How do you beat the Ravens?
That’s the question opposing coaches are trying to answer
What will it take to beat Carleton?
It almost goes without saying that’s the question on everyone’s mind heading into the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s basketball championship at Scotiabank Place, which begins Friday.
It’s been a perennial query, with the top-seeded and topranked Ravens having won eight of the last 10 national titles and being the prohibitive favourites to hoist another W.P. McGee Trophy after Sunday’s final.
What do rival coaches think will turn the trick? “You gotta believe,” says Lakehead coach Scott Morrison.
“Ottawa believes they can do it,” he said.
“You can see it in their faces. And a team is dangerous when it believes they can do it.”
It’s important to stay in the moment and forget Carleton’s history, adds University of British Columbia coach Kevin Hanson.
The Ravens mystique “is in the heads of some coaches, so you know it’s in the heads of some players and the hype helps them,” he said.
“But you can’t worry about that. And at some point, history is going to change.”
It’s equally necessary to play as error-free as possible, says Cape Breton coach Matt Skin.
“They don’t hurt themselves,” he said.
“They’re just constantly looking for a certain option and certain reads. So you have to play that type of game as well. And you have to play as hard as they do.”
It’s also vital that a team be ready to play from the opening minute, says McGill’s David DeAveiro.
“They get on you early and try to put you away early. And then you’re trying to play catch-up and fight back the whole game.
“That’s a difficult thing to do. I think they just come out with a greater intensity and most teams are not used to that.”
There’s no room for letdowns or lapses in focus in any of the quarters, says Acadia coach Steve Baur, whose Axemen fell to the Ravens in last year’s quarter-finals.
“You have to be consistent for 40 minutes,” he said.
Teams also have to rebound well and get back quickly in transition because the Ravens fill the lanes as well as anybody, says Victoria coach Craig Beaucamp.
“After that, it’s just a matter of playing percentages and contesting shots,” he said, noting that good shot selection is a pre-requisite.
“If you shoot bad shots, that turns to run-out points the other way.”
And don’t fear the physicality, adds Ottawa coach James Derouin.
The Ravens “embrace the contact,” he said.
“It’s also their mentality. It’s ‘Do what it takes to win.’ They have that down from their coach. It’s not about looking good. It’s not about scoring points. It’s about winning.
“And they do it, they push the envelope, always with the goal of winning. You have to be willing to fight back.”