UBC hoops star ponders where to go next
Filewich trying to decide between turning pro in Europe or another year at university level in Canada
A classic from 1980s band The Clash has become a soundtrack option for UBC Thunderbirds basketball star Keylyn Filewich.
Canada West cancelled its winter sports season due to the COVID-19 pandemic last week and that means someone like Filewich, who was about to start her fifth and final season of eligibility, could return to play again next fall.
Her original plan had been to finish her science degree this school year then head to Europe to play pro. That prompts the question: Should she stay or should she go?
“I'm not sure yet what I want to do,” Filewich, 22, a sixfoot-one forward from Winnipeg, explained. “I'm going to take some time to process it. I'm going to try to mourn a little with my other fifth-year teammates. I'm just going to reflect a little bit.”
It's undoubtedly a common debate right now for university athletes across the country. Football was cancelled earlier. Men's basketball, men's and women's hockey, and men's and women's volleyball were also informed Thursday that official seasons wouldn't be happening for them.
Filewich does at least sound like coming back is very much a possibility. She was Canada West women's basketball player of the year and a U Sports first-team all-Canadian last season after averaging 19.1 points per game and 10.3 rebounds. She was eighth in scoring average in Canada and third in rebounding.
“It does feel like there's some unfinished business in U Sport,” Filewich explained.
“Can I be content with the milestones that I've hit so far? I was thinking about back-toback Canada West player-ofthe-year awards. I was thinking about the possibly of the national player of the year. More than anything, there was winning a national championship with my team. When I came to (the University of B.C.), I remember telling Deb (Huband, UBC's coach) that was the only thing I cared about accomplishing.”
For the time being, there's the chance to play exhibition
games against other B.C. universities, and Filewich said that her UBC team was keen on that when it was brought up with them. The squads could combine in four-team cohorts, which would fall under return-to-sport guidelines set forth by viaSport, the government's sport delivery agency.
“It's something to look forward to,” Filewich said.
Filewich admitted she and her teammates had an “inkling”
that this was going to happen.
The initial decision from the Canada West board was supposed to come by Oct. 2, but it was pushed back.
“They put a lot of time and effort into the decision,” Filewich said. “As much as it hurts, we know that it's for the best, we know that it's for the health of the athletes.”
Scott Clark, head coach of the men's basketball Thompson Rivers WolfPack, said his
group of players figured it was going to end up this way.
There were no surprised expressions when they got the news Thursday.
“Nobody was taken aback,” said Clark. “They understand. There's no way we could have played a season. It would have been irresponsible to do that.”
The messaging was similar too from Steve Tuckwood, director of athletics and recreation for the Fraser Valley Cascades.
“The athletes are very understanding to the fact we are in a challenging season,” Tuckwood explained. “Canada West needs to look to nearby schools in the shortterm for competition and appreciate we will get through this and return to a more regular season in the fall of 2021. Everyone is sacrificing and we need to as well.”
In October, the SFU Clan's NCAA Div. II Great Northwest Athletic Conference approved
plans to move fall sports like men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball to the spring. They also voted to not start men's and women's basketball, and indoor track and field earlier than Jan. 7.
Simon Fraser University is the lone Canadian school in the NCAA, so cross-border travel will be a factor in their participation.