Niagara home for hoops
After receiving applause from fans, praise from coaches and respect from opponents, the Niagara College men’s basketball team wants one more thing before leaving the court for the last time this season.
Hint: it’s round, made from a precious metal and if it’s the right colour, includes an expensespaid, round-trip ticket to Laval, Que.
That’s where the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men’s basketball championships are taking place March 14-17, and that’s where the Knights hope to wrap up the 2017-18 season.
They are hardly alone in this quest. Niagara entered the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championships Thursday in Welland as the hometown favourite, but Fanshawe, George Brown, Humber, Lambton, Redeemer, Seneca and Sheridan also have competing for a national title tops on their to-do list.
As hosts of the OCAA Men’s Basketball Final 8, the Knights earned an automatic berth when Niagara was selected as the venue for this year’s provincials in December 2016.
That doesn’t automatically mean the Knights don’t belong in the championship conversation, however. Head coach Mike Hurley rejects the suggestion that his team entered the three-day tournament through “the back door.”
He maintained any such criticism would not be valid given that Niagara finished the regular season fourth in the highly competitive West Division with a 13-3 record.
“If we were one of the lowerranked teams, maybe they would criticize us for being here,” the
first-year head coach said. “But you can’t criticize a team that finishes fourth in the west when six teams from the west made it and beat their third- and fourthplace teams.”
First-ranked Seneca, 19-1, first place; and defending silver medallist George Brown, 18-2, second; are the only contenders from the East Division in the eight-team field. Sheridan, 16-4, second; and Humber, 15-5, third; are the reigning gold and bronze medallists, respectively.
Knowing where they would wind up the season “absolutely” changed how the Knights approached the season.
“From Day 1, there was a lot of excitement, you want to represent your hosting,” he said.
“It was a privilege, and something that definitely changed the way we go about business.”
Hurley said the pressure that came with playing at the provincial championships as the host team was all positive.
“It’s not really a ‘pressure,’ it’s more of an excitement, an honour, a privilege,” he said. “To get to do something like this on our home floor is more of an excitement thing than negative pressure.
“It’s a positive pressure.”
Since it didn’t need to play a must-win game to qualify, the Knights are the most-rested of the eight teams at this week’s tournament. Their last game was Feb. 17 when they defeated the visiting Sault Cougars107-77.
Heading into provincials after an extended break isn’t necessarily a bad thing as far as Hurley is concerned. “For us, we needed rest. We’ve been unhealthy all year, not one team in the league has seen as at full strength.
Though they qualified for provincials
HOOPS IN SPOTLIGHT
Following are recipients of top honours at the 2017-17 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association men’s basketball championships awards breakfast : All-Canadians: Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer; Khalil Miller, Seneca Player of the year: Rayvon Higon, Redeemer
Scoring champion: Daniel Smalling, Canadore
Rookie of the year: Zaman Khan, University of Toronto-Mississauga
Coach of the year: Jamie Girolametto, Redeemer Defensive players of the year: Khalil Miller, Seneca, East Division; Foster Brown, Reeemer, West Division
First all-star team, East Division: Yusuf Ali, Seneca; Funsho Dimeji,
before the opening tip off of the season, the Knights are a seasoned team when it comes to playing must-win games. Durham; Brandon Haliburton, Durham; Khalil Miller, Seneca; Daniel Smalling, Canadore
First all-star team, West Division: Nick Campbell, Sheridan; Kenny Ejim, Humber; Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer; Branden Padgett, Lambton; Chris Parker, Fanshawe
Second all-star team, East Division: Adam Costanzo, George Brown; D.J. James, George Brown; Connor Lalonde, Georgian; Taylor Reddick, St. Lawrence-Kingston; Kendell Wilson, Centennial Second all-star team, West Division: C.J. Bennett, Humber; Sean Clendinning, Fanshawe; Van Hutchinson Jr., Niagara; Zaman Khan, University of Toronto-Mississauga; Levi Mukuna, Niagara