As the third ranked team in the U Sports national men’s basketball top-10 poll, the University of Victoria Vikes know there can be no off-games for them. Every opponent will be out of knock them off. Especially those, like the Regina Cougars, who the Vikes beat last season en route to UVic’s first sa国际传媒 West championship since 2015.
The Vikes are 8-2 and Cougars 5-3 in conference play heading into their games Friday night and Saturday in the Saskatchewan capital.
“Regina has a majority of its core returning and they are a big, physical team that can play different styles,” said UVic head coach Craig Beaucamp.
“But we find ways to score, even when we are not playing our best. So that makes defensive rebounding the key for us, especially on the road, where you can’t allow easy baskets.”
The Vikes are youthful despite their high national ranking. Showing maturity beyond their years, rookies Izzy Helman out of the Claremont Secondary Spartans, Shadynn Smid from the Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds and Renoldo Robinson from Montreal have made significant contributions. Sophomores Ethan Boag out of Claremont, Sergio Pereira from the Shawnigan Lake School Stags and last season’s sa国际传媒 West rookie-of-the-year Elias Ralph from Okotoks, Alta., continue to evolve and make have even stronger presences .Although they are projected as a force in sa国际传媒 West and U Sports for the next four to five years, there is still a learning curve, and that’s usually on the defensive side of the ball when it comes to younger players.
“It’s usually the offensive skills that get you noticed in high school by university recruiters and it’s the defensive side of the ball that is the biggest adjustments for these players when they move up to that next level,” said Beaucamp.
The Vikes’s leading star, prolific shooting-guard and Oak Bay grad Diego Maffia, is only in his third season.
This is the first weekend back after the Christmas break.
“U Sports is essentially two seasons and we start all over again this weekend,” said Beaucamp. “We’re a bit rusty after the break and it might take a bit to get our legs under us.”
Meanwhile, the UVic women’s team (4-6) has a drawn a tough post-break sa国际传媒 West match-up against the co-leading Regina Cougars (7-1).
“We have shown we can play with anybody, and I think the break refreshed us,” said UVic head coach Carrie Watts.
“Regina plays an up-tempo style, so controlling the tempo is an important piece for us this weekend.”
The Vikes squads return to CARSA gymnasium the following weekend to host their UNBC Timberwolves counterparts in sa国际传媒 West play.
