CIS Pre-Season Cranks Up…Weekend Features Carleton vs Alberta, Lakehead vs Concordia!
There are tournaments at no fewer than six different schools, as the pre-season really gets cranked up in CIS Men’s Basketball this week. In one of the most anticipated events, the #1 Carleton Ravens (well, who else?) travel out to Vancouver Island to the Guy Vetrie Memorial Tourney at UVic, where they will play the Vikes, the Lethbridge Pronghorns, and their opponent in last year’s CIS Final, the Alberta Golden Bears.
Here are all the tournaments this week :
- Thursday – Saturday , Oct. 18-20 – Graham Shootout – at U. Saskatchewan, Lakehead, Concordia, Regina
The Lakehead Thunderwolves and the Concordia Stingers, another two teams who played in the Final 8 last Spring in Halifax, are in Saskatoon to play each other, the Huskies, and the Cougars.
- Friday – Sunday, 19-21 – Guy Vetrie Memorial – at U. Victoria, Carleton , Alberta, Lethbridge
The Ravens – Bears match-up is a highlight of the week, but it still may not be a close game, with Carleton looking like the ‘Big Birds’ once again this season. Alberta has a veteran team, with some good additions (see Kenny Otieno) and a new coach in Barnaby Craddock, who saw the Blackbirds in the CIS Semi last year.
- Friday – Sunday, 19-21 – At Kamloops, the TRU Wolf Pack host Fraser Valley Cascades, York Lions, and Montana St.- Northern.
The ‘Pack are without Chas Kok and Justin King, which translates into minus 30+ points and minus a dozen or so rebounds. Can they score enough to win? Fraser Valley is a different team as well, without defectors, Joel Friesen and Jasper Moedt (red-shirts at Alberta), and with Adam Friesen taking over the reins from the departed Coach Craddock.
- Friday – Sunday, 19-21 – At Sudbury, The Laurentian Voyageurs play the Memorial Sea Hawks, Waterloo Warriors, and UQAM Citadins
– Tournoi Rouge et Or at Laval with the UPEI Panthers, Toronto Blues, and UNB Reds.
-And, also in Quebec – McGill hosts their Redbird Classic with Laurier Golden Hawks, Ottawa Gee-Gees, and Trinity Western Spartans
Other games
- Wednesday – Trinity W. at Bishops – re-match
- Thursday – York at UBC-Okanagan
- Friday – Guelph vs A-game Hoops
- St. FX at McMaster – 2 highly touted teams
- Cape Breton at Ryerson – Matt Skinn’s debut as Capers coach
- Wake Forest at Brock – from Mt. Royal to Wake Forest? Yikes!
- Saturday St. FX at Guelph
- Cape Breton at Brock
- Wake Forest at Ryerson
- Eureka College (Illinois) at Western
- Sunday Ashland (Ohio) U. at Guelph
- Cape Breton at McMaster
- St. FX at Brock
- York at UBC
- Eureka Coll. at Windsor
- Monday Ashland at Western
- Tuesday Ashland at Windsor
