VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds are on top of the CIS men's basketball rankings thanks to their 4-0 start, and they will look to keep rolling at home this weekend against No. 8 Fraser Valley.
Both games will be streamed with live statistics on
CanadaWest.tv.
GAME TIMES
Friday, Nov. 16 - No. 8 Fraser Valley at No. 1 UBC (8 p.m. at War Memorial Gymnasium, Vancouver)
Saturday, Nov. 17 - No. 8 Fraser Valley at No. 1 UBC (7 p.m. at War Memorial Gymnasium, Vancouver)
No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds (4-0)
Last Week: W 82-70, W 97-63 vs Thompson Rivers
Game one of UBC's series with TRU last week saw the visiting WolfPack shoot the lights out for significant stretches of the game, making it a much closer contest than coach
Kevin Hanson would have liked. Hanson challenged his boys to step up against the WolfPack's top scorers and they did just that the following night, holding them to 24 per cent field goal shooting and just a single point in the first quarter.
The 'Birds turned in a balanced offensive performance that saw five players score in double digits on both nights. Veterans
Tommy Nixon and
Doug Plumb were both solid all-around, as one would expect, but even more encouraging for UBC fans was the production of their rookies last week.
The rookie guard combo of
Isaiah Solomon and
Jordan Jensen-Whyte was very impressive, whether one of them played the point or they both were on the floor together. Solomon was arguably the most effective T-Bird offensively in game one, leading the team with 18 points on just nine shots, and both rookies had an impact in game two, with Solomon scoring another 14 and Jensen-Whyte adding seven points, four assists, four rebounds and two blocks.
Rookie wingman
Conor Morgan also had 10 points in game two, so Hanson's rookie class is off to a fantastic start this year. With his veterans playing like veterans, and transfers like
Brylle Kamen and
Jared Casey giving him highly productive minutes in the low post, Hanson has to like the way things are coming together early on.
No. 8 Fraser Valley Cascades (2-2)
Last Week: L 73-69, L 78-72 vs Victoria
The Cascades were ranked No. 4 to start the year, coming off a trip to the CIS Final Four last year and returning most of their key players. But after giving up both games at home to previously unranked Victoria last weekend, the Cascades are suddenly looking at falling below .500 already.
But two weeks into a season isn't exactly panic time, and the T-Birds would be wise not to pay too much attention to Fraser Valley's let-down last week. This is a team that has always played the 'Birds tough even at War Memorial Gym. They were also without athletic fifth-year guard Sam Freeman against Victoria. He averaged 20 points in week one.
They did have their fifth-year big man Kyle Grewal though, and he could give the T-Birds trouble this week. He is averaging 21.5 points and seven rebounds per game this year.
The Cascades have some talented rookies of their own as well. Kevon Parchment is averaging 18.3 points and a team-high7.3 rebounds to start his career. He is shooting a scorching 60 per cent from the field as well.
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