VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball team is opening their 2015 non-conference schedule in style.
 
This weekend, UBC's Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre will play host to six teams from across Canada at the annual UBC Invitational.
 
The tournament, which is free of charge and open to the public, will run from October 2-4, 2015, and will feature three teams from the Canada West conference – the T-Birds, the UNBC Timberwolves, and the Alberta Golden Bears. Two teams from Ontario University Athletics will also be there - the Guelph Gryphons and Ottawa Gee-Gees, as well as a solo entry from Atlantic University Sport, the Memorial Seahawks.
 
Each day of the competition will consist of three games, with each being capped off by a contest featuring the host Thunderbirds. The caliber of play in the tournament will be high, as Alberta, at No. 10, UBC, at No. 9, and Ottawa, at No. 2, were all ranked in the final CIS rankings for the 2014-15 season.
 
The full schedule can be viewed below:
 
Friday, October 2
3 p.m. – Northern B.C. vs. Memorial (N.L.)
5 p.m. – Alberta vs. Ottawa
7 p.m. – UBC vs. Guelph (Ont.)
 
Saturday, October 3
3 p.m. – Northern B.C. vs. Guelph
5 p.m. – Alberta vs. Memorial
7 p.m. – UBC vs. Ottawa
 
Sunday, October 4
9:30 a.m. – Alberta vs. Guelph
11:30 a.m. – Northern B.C. vs. Ottawa
1:30 p.m. – UBC vs. Memorial
 
The marquee matchup of the UBC Invitational will be the closer on Saturday night, as UBC will take on the national runners up Ottawa.
 
The T-Birds will have a very special guest on hand for that contest, as Toronto Raptors assistant coach, and a former captain for UBC, Jama Mahlalela will be in attendance. Mahlalela will also toss an honourary jump ball to open the game between the Thunderbirds and the Gee-Gees.
 
The UBC Invitational will mark the opening for a big year for men's basketball at UBC, and will also serve as a preview of sorts for the 2016 CIS Men's Basketball Final 8. From March 17-20, 2015, the best teams from across Canada will converge on the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre to vie for a national championship, and a few of those squads could be on display this weekend.
 
Tournament passes for the CIS Men's Basketball Final 8 go on sale on October 2, 2015, with prices ranging from $60 to $300.