VANCOUVER - When
Alex Murphy and
Brent Malish step on the court in Halifax this weekend, it will be their fifth time playing for the UBC Thunderbirds at the CIS national tournament. The T-Birds are coming off two straight silver medal finishes at nationals, but Canada West Coach of the Year
Kevin Hanson is confident that this senior-laden squad's experience will give them the edge needed to bring home gold.
"Experience has to be huge. This will be Alex and Brent's fifth time, and you have to rely on those guys," Hanson said. "We didn't play our best basketball last year and still ended up in the final game, so our goal this year is to play our best basketball and it has to come from the veterans. We'll probably be one of the most veteran teams there, and those guys just have to perform when we get there."
The 'Birds couldn't have scripted their journey to a fifth-straight CIS tournament appearance any better. Not only did they finally win the Canada West title on home court after failing to do so in the previous two seasons, they also made a statement to a team that seemed to have their number in recent meetings.
The Saskatchewan Huskies were 3-1 in their last four games against UBC, including wins over the 'Birds in last year's conference Final Four and CIS title game. But after winning conference gold over the Huskies this year, the 'Birds will have momentum on their side should these teams meet again in Halifax.
"If we get that chance I'm sure the guys will have last year in their memory," Hanson said.
The T-Birds also have seeding on their side, as they head into Halifax ranked number one for the first time during their current streak of appearances. However, Hanson said his side doesn't give much thought to the seeding.
"We've gone in seeded pretty much number two through seven, and things have happened differently, winning the first game, losing the first game. When you get to this time of year, there's not much difference between any of the teams there," he said.
UBC's fifth-year trio of Murphy, Malish and
Josh Whyte were strong all year, but were even better in the playoffs. Whyte scored about 21 points per game and added seven rebounds after averaging 18.4 points and 4.4 boards during a Canada West first-team All Star regular season. Malish chipped in 15 points and 7.5 rebounds during the playoffs, both of those averages up from his solid regular season numbers too.
But it was Murphy who elevated his game the most during UBC's run to the conference title. He was named a second-team conference All Star after averaging 10.7 points and 5.1 assists this season, but in the playoffs he was contributing more than 18 points per night, including an incredible 34-point performance in the gold medal game.
The 'Birds also have six fourth-years on their roster, and five players who average at least 10 points per game, so depth and experience will not be lacking in Halifax. The only real question mark for this team seems to be how their relatively undersized forwards adjust against the big teams at nationals.
Balraj Bains is the only T-Bird over 6-foot-6 to see the court this year, and he averages only 11 minutes per game. But Hanson has been bombarded with height questions every year heading into nationals, and he says its the opposition that will have to adjust to his team's unique attributes.
"We've gone to nationals before and tried to adjust to other teams. This year it's been about other teams having to adjust to our quickness and athleticism," said Hanson. "We're not so much worried about them. They have to worry about us."
Kamar Burke is a good example of the versatility that makes UBC dangerous. At 6-foot-5 he isn't huge for a rebounder, but rebound he does, thanks to his quickness and leaping ability. He averaged 7.4 rebounds this season to lead the team.
Doug Plumb is another high-flying athlete who plays bigger than he is listed in the programs. He is averaging 11 points and five rebounds this year.
Despite all their veterans and great athletes, the Thunderbirds' bench players could very well be the difference-makers in Halifax. Eight players average at least 17 minutes of action, allowing Hanson to keep his side fresh and throw different looks at opposing defences frequently.
Nathan Yu has come off the bench to make it rain threes and averaged 12 points per game this year, while fellow sharpshooting backup guard
Melvyn Mayott was tied with Whyte for second in Canada West with a .451 three-point shooting percentage.
Plenty of interesting storylines await the 'Birds in Halifax, as they will be joined by Saskatchewan and Carleton, their opponents from the previous two CIS title games, as well as top Canada West rivals Trinity Western, who won the wildcard berth after losing to Saskatchewan in the conference semifinals.
The Spartans weren't the only elite team to be upset during the conference playoffs this year though. Perennial powerhouse Carleton was surprised by Lakehead in the OUA finals, while fifth-ranked Cape Breton and seventh-ranked St. Francis Xavier missed out on the national tournament entirely.
With league parity as strong as ever, the T-Birds will have to treat every game like a championship game to bring home their first W.P. McGee Trophy since 1972. Their quest for gold begins against the Acadia Axemen on Friday, March 11 in Halifax at 9 a.m. pacific.
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