The University of Victoria Vikes are highly regarded heading into the start of the sa国际传媒 West men’s basketball season tonight in Lethbridge against the Pronghorns.
Being defending conference champions, with a healthy dollop of returnees, will do that for you. The Vikes topped the pre-season sa国际传媒 West coaches poll with 11 first-place ballots and 249 points. The University of Alberta Golden Bears received five first-place votes 241 points and the UBC Thunderbirds one first-place selection and 233 points among the conference’s 17 head coaches, who ranked all opponent teams one through 16 with first-place ballots worth 16 points on down. The Calgary Dinos and Regina Cougars rounded out the top five with 196 and 186 points, respectively.
The Vikes, however, are taking nothing for granted.
“We had a solid year last season [17-1 in the regular season and conference playoff crown] and have a decent shot again, but with success, it gets harder,” said UVic head coach Craig Beaucamp.
“We’re a work in progress and haven’t won anything yet this season. We can outscore opponents, but scoring can be fickle. We are looking to be better and stronger defensively. We have skill but the best teams are the ones who find ways to grind it out, as well, when the going gets tougher.”
Lethbridge, the opening conference opponent, is ranked seventh in the coaches poll with 142 points. UVic defeated the Pronghorns in the opening round of last season’s playoffs and Friday night’s hosts will need little motivation to get up for this game.
“They would have had this date circled on the calendar,” noted Beaucamp, entering his 20th season as Vikes bench boss.
The Vikes will have to make up for the loss of graduated floor general and first-team all-Canadian Scott Kellum, who ran the backcourt the last five seasons, and the effective forward Matthew Ellis. Key returnees are guards Diego Maffia and last season’s sa国际传媒 West rookie of the year Elias Ralph, who can both light up the scoreboard. Veteran Dom Oliveri and Claremont-product Ethan Boag lead a competent forward corps. Newcomers of note include guard Izzy Helman out of Claremont and forward Shadynn Smid out of Cowichan Secondary.
UVic had a strong pre-season beating McMaster, Concordia and Simon Fraser with the only loss coming in overtime against the dynastic defending national champion Carleton Ravens.
The UVic Vikes are ranked seventh in the sa国际传媒 West women’s pre-season basketball poll with 162 points. The Saskatchewan Huskies received seven first-place votes and 243 points to top the poll and the Fraser Valley Cascades six first-place ballots and 236 points to place second. The Regina Cougars received two first-place votes and University of Winnipeg Wesmen one.
UVic opens Friday night against the Pronghorns, who received 133 points for 10th in the pre-season poll. Fifth-year guard Ashlyn Day from Kelowna will carry the load for UVic after leading sa国际传媒 West in scoring last season with a 19.7 points-per-game average. Swing-guard Tana Pankratz should continue to emerge as a floor leader.
The Vikes men’s and women’s teams also play Saturday night in Lethbridge before opening at home Nov. 11-12 against the Winnipeg Wesmen at CARSA Gym.
