Reigning champ Ravens seeded No. 1, Ottawa earns wildcard at 2015 ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS men’s basketball championship

OTTAWA (CIS) – For the sixth time in eight years, the reigning four-time national champion Carleton University Ravens are seeded number one heading into the ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS men's basketball championship.

The seeding was announced Sunday for the Final 8, hosted by Ryerson University at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. The eight-team tournament gets underway Thursday and culminates next Sunday at 3 p.m. with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet ONE.

Saturday's semifinals are also live on Sportsnet 360 (6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.), while all other games from the competition are set to air on Rogers TV, Rogers TV Sports + and Super Sports Pak. All 11 contests will also be webcast on www.CIS-SIC.tv.

Joining the newly-crowned OUA champion Ravens in the quest for the W.P. McGee Trophy will be the second-seeded Windsor Lancers (OUA finalists), No. 3 Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA bronze medallists), No. 4 Victoria Vikes (Canada West champs), No. 5 Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champs), No. 6 Bishop's Gaiters (RSEQ champs), No. 7 Ryerson Rams (OUA 4th-place finishers) and No. 8 Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West finalists).

Thursday's quarter-final matchups include Saskatchewan vs. Carleton in the opener at 11 a.m., followed by Dalhousie vs. Victoria at 1 p.m., host Ryerson vs. Windsor at 6 p.m., and Bishop's vs. Ottawa in the 8 p.m. nightcap.

Carleton earned No. 1 status following a resounding 103-59 win over Windsor in Saturday night's OUA final. The Ravens, who went 17-2 in the regular season and 3-0 in the conference playoffs, hope to add to their own record of 10 W.P. McGee Trophy titles.

Ottawa received the at-large berth (wildcard) following a vote by a committee of CIS coaches. The Gee-Gees, who reached the national final for the first time in program history a year ago, settled for bronze at this weekend's OUA Final Four held in their own gym but posted the best record in the country in league play (18-1) and were ranked first or second in all 13 weekly coaches' polls this season.

Victoria ranks second all-time in McGee Trophy triumphs with eight. Windsor has five, Bishop's and Saskatchewan have one apiece, while Ottawa, Dalhousie and Ryerson are looking for their first CIS banner.

NOTES: All Wednesday practices at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at open to the media, starting at 9 a.m (detailed schedule below)… A complete championship preview will follow on Tuesday... The All-Canadian Awards Show & Gala is set for Wednesday evening at Uniun Nightclub (473 Adelaide St. West).

SEEDING

1. Carleton Ravens (OUA champions: 17-2 regular season / 3-0 playoffs)
2. Windsor Lancers (OUA finalists: 15-5 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
3. Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA bronze medallists: 18-1 regular season / 2-1 playoffs)
4. Victoria Vikes (CWUAA champions: 15-5 regular season / 4-0 playoffs)
5. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions: 10-10 regular season / 3-0 playoffs)
6. Bishop's Gaiters (RSEQ champions: 8-8 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
7. Ryerson Rams (OUA 4th place: 17-2 regular season / 1-2 playoffs)
8. Saskatchewan Huskies (CWUAA finalists: 15-5 regular season / 3-2 playoffs)

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Wednesday, March 11 (practices at Mattamy Centre: OPEN TO MEDIA)
9:00 Saskatchewan
10:00 Carleton
11:00 Dalhousie
12:00 Victoria
13:00 Ryerson
14:00 Windsor
15:00 Bishop's
16:00 Ottawa

18:00 All-Canadian Awards Show & Gala (Uniun Nightclub - 473 Adelaide St. West)

Thursday, March 12
11:00 Quarter-final 1: No. 8 Saskatchewan vs. No. 1 Carleton (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 
13:00 Quarter-final 2: No. 5 Dalhousie vs. No. 4 Victoria (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 
18:00 Quarter-final 3: No. 7 Ryerson vs. No. 2 Windsor (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 
20:00 Quarter-final 4: No. 6 Bishop's vs. No. 3 Ottawa (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 

Friday, March 13
14:00 Consolation 1: Loser QF 1 vs. Loser QF 2 (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 
16:00 Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4 (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 

Saturday, March 14
14:00 5th-place game (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) * 
18:00 Semifinal 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) ** 
20:30 Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv) ** 

Sunday, March 15
11:30 Bronze (Rogers TV / www.CIS-SIC.tv) *  
15:00 Final (Sportsnet 360 & ONE / www.CIS-SIC.tv) ** 

* Rogers TV, Rogers TV Sports +, Super Sports Pak.
** The webcast of the semifinals & final are on pay-per-view basis

Source: CIS