Men’s basketball: Dinos take roadshow to nation’s capital
Perhaps a year in arrears, the University of Calgary Dinos make their seventh excursion in history to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s basketball championship this weekend in search of the school’s first-ever national title in the sport.
Head coach Dan Vanhooren goes over a few plays during practice. / Photo: Ken BendiktsenThe 2008-09 season has been one of redemption for the Dinos. After posting an 18-4 record last year, the program’s best in 30 years, Calgary dominated archrival Alberta in the Central Division Final and earned the right to host the Canada West Final Four. In front of a sold-out Jack Simpson Gym with an undefeated record at home and needing a win to advance to the Final 8, the Dinos fell 77-69 to UBC in the conference semi-final.
A bronze medal loss to Brandon the following day ended Calgary’s chance at the wild card, and the team swallowed the bitter pill of watching the Final 8 on television after being ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.
The heartbreaking home loss served as motivation in the off-season for the Dinos, who returned this season with a renewed sense of purpose.
Dinos share a team cheer.“Every team that is successful has to go through a lesson prior to achieving any success, and that’s what happened to us last year,” said ninth-year head coach Dan Vanhooren, who makes his second trip to the Final 8. “Last year the guys were looking past the Final Four, and all the expectation last year was causing us some problems. We’ve done a better job of keeping focused on the moment this year and that’s been a great lesson moving forward. With the talent we have, if we keep them where they need to be mentally, we can be successful.”
“The outcome last year weighed on them so much that it froze them up a bit. We got wrapped up in the result and didn’t focus on the process and the things that got us there, and it’s our responsibility as coaches to make sure we get them past that.”
Heading into the Final 8, Vanhooren has his team playing some of its best basketball of the season—but consistency and execution on both ends of the floor will be the key if Calgary is to advance deep into the tournament.
“I think we need to focus on ourselves this weekend,” said Vanhooren. “Studying video of other teams will be more about overall trends—do they press, do they play primarily man defence—and outside of that it’s going to be more about how we execute our own stuff.
“Concordia is completely different than us. They’re a shooting team, they’re quick, and they have a number of things going for them that could cause us some problems. But as long as we take care of the ball and we play the way we have been, the outcome will take care of itself. The whole thing is focusing on the first quarter and even the first four minutes of the first quarter.”
Championship website: http://www.cisport.ca/e/final8/2009/
Armed with the No. 2 overall seed—the highest ranking for Calgary at the tournament since their No. 1 billing back in 1976—the Dinos face the Quebec champion Concordia Stingers in the first game of the Final 8 at Scotiabank Place in Kanata, Ont. with tip-off at 12:30 p.m. local / 10:30 a.m. MT (webcast by SSN Canada via the championship website and goDINOS.com).
2009 CIS Final 8 Men’s Basketball Championship
Scotiabank Place, Kanata, Ont.
SEEDING
1. Carleton Ravens (OUA champions: 21-1 regular season, 3-0 playoffs)
2. Calgary Dinos (Canada West champions: 17-5 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
3. UBC Thunderbirds (Canada West finalists: 21-2 regular season, 5-1 playoffs)
4. Western Ontario Mustangs (OUA finalists: 19-3 regular season, 2-1 playoffs)
5. Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA bronze medalists: 19-3 regular season, 2-1 playoffs)
6. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions: 13-7 regular season, 3-0 playoffs)
7. Concordia Stingers (QSSF champions: 12-4 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
8. StFX X-Men (Wildcard – AUS finalists: 17-3 regular season, 1-1 playoffs)
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (all times MT)
Thursday, March 12
17:15 All-Canadian Reception (Ottawa Marriott – Victoria Room)
Friday, March 13
10:30 Quarterfinal #1: No. 2 Calgary vs. No. 7 Concordia
12:30 Quarterfinal #2: No. 3 UBC vs. No. 6 Dalhousie
16:00 Quarterfinal #3: No. 4 Western Ontario vs. No. 5 Ottawa (The Score)
18:00 Quarterfinal #4: No. 1 Carleton vs. No. 8 St. Francis Xavier (The Score / tape delay: 20:00)
Saturday, March 14
10:30 Consolation #1
12:30 Consolation #2
16:00 Semifinal #1 (The Score)
18:00 Semifinal #2 (The Score)
Sunday, March 15
11:30 5th-place consolation final
14:00 Final (The Score)
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March 11, 2009