OTTAWA (CIS) – Fresh off a 107-100 win over defending national champion Saskatchewan in the Canada West final, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds earned the No. 1 seed for next weekend's CIS men's basketball championship tournament, which returns to the Halifax Metro Centre this season following a three-year stint in the nation's capital.
Championship website
The seeding was announced Sunday night for the 2011 CIS Final Eight, which kicks off Friday with the quarter-final round and culminates next Sunday at 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time with the gold medal final.
Five games will be televised on TSN2 including live broadcasts of the last two first-round matchups on Friday (6 p.m. & 8:15 p.m. AST) and the second semifinal on Saturday (8 p.m. AST). Saturday's first semifinal will air right after the conclusion of the second semi, while Sunday's championship match is set to air on a two-hour tape delay.
Battling top-ranked UBC for CIS supremacy in Halifax will be the No. 2 Carleton Ravens (OUA finalists), No. 3 Saskatchewan Huskies (CWUAA finalists), No. 4 Lakehead Thunderwolves (OUA champions), No. 5 Trinity Western Spartans (CWUAA bronze medallists), No. 6 Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions), No. 7 Concordia Stingers (RSEQ champions), and No. 8 Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists).
Trinity Western received the wildcard entry following a vote by a committee of CIS coaches. The Spartans were ranked in each of the 14 weekly national coaches' polls this season – including in the top 5 in each of the eight polls after the December break – and finished second in the Canada West standing with a 21-3 mark before claiming bronze at the conference Final Four.
Friday's quarter-finals will see UBC face Acadia in the tourney opener at 1 p.m. AST, Lakehead battle Trinity Western at 3:15 p.m., Saskatchewan open its title defence against Dalhousie at 6 p.m., and Carleton take on Concordia at 8:15 p.m.
Looking for their first W.P. McGee Trophy victory since 1972, the Thunderbirds reached the national final each of the past two years at Ottawa's Scotiabank Place, both times as the No. 3 seed. They lost 87-77 to Carleton in the 2009 gold medal game and 91-81 to the Huskies a year ago.
If UBC advances to the semi-final, they will meet either Lakehead - who they beat in the first round at the 2010 CIS Final 8 - or conference rivals Trinity Western.
The triumph marked Saskatchewan's first-ever CIS men's basketball title.
Perennial powerhouse Carleton, which has claimed six of the last eight McGee Trophies including the last five contested at the Metro Centre (2003-2007), goes in as the No. 2 seed following a surprising 77-62 loss to Lakehead in the OUA final, which marked the Ravens' first loss in 32 overall contests against CIS opponents this season. The Ravens had been seeded No. 1 each of the past three years heading into the Final Eight.
The CIS all-Canadians and major award winners will be announced on Thursday.
SEEDING
1. UBC Thunderbirds (CWUAA champions: 22-2 regular season / 4-0 playoffs)
2. Carleton Ravens (OUA finalists: 22-0 regular season / 2-1 playoffs)
3. Saskatchewan Huskies (CWUAA finalists: 20-4 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
4. Lakehead Thunderwolves (OUA champions: 17-5 regular season / 3-0 playoffs)
5. Trinity Western Spartans (Wildcard: 21-3 regular season / 3-2 playoffs)
6. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions: 14-6 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
7. Concordia Stingers (RSEQ champions: 12-4 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
8. Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists: 7-13 regular season / 2-1 playoffs)
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times ATLANTIC TIME)
Thursday, March 10
8:00 – 17:00 Team practices
Friday, March 11
13:00 Quarter-final #1: No. 8 Acadia vs. No. 1 UBC (SSN Canada webcast & CiTR)
15:15 Quarter-final #2: No. 5 Trinity Western vs. No. 4 Lakehead (SSN Canada webcast)
18:00 Quarter-final #3: No. 6 Dalhousie vs. No. 3 Saskatchewan (Live on TSN2)
20:15 Quarter-final #4: No. 7 Concordia vs. No. 2 Carleton (Live on TSN2)
Saturday, March 12
12:00 Consolation #1: Loser QF #1 vs. Loser QF #2
14:15 Consolation #2: Loser QF #3 vs. Loser QF #4
17:00 Semifinal #1: Winner QF #1 vs. Winner QF #2 (TSN2 - tape delayed to 20:00 AST)
20:00 Semifinal #2: Winner QF #3 vs. Winner QF #4 (TSN2 – tape delayed to 22:00 AST)
Sunday, March 13
10:30 Consolation final (5th place)
13:15 Bronze medal game (SSN Canada webcast)
17:00 Championship final (TSN2 – tape delayed to 19:00 AST)
