Vikes draw host Laval to open U Sports national basketball championships

Coach Craig Beaucamp is careful not to let appearances fool as the madness of March begins.

His top-seed University of Victoria Vikes have drawn the host team and eighth seed, Laval Rouge et Or, for their quarterfinal match-up of the 2024 U Sports men’s basketball national championship tournament beginning Friday at the EPSAmphithéâtre Desjardins on the campus of Laval University in Quebec City.

The Vikes were 17-3 in conference and 3-0 in the Canada West playoffs while Laval was 6-10 in conference and bounced in the first-round of the Quebec playoffs and are only in the national tournament as host.

“We are playing the home team with nothing to lose in their home gym which they know well and practice and play in nightin and night-out. At this time of year, any team can win,” warned Beaucamp.

“Laval lost five conference games by three points or less. Flip those games and they are 9-7. It will be a challenging atmosphere to start against the host team in their home gym. Upsets happen in one-off, oneloss elimination tournaments so we have to be sharp.”

UVic had to rally in each of its post-season games.

“We will be looking for better starts at nationals,” said Beaucamp.

The second-seed and Ontariochampion Queen’s Golden Gaels open in the quarter-finals against the seventh seed and Canada West runner-up University of Winnipeg Wesmen. The thirdseed and Quebec-champion UQAM Citadins open against the wildcard and sixth-seed University of Ottawa Gee Gees.

The other quarter-final matchup pits the fourth-seed and Atlantic-champion Dalhousie Tigers against the fifth-seed and Ontario runner-up Brock Badgers.

The semifinals are Saturday and the championship game Sunday.

Glaringly absent are the dynastic Carleton Ravens, who have won a staggering 17 national championships since 2003, including the last four in a row, and 11 of the last 12.

UVic had its own dynasty with seven consecutive national championships in the 1980s under coach Ken Shields with players such as Olympians Eli Pasquale, Gerald Kazanowski, Greg Wiltjer and other national-teamers such as Kelly Dukeshire and Phil Ohl. UVic’s last championship was in 1997 under late coach Guy Vetrie, and was powered by the brilliant inside play of dominating forward Eric Hinrichsen, who went on to represent Canada in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The Vikes have returned to prominence and are looking to improve from last year’s U Sports national championship semifinals appearance.