of talent and athleticism to fill the void, losing the nation's second most productive player is a challenge that will test the mettle of a would-be Final 8 team. As well, the Capers could do themselves some good if they stop fouling so much, with teams visiting the charity stripe more than once per three shots, and shooting 74% from the line on top of that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E If both teams are 100%, the battle between Cape Breton and Acadia for the AUS title should be one of the closest nationwide. With a healthy Dorsey, this team is a legitimate threat at the Final 8. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/9094888368038438272\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-cape.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9094888368038438272"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9094888368038438272"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-cape.html","title":"Men's Basketball: 2013 Outlook: Cape Breton Capers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7922230072989386687"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-07T11:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-07T11:16:41.267-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball: 2013 Outlook: McGill Redmen"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ETo finish off our look at Quebec teams we think have a shot at nationals, here are the McGill Redmen.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 3-1 conference (t-1st, RSEQ), 11-3 overall, +5.1 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E11th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 101.4 ORtg (15th), 89.7 DRtg (7th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA solid non-conference season with wins over Ottawa and Queen's (twice).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA tight road win over Concordia in the Shrine Classique.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe standout play and excellent nickname of \u003Cb\u003E'Prince' Vince Dufort\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E 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.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E 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 \u0026mdash; so good, that you have to wonder if it's sustainable, especially with teams shooting just 29% from three against them. Dufort's numbers \u0026mdash; 72 eFG%, 73 TS%, 32.0 PER \u0026mdash; have been outstanding (All-Canadian worthy, though it's early), and coach \u003Cb\u003EDave DeAveiro\u003C\/b\u003E has said he \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.emcsmithsfalls.ca\/20121129\/sports\/Prince+Vince+Dufort+leads+McGill+to+rally+victory\"\u003E\"[doesn't] know where the team would be without him.\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: 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.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/mens-basketball-top-10-tracker-how-to.html\"\u003ENot long ago\u003C\/a\u003E, 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.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7922230072989386687\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-mcgill.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7922230072989386687"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7922230072989386687"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-mcgill.html","title":"Men's Basketball: 2013 Outlook: McGill Redmen"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7892804666212317718"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-07T09:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-07T09:00:15.188-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stingers"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Concordia Stingers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ESome RSEQ teams tipped off 2013 on the weekend, but not the two we'll be recapping\/previewing in this series, who coincidentally face each other on Thursday this week to resume their conference schedule. Up first, the Concordia Stingers.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 3-2 conference (3rd, RSEQ), 8-5 overall, +2.9 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E17th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 96.6 ORtg (25th), 89.1 DRtg (6th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA 28-point win over Laval.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReasonable success in the face of serious roster turnover.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E With \u003Cb\u003EDecee Krah\u003C\/b\u003E gone to graduation and \u003Cb\u003EKyle Desmarais\u003C\/b\u003E out due to academic ineligibility\/a knee injury, the Stingers have had to re-write the script to the success they've had in recent years. They've become an elite defensive team and have managed to put themselves in position to challenge for the QUBL title with McGill. Of course, the first semester includes all of five conference games, so we won't know if they're for real for a while yet. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Defensively, the Stingers have been fantastic. They've been able to keep teams away from the free throw line (just 0.18 free throws per field goal attempt, sixth best in the country) and held opponents to 31% shooting from three. That's an efficient, sustainable defence and bodes well for the Stingers' contention hopes. Individually, defending league MVP \u003Cb\u003EEvens Laroche\u003C\/b\u003E has been solid if unspectacular, with 14.2 points per gane, 7.2 rebounds and a 22.5 PER. Second year guard \u003Cb\u003EJerome Blake\u003C\/b\u003E has been productive (16.0 PPG on a 23.1 usage rate, the same as Laroche), though somewhat inefficient with a 37.3 FG%.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: Concordia really misses the shotmaking ability of Desmarais, a former league MVP himself, and Krah. Thus, their offence has struggled to transition, shooting 39.2% as a team and just 28% from three. They could start by cutting down on turnovers (with a per-possession rate of 22%). One would think the percentages should come back up a bit, especially as the team gets more and more used to life without Krah and Desmarais, but the facts are simple: Concordia simply needs to score more to give themselves a chance at making the Final 8. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E The good thing for the Stingers is that, well, their division just isn't very good. McGill has slowed down from their hot start, and there's nothing to suggest Concordia can't take control of the division. There's still a very good chance for Laroche to lead this team back to their third straight Final 8, and fourth in five years.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7892804666212317718\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-concordia.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7892804666212317718"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7892804666212317718"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-concordia.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Concordia Stingers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5187716471724088666"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-04T12:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-06T23:36:15.147-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Acadia Axemen"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWith the Axemen set to continue their conference schedule tomorrow, we jump to AUS basketball and preview Acadia.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 6-0 conference (2nd, AUS), 11-1 overall, +5.0 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E13th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 98.7 ORtg (21st), 72.8 DRtg (1st)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAn unblemished conference record and a solid showing in non-conference play.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETwo wins over Memorial by a combined 71 points.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E They've had the 5th easiest schedule in the country overall, but the Axemen have still managed to impress in their first semester. With an incredible (if unsustainable) defensive rating, they've been able to overcome a shaky offence and cruise to a 6-0 record. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E So far, it's been tough to score against the Axemen. Their opponents' 72.8 points per 100 possessions is absolutely miniscule, and more than nine points fewer than no. 2 Ryerson, and teams playing Acadia have shot just 30% on two-pointers, a ridiculously low number. One reason the Axemen are so good at protecting their bucket is that they don't hit the offensive glass much (26% offensive rebounding rate despite having \u003Cb\u003EOwen Klassen\u003C\/b\u003E, one of the premier rebounders in the country), letting the 'D' get set up off misses. Given that the Axemen play the fourth-fastest pace in the country (83.6 possessions per game), the need for solid transition defence is huge. \u003Cb\u003EJonathan Tull\u003C\/b\u003E (26.0 PER, 64 TS%) has been superb, while All-Canadian \u003Cb\u003EOwen Klassen\u003C\/b\u003E (16.3 points per game, 10.3 rebounds) has put up great numbers despite shouldering much of the load so far (26.7% usage rate, 32 MPG). The Axemen should also receive a boost when sharpshooter \u003Cb\u003EAnthony Sears\u003C\/b\u003E returns to the lineup, joining fellow bomber \u003Cb\u003EAnthony Ashe\u003C\/b\u003E (62 TS%) on the perimeter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on\u003C\/b\u003E: Resilience in the face of the injury bug, among other things. Klassen is going to miss the next four to six weeks with an ankle injury, a huge blow to a team that will play several huge divisional games over that time period. He is also \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thechronicleherald.ca\/sports\/151435-acadia-basketball-star-charged-with-assaulting-woman\"\u003Efacing a February court date\u003C\/a\u003E, \"charged with assault and assault causing bodily harm in connection with two incidents last winter involving a woman.\" Klassen's combination of basketball skills is perhaps unmatched nationwide, and his ability to make up for teammates' defensive mistakes will be missed on the court \u0026mdash; the Axemen struggled without him in a bad loss to Dalhousie at the Rod Shoveller tournament, shooting just 32%. Sears, who has returned to practice but isn't cleared to play, will provide a boost on offence when he comes back, but it remains to be seen whether Acadia can weather this storm. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E If Klassen can return and Sears can help on offence, it should be a pretty good battle for the AUS title between Acadia and Cape Breton (who have injury problems of their own, it should be noted). If not, however, it could be a long winter in Wolfville.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5187716471724088666\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-acadia.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5187716471724088666"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5187716471724088666"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-acadia.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Acadia Axemen"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4444144420166847332"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-03T10:00:03.136-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Carleton Ravens"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThe Carleton Ravens finish off the OUA portion of this series, which will continue with RSEQ, AUS, and Canada West teams into next week.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 7-1 conference (t-2nd, OUA East), 13-1 overall, +22.4 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E1st in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 127.9 ORtg (1st), 85.6 DRtg (3rd)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReigning Player of the Year\/Basketball Robot \u003Cb\u003EPhil Scrubb\u003C\/b\u003E continuing to break calculators everywhere.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESix wins by 28 points or more.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShooting 19\/34 from three in a 40-point win at Western.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E After an opening night dud against Windsor, where the Ravens lost their first game since 2011, Carleton has put up staggering offensive numbers against OUA West teams. Their mark of 127.9 points per 100 possessions is nearly 16 points better (!!!) than no. 2 Saskatchewan, and the fact that they've scored over 100 points three times while playing by far the country's slowest pace (69.6 possessions per game) tells you this is a scoring juggernaut. Seven straight wins to close the semester have the Ravens looking like they'll be back on track in 2013. Oh, and Phil Scrubb has a PER of 38.4 and a true shooting percentage of 73. Yikes.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E A short list: (1) they shoot a LOT of threes (while making 43% as a team) and get to the line better than anyone except UBC, making their scoring output brutally efficient; (2) they don't turn it over (tied for a CIS low 16% turnover rate with Alberta and Lakehead) and are the best defensive rebounding team in the country (80%!), giving opponents few chances to score easy buckets; and (3) Phil Scrubb has once again separated himself from the field in the Player of the Year race. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuarding the Ravens is a classic pick your poison. Phil Scrubb and \u003Cb\u003ETyson Hinz\u003C\/b\u003E both attract a lot of double teams and help, but they're so good at moving the ball they'll almost always make teams pay with open shots. Seriously, these offensive numbers are insane.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on:\u003C\/b\u003E It's hard to look at this team and find something to improve on, but as Windsor showed, there's a reason why they play the games. Perhaps shooting 36.4% like they did in that loss is an anomaly for this team, but it's always possible. One thing to consider, and I'm reaching here: with Carleton playing the country's slowest pace, an opponent that likes to push the tempo and rebounds well could, with a little luck, be a problem. If everything comes together \u0026mdash; Carleton shoots 45% instead of 50%, the other team makes its free throws and gets some offensive rebounds \u0026mdash; we could be in for an upset.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E Anything less than a national title is once again a disappointment for \u003Cb\u003EDave Smart\u003C\/b\u003E's team. With Ottawa and Ryerson both looking strong, there's more competition for Carleton in the OUA East than in recent years, but it would take a massive upset for either of those (very good) teams to knock off the Ravens.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4444144420166847332\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-carleton.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4444144420166847332"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4444144420166847332"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-carleton.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Carleton Ravens"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-672532965672524530"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-02-16T01:58:50.406-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Ryerson Rams"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EOur look at the 2013 portion of the men's basketball schedule continues with the Ryerson Rams.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 8-0 conference (1st, OUA East), 12-2 overall, +14.3 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E2nd in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 107.4 ORtg (4th), 85.6 DRtg (2nd)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.thescore.com\/tbj\/2012\/12\/03\/ep-883-ball-dont-lie\/\"\u003EGetting a shoutout from Skeets on The Basketball Jones\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe only undefeated conference record west of Nova Scotia. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA 48-point win over Guelph where they scored 91 points on 54 shots.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E It was a peachy coming out party for Ryerson in 2012, with their massive Wilson Cup quarterfinal upset of Lakehead last March spilling over into a brilliant first semester. And the numbers suggest this isn't just a hot run \u0026mdash; this is a very, very good team that's ready to contend for nationals this season. The young core of third-year players \u003Cb\u003EJahmal Jones\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJordon Gauthier\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBjorn Michaelsen\u003C\/b\u003E has been brilliant, while \u003Cb\u003EAaron Best\u003C\/b\u003E has showed flashes of monstrous potential. They also haven't gotten a game from York transfer \u003Cb\u003EOstap Choliy\u003C\/b\u003E yet. So, once again, very, very good.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Having a top-5 offence \u003Ci\u003Eand\u003C\/i\u003E defence usually translates to good basketball. And despite having a young team full of good (no, really good) athletes, the Rams play a fairly deliberate pace and are able to score well in the halfcourt. Jones (25.6 PER), Michaelsen (24.6, with a 65% eFG) and Gauthier (25.7) have all been fantastic, while Aaron Best, whose breakout game on national TV last spring against Lakehead wowed CIS hoops observers nationwide, continues to look like a potential star (see his 34 points on 18 shots against McMaster). The crazy thing about this Ryerson defence is that they don't do it by forcing tons of turnovers (a rate of 19%, just 32nd in the country). They keep teams from taking and making efficient shots. Teams have shot just 25% on threes this season against the Rams, and have rebounded less than 24% of their missed shots \u0026mdash; which puts Ryerson's defensive rebounding rate behind just Carleton, Acadia, and UBC nationwide.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on:\u003C\/b\u003E Really, not much. This is a well-rounded team. Every available stat shows this is a top-tier defensive quad (that opponents' 38% eFG is sweet) who can hold their own on the glass. The numbers may regress slightly against better OUA East teams, or just in general, but if they can keep doing what they've been doing, great things lie ahead for this young team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E It's too bad this team plays in the same division as Carleton, because they might be the second-best squad in the country. Of course, it's possible they knock off Carleton, but it's also unlikely they can beat them twice while winning the rest of their games, a feat they'd need to pull off in order to guarantee a spot at the Final 8. Realistically, they'll need to hold off Ottawa and then win (at least) one game at the Wilson Cup Final Four to have a shot at nationals. That's a tough task, but should they pull it off, the sky's the limit. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/672532965672524530\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ryerson.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/672532965672524530"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/672532965672524530"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ryerson.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Ryerson Rams"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-75601775837577482"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-02T11:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-02T20:48:56.560-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Ottawa Gee-Gees"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ENext up: the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Our series will continue tomorrow as we finish off the OUA, with teams from the other conferences to follow soon after.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 7-1 conference (t-2nd, OUA East), 12-5 overall, +9.7 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E8th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 106.2 (8th), 90.7 DRtg (9th)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA convincing 15-point win over Lakehead. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAn 84-62 blowout of McMaster in which they shot 52% from the field.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWarren Ward\u003C\/b\u003E's 43-point explosion in a road win over Laurier.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E It's been mostly clear sailing for Ottawa so far, with the lone mark on their record a close road loss to Windsor. Apart from that game, no one has been closer than seven points to the Gee-Gees, and their four 15-plus point wins include victories over decent teams like Lakehead and McMaster.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Ottawa's top-10 ranks on offence and defence give them the look of a solid contender. Led by their dynamic duo, the Gee-Gees have been able to get plenty of good shots in and around the paint, and are shooting 53% on two-pointers, second-best in the country. Ward has long been one of the country's premier scorers, and he showed why in taking over that game against Laurier, while third-year guard \u003Cb\u003EJohnny Berhanemeskel\u003C\/b\u003E has continued to improve, giving the team a two-headed monster that has broken down opposing defences with ease. The two each account for around a quarter of their team's possessions when they're on the court, and why not? Berhanemeskel is shooting 44.2% from three and has a true shooting percentage of 64, while Ward's 29.1 PER ranks him among the elite once again. All signs point to this team being sustainably good and competitive with Ryerson for the second spot in the East (Sorry, Rams, Carleton's going to finish first).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on:\u003C\/b\u003E Some improved outside shooting aside from Ward and Berhanemeskel will be crucial. No other Gee-Gee is shooting better than 31% from three, and fellow starters \u003Cb\u003EVikas Gill\u003C\/b\u003E (47 TS%) and \u003Cb\u003EMike L'Africain\u003C\/b\u003E (43 TS%) will need to be more legitimate threats to open up space Ward and Berhanemeskel can take advantage of to create offence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E Dueling with Ryerson for the second spot in the East is a realistic goal. That would give the Gee-Gees a shot at the Wilson Cup final four, where, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/03\/rams-stun-t-wolves-advance-to-final-8.html\"\u003Eas Ryerson showed last year\u003C\/a\u003E, anything can happen. It would be a great story for Warren Ward to finish his career at nationals in Ottawa. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/75601775837577482\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ottawa-gee.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/75601775837577482"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/75601775837577482"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-ottawa-gee.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Ottawa Gee-Gees"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4851289674627272305"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-02T20:45:39.315-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Lakehead Thunderwolves"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThe next 2012 recap-slash-2013 preview takes us to the Lakehead Thunderwolves.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 3-4 conference (2nd, OUA West), 13-7 overall, +10.2 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E5th in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 102.5 ORtg (14th), 101.4 DRtg (19th) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENot much so far.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENo, really. They closed with two wins over Laurentian and York to rebound from an ugly 1-4 start.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E They began each of the last two seasons red hot, but Lakehead has slowed down in 2012-13. Nothing has screamed \"Final 8 contender\" about this team so far, though they've weathered the injury bug and their slow start without losing much ground in the standings. Also, they've had an absurd 13% of their two-point shots blocked so far this year (next highest team is 9%), which you would have to think will even out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Don't let the 3-4 record fool you, the Great Group of Dudes [GGODs] are still a good team. They've had the toughest Strength of Schedule of any good team (behind Lethbridge and three lower-tier OUA West teams), and played all but the last two games without standout big \u003Cb\u003ERyan Thomson\u003C\/b\u003E. There's plenty of time left to get back to the form that saw the team go to the Final 8 each of the past two seasons. Fifth-year post \u003Cb\u003EYoosrie Salhia\u003C\/b\u003E has been a major highlight in Thunder Bay. Despite shouldering the load of the offence (30.4% usage rate, 10 points higher than he had last year), the undersized yet brutally strong Salhia has remained efficient, posting an individual ORtg of 108 and a PER of 29.6. His offensive rebound rate of 19% is the highest of any regular rotation player in the country. Thomson, meanwhile, will be a huge asset for Lakehead when he comes back. His absence played no small part in the Thunderwolves' loss to Ryerson in the Wilson Cup semi-final last year, and they've missed his floor-spacing abilities in Thunder Bay this year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on:\u003C\/b\u003E More production on offence from fifth year guards \u003Cb\u003EGreg Carter\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EBen Johnson\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJoseph Jones\u003C\/b\u003E. Carter is a defensive specialist, but has given them next to nothing on offence this year (35% eFG, lowest of any regular). Johnson is a three-point specialist who has been good but not great (35.9% on 5.6 attempts a game) from deep this season. Jones has posted a below-average 13.4 PER and is shooting 36.7% from the floor. Lakehead will need all three veterans to give them more to return to elite status. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E A win at Winnipeg's Wesmen Classic over the break (which \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/lakeheadbasketball.blogspot.ca\/2012\/12\/wolves-win-wesmen-classic-championship.html\"\u003Ethey got in convincing fashion\u003C\/a\u003E), feasting on lesser OUA West foes and the return of Thomson should all help Lakehead improve in 2013. An 11-3 mark against the West would give them a 14-7 total and a reasonable shot at finding their way into the Wilson Cup Final Four. If they can do more and catch Windsor, however, they'll have a better shot at facing a non-Carleton team in the semi-finals (hello, rematch with Ryerson?) and possibly punching their \u003Cstrike\u003Ethird\u003C\/strike\u003E fourth straight ticket to the Final 8. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4851289674627272305\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-lakehead.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4851289674627272305"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4851289674627272305"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-lakehead.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Lakehead Thunderwolves"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1741694065663736377"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-02T09:00:13.072-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Windsor Lancers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EDue to time constraints and outside obligations, our men's basketball previews weren't ready in time for the fall. Instead, we will be previewing the 2013 portion of the schedule (and recapping the season so far) for a select number of teams we believe have a shot at nationals. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst up: the Windsor Lancers.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord\u003C\/b\u003E: 5-2 conference (1st, OUA West), 7-3 overall, +12.5 SRS (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spreadsheets.google.com\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFBTeExuYjhxQmI2Q1lrV0c2ZUVNWWc\u0026hl=en\"\u003E3rd in CIS\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive\/Defensive Efficiency (CIS Rank):\u003C\/b\u003E 99.4 ORtg (20th), 90.3 DRtg (10th) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half highlights:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETHEY BEAT CARLETON. THEY BEAT CARLETON. THEY BEAT CARLETON.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHeld \u003Cb\u003EWarren Ward\u003C\/b\u003E to 0\/5 shooting in a solid win over Ottawa.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDismissed an improved Queen's team 118-82 in a game where they shot 53% on 34 threes and had an ORtg of 127.2.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFirst half recap:\u003C\/b\u003E After the season's first weekend, it looked like Windsor could have been the surprise contender of the CIS season. They've trailed off slightly since then with a pair of losses to Laurentian and Ryerson, but still look like the favourite in the suddenly shaky OUA West. They certainly struggled to score \u0026mdash; other than their blowout win over Queen's, they're shooting just 38.9% from the floor as a team \u0026mdash; but the fact that they managed to navigate the OUA East with five wins despite that bodes well for this team. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat makes them good:\u003C\/b\u003E Despite a shaky start to the season on offence, Windsor has weathered the OUA East storm better than any of their West counterparts thanks to a solid defence. In the season-opening shocker against Carleton, they held the super-powered Ravens offence to 36.4% shooting. They then held Ottawa to 35% the next night. The Lancers have regressed defending their own bucket slightly since then, but have guarded their bucket well enough to do what no other OUA West team did in the first semester: win more games than they lost. \u003Cb\u003EJosh Collins\u003C\/b\u003E has been very solid for the Lancers, shooting the ball very well from three and posting a PER of 23.0, while \u003Cb\u003ELien Phillip\u003C\/b\u003E continues to be a big body in the paint that most teams just don't have an answer for, gobbling up rebounds and getting to the free throw line with regularity. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat they need to improve on:\u003C\/b\u003E So far, Windsor has had trouble scoring for an elite team. Their 99.4 points per 100 possessions is just 20th in the league, and they've been too reliant on Collins creating and Phillip creating havoc in the paint to score. One potential antidote for the lacklustre offence could be former Guelph guard \u003Cb\u003EMike Petrella\u003C\/b\u003E, who had been quiet this season until exploding for 20 points on eight shots in the win against Queen's. A CIS coach once described Petrella to me as \"that guy who gets anywhere on the court he wants to go,\" so look for the Lancers to use the speedy, crafty guard for some instant offence off the bench. In any case, the Lancers' offensive numbers should improve with more games against the West.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGoals\/Outlooks\/Scenarios:\u003C\/b\u003E Windsor has plenty of talent, so expect the offensive numbers to balance out when they get to play some of their lesser OUA West opponents. If they can keep playing the defence that won the games against Carleton and Ottawa, a record in the neighbourhood of 18-3 would net them the top spot in the OUA West and a legitimate shot at returning to the Final 8.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1741694065663736377\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-windsor.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1741694065663736377"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1741694065663736377"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-basketball-2013-outlook-windsor.html","title":"Men's Basketball 2013 Outlook: Windsor Lancers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Brian Decker"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09356081056546632680"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7790906466028720953"},"published":{"$t":"2012-11-23T10:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-11-23T10:00:08.189-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanier Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2012 Vanier Cup Preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWith the Vanier Cup only hours away, starting at 7:30pm and shown on TSN, \u003C\/i\u003EThe CIS Blog\u003Ci\u003E offers a scatter-shot preview discussion of the Big Game featuring \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EFraser Caldwell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EKevin Garbuio\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EOur fearless leader and resident statistical wizard \u003Cb\u003ERob Pettapiece\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;has set the spread for tonight's game:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval vs. McMaster (-11.5)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith that bit of business out of the way, let's get down to it...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E***\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC:\u003C\/b\u003E It may sound like somewhat of a cop-out for those who listened to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/podcast-3-garbuio-and-caldwell-meet.html\"\u003Ethe podcast\u003C\/a\u003E before the bowl games and heard me give essentially the same answer then, but I think this game is decided in the trenches.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth offences will face the best defensive lines that they’ve seen all season.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EArnaud Gascon-Nadon\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the best single lineman in the country, and absolutely had his way with the Acadia Axemen a week ago. He works exceptionally well with partner\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ESamuel Hebert\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eon the strong side\u0026mdash;as TSN’s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EDuane Forde\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;noted on several occasions during the Uteck Bowl.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHolding Gascon-Nadon back is a task that falls to Marauder tackle\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMatt Sewell\u003C\/b\u003E, McMaster’s hulking 6’8”, 340 pound behemoth who is believed to be\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cfl.ca\/cfl-scouting-bureau-september-2012\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethe most CFL-ready offensive lineman\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the country. If you need a “Match-up to Watch” for a television graphic, this would be it. It will truly be a case of unstoppable force versus immovable object.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval’s offensive line doesn’t get the same sort of attention\u0026mdash;apart perhaps from centre\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EPierre Lavertu\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;who was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2012-13\/releases\/all-cdns\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehonoured as a First-Team All-Canadian\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on Wednesday\u0026mdash;but they routinely beat Acadia’s defenders a week ago. The group’s success in clearing-out in front of (third string!) running back\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMaxim Boutin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eis evident in his\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2012\/champ-boxscores\/20121117_k1rw.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eeventual total\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of 213 rushing yards while averaging eight and a half per carry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether it’s Boutin handling the rushing duties, or the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lapresse.ca\/le-soleil\/sports\/football\/201211\/21\/01-4596440-coupe-vanier-benoit-groulx-en-renfort.php\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eapparently healthy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EPascal Lochard\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EGuillaume Bourassa\u003C\/b\u003E, I don’t foresee the Rouge et Or having the same success along the ground in the Vanier Cup. McMaster’s front seven is an entirely different beast from Acadia’s, and has been suffocating rushers throughout the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-marauders-dismantle-dinos-in.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EJust ask Steven Lumbala\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG: \u003C\/b\u003EI guess filling the role of the AUS guy puts me in the position to say, \"Well, they beat us worse than they did,\" so I am going to play with the hand I'm dealt with.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI think offensively I like McMaster more than I like Laval. Boutin is probably the only skill player Laval has that I would take over a Mac starter if we go 1 RB v 1 RB, 3 WR v 3 WR. The star power on Mac's offence is well known.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;winning the Hec now puts him in the argument for greatest CIS QB of all time. If he beats Laval in back to back seasons for the Vanier he'd have my vote. His numbers speak for themselves and Laval knows what he can do.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was at the Uteck Bowl last weekend in Quebec City and what stood out to me most was Laval's depth. Fraser, you mentioned Gascon-Nadon's performance last week and seeing him bend down the line of scrimmage was stunning. It is hard to believe he wasn't nominated for his third straight J.P Metras Award. I mean, he could have submitted 10 clips of him just bending down the line and wrecking any zone run the opposition attempted (I'm talking about the outside zone\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EThomas Troop\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;ran in the second quarter and was tackled for about a three yard loss on the opposite side of the field).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut here's the thing about Laval and everyone in the CIS knows it: when Gascon-Nadon was listed as questionable this past week no one was thinking 'oh wow, that's a huge loss for the Rouge et Or.' The depth Laval has at all positions is remarkable and injuries do not affect them like they affect most teams in the league.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow Fraser, I know you being a Mac guy may argue that the Marauders lost their starting running back,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EChris Pezzetta\u003C\/b\u003E, for the season in training camp and at one point were down to their fourth stringer and still found success, or that they did not feel the loss of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMichael DiCroce\u003C\/b\u003E. I'd argue that Quinlan and that massive offensive line have more to do with that than the players they are plugging in. Quinlan makes everything tick. In Laval, it does not rely one person or one coach; they have talent. Their system? It's simple. They have athletes who do not make mistakes. They ran literally two run plays on offence\u0026mdash;that's it, two. Inside and outside zone. From different formations obviously but you get the simplicity of what they do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn defence, it's the same thing. They keep it simple and essentially their philosophy is, “Our athletes are greater than your athletes, our football players are going to do what we ask them to. Beat us.” They play the players they trust and their recruiting is so strong that they can rotate players in when needed. At what other school could a coordinator get fired, after winning two games and the team not miss a beat? (That firing was not performance based. At least I'm sure it wasn't.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC:\u003C\/b\u003E I agree with your assessment of Laval here, Kevin. The Rouge et Or play with simple confidence\u0026mdash;a confidence born of success. It makes for a fluid system on both sides of the ball, and as you point out, the ability to mix and match personnel when needed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s a hyper-efficient system, and it sees the Rouge et Or past the vast majority of their opponents who are too accident-prone or unskilled to match them. But it’s also a system that masks individual deficiencies. That’s where I think things deteriorate for Laval against McMaster.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe quarterback position is where this is most clearly evident for me. \u003Cb\u003ETristan Grenon\u003C\/b\u003E has done an admirable job under centre this season, but nothing that I see from him demonstrates that he’s more than a “game manager” or, as I prefer, a “system quarterback”. He was very effective against the Axemen because he was consistently operating within his system and the most favourable conditions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAcadia could do nothing to stop Boutin, which not only gave Grenon plenty of short-yardage situations on second down, but also allowed him to pass on first against a defence that was flooding the box and gambling to halt the ground game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Marauders will allow the Rouge et Or no such luxuries tonight. Their run-stopping credentials against top opposition have already been proven, and that same team speed and mixture of blitzes that kept Calgary off-balance throughout the Mitchell Bowl can do the same to Laval.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt will take a much more adventurous night from Grenon to make up the difference. Is he capable of that against this secondary? I’m not convinced.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the other side, Kyle Quinlan, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2012-13\/releases\/awards2\"\u003Ethis year’s Hec Crighton winner\u003C\/a\u003E, has the tools and the responsive offence to identify and adapt to meet challenges on the field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat’s the real beauty of what the Marauder offence did against Calgary. The Dinos’ pass-rush did its job in the Mitchell Bowl by keeping Quinlan inside the pocket. The problem: Quinlan decided to stand in and sling where he’s typically pulled the ball down this season. Not only did he throw, he kept the dizzying assortment of head-fakes, ball-fakes and jukes on shuffle and effectively froze the Dinos whenever they thought they were getting a bead on him.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECalgary’s blowout loss has caused many commentators outside Canada West to suggest that the Dinos were overrated this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI think the scariest thing is: they weren’t.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG: \u003C\/b\u003EPrediction time: I know Mac is favored to win and they have buses full of students coming and all but how can anyone ever count out Laval?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI said last week during the podcast that I liked Calgary's depth over Mac and looked like a putz. But in this battle of titans, I really like what Laval is bringing to the table. It is hard for me to bet against them and their history. But not only that, they have an uncanny sense of rising to the occasion. I think if the game is close at the half Laval takes it. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Marauders really need to get a big lead at the half because as we saw last year, no team adjusts like the Rouge et Or. But this year, I don't think they slip up at the end.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC:\u003C\/b\u003E I think this will be McMaster’s sternest test\u0026mdash;and while I don’t envision anything like the 45-6 beating that the Marauders laid on the Dinos last week, I see very few scenarios in which this game falls in Laval’s favour. I think the spread of 11.5 points is fair, and I will pick McMaster to cover it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7790906466028720953\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-2012-vanier-cup-preview.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7790906466028720953"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7790906466028720953"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-2012-vanier-cup-preview.html","title":"Football: 2012 Vanier Cup Preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Fraser Caldwell"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01025221177480820858"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});