Ryerson Rams ready to raise bar
Men’s basketball team looks to cap dream season with national championship
The Ryerson Rams men’s basketball program experienced plenty of firsts this season.
In January, the Rams reached the No. 1 seed in the Canadian university rankings, a first for any sports team in Ryerson’s history.
The Rams would spend four weeks at the top.
Last Saturday, the Rams won the Wilson Cup at the Ontario University Association championship for the first time in school history. They defeated the Carleton University Ravens 73-68.
And on Sunday, Ryerson retained the No. 1 ranking heading into the Canadian Interuniversity Sport finals this weekend, where it will vie for another first — a national championship.
The Rams had to settle for a program-best third-place bronze-medal finish when it hosted that CIS tournament last year.
“I think the guys want a different colour medal, something other than the bronze medal we got last year at CIS finals,” interim head coach Patrick Tatham said. “The guys are hungry and they’re definitely ready to go.”
The tournament kicks off Thursday in Vancouver.
The Rams will come up against No. 8-seeded hosts University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the team’s quarter-final game.
Ryerson and UBC have yet to play each other this season.
Win, and Ryerson will play in the semifinals on Saturday, followed by a trip to either the final or another bronze-medal game Sunday.
Being a history-making team has made this season especially sweet for his players, Tatham said.
And if they’re feeling pressured by all their success this year, the coach said his players aren’t showing it.
“I think our guys are ready. They’re playing with a lot of confidence right now.”