CALGARY CHAMPING AT BIT FOR SECOND CHANCE AT CARLETON
Dinos are happy to earn an invite to the U Sports Final 8, but they aren’t satisfied
Last weekend was an emotional 48-hour, Six Flags-style rollercoaster for the University of Calgary men’s basketball team.
One minute they’re losing a big game, the next they’re coming from behind to win another. In the end they were on pins and needles waiting to see if their efforts would merit an invite to the big dance.
When the call came, they breathed a collective sigh.
“You think the season’s over and then ... it’s not,” said Dinos fifth-year guard Thomas Cooper. “It rejuvenates you.
“It’s like walking outside and finding a hundred-dollar bill on the ground. You’re happy and grateful and what could be better than this opportunity. And why not? Why not the national championship rematch the first round? I wouldn’t want any other team.”
Calgary is the seventh-seeded wild-card entry at the U Sports Final 8 tournament, which begins Thursday at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. Their opponent? None other than the second-seeded Carleton Ravens, that fiendish squad that defeated the Dinos in last year’s national final.
They’re also legends of Canadian university hoops.
“Honestly, they are the best team in the nation and they’ve proven that for a long time,” Calgary head coach Dan Vanhooren said.
“Any time our team gets to play against a team of that calibre, it just becomes a great learning experience. It’s a win-win for us, whatever happens. Honestly, nobody is going to expect us to beat them and we’re going to go out there and compete and just let the results fall where they may.
“Basically, the idea is respect your opponent, fear none. Certainly we respect Carleton, but we don’t fear them.”
It all had to line up precisely for the Dinos to arrive at this position. After they were upset by Manitoba in the Canada West semifinal, they needed to regroup to play Saskatchewan in the bronze-medal game. They trailed in that one until the end, when they sent it into overtime and won 111-106.
Brock then upset third-seeded Ottawa in the OUA bronze-medal match, which aided Calgary’s wild-card chances.
“Super up and down, right?” Cooper said. “I guess Friday, it’s like, oh my God, the season is over. Saturday we came out, if this is our last game, let’s make it a fun one and enjoy it. Sunday night it was like waking up as a kid for Christmas. Everybody was happy, that sense of urgency just came back, time to play a big game.”
Ah, yes, the big game. Carleton has a record 12 titles and comes in ornery having lost the Ontario final, for the second straight year, to Ryerson. But the Dinos are learned from last year’s loss.
“We’ve played them before, we didn’t know what to expect,” suggested guard Jasdeep Gill, in his final season. “But we got that out of the way. We’re a little more comfortable and ready. I think for us older guys, we can lead by example. Just the fact we get to do it again ... some people in their five-year career never get here once.
“Getting another shot at it is huge. I’m in my fifth year, with Thomas and Dallas (Karch). It’s a great redemption for us. And for the younger guys it’s a great opportunity to get that experience.”
And that, Vanhooren said, can’t be overstated.
“It’s perfect for us, really,” he said. “We gain the experiences for our younger guys, our older players go out with a feeling of accomplishment. Around the nation, we’re considered one of the top programs so our recruiting is ramped up. So it’s a win when you make this tournament. I’m pleased we’re here ... but I’m not satisfied with that.”
The Dinos and Ravens square off at 9 a.m. MST.
“I can only speak for myself, but they’re not on a pedestal to me,” Cooper said of the Ravens. “They just got beat last week, like we got beat. They’re human, just another team. We’re going to have to play a really great game to beat them, but if we can jump on them early, we’ll be ready to go down to the wire with those guys.”
In other Dinos news, 18 members of their track and field squad will head to Alberta for the U Sports nationals this weekend.
Sunday night it was like waking up as a kid for Christmas. Everybody was happy, that sense of urgency just came back, time to play a big game.