2014 CIS menâ??s basketball championship: Gee-Gees seeded No. 1, Saskatchewan earns wildcard
March 2, 2014

2014 CIS menâ??s basketball championship: Gee-Gees seeded No. 1, Saskatchewan earns wildcard

OTTAWA (CIS) – For the first time in program history, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees are seeded number one heading into the CIS men’s basketball championship.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mbkb/index
 
The seeding was announced Sunday night for the CIS Final 8, hosted by Carleton University. The single-elimination tournament gets under way Friday at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa and culminates next Sunday at 2 p.m. with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet.
 
Sportsnet also has live coverage of Saturday’s semifinals at 6 and 8 p.m., on Sportsnet 360. All 10 games from the competition - including televised contests - will be webcast live on www.CIS-SIC.tv. 
 
Joining the OUA champion Gee-Gees in the quest for the W.P. McGee Trophy will be the reigning three-time national champion and second-seeded Carleton Ravens (OUA finalists), as well as the No. 3 Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West champions), No. 4 Victoria Vikes (Canada West finalists), No. 5 McGill Redmen (RSEQ champions), No. 6 Saint Mary’s Huskies (AUS champions), No. 7 McMaster Marauders (OUA bronze medallists) and No. 8 Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West bronze medallists).
 
In Friday’s quarter-finals, Alberta will battle Saint Mary’s in the 12:30 p.m. opener, followed by Carleton vs. McMaster at 2:30 p.m., Victoria vs. McGill at 5:30 p.m., and Ottawa vs. Saskatchewan in the 8 p.m. nightcap.
 
Carleton was ranked No. 1 in the country all season, with archrival Ottawa following in second place in each of the last 11 weekly national polls. However, the Gee-Gees handed the Ravens their first loss of the campaign in Saturday’s OUA final, erasing a 10-point deficit in the last three minutes of regulation to prevail 78-77.
 
Top-ranked Ottawa will be looking to capture its first-ever CIS title next weekend, while Carleton claimed a record ninth W.P. McGee Trophy a year ago, breaking a tie with Victoria.
 
Alberta has been crowned three times, Saint Mary’s twice and Saskatchewan once.
 
Saskatchewan received the at-large berth (wildcard) following a vote by a committee of CIS coaches. The Huskies were ranked in all but one poll in 2013-14 and, after posting a 15-7 record in league play, claimed the Canada West bronze medal with a 3-1 playoff mark.
 
NOTES: All Thursday practices at Canadian Tire Centre at open to the media, starting at 9 a.m.... A complete championship preview will follow on Tuesday... The CIS all-Canadians and major award winners will be announced on Wednesday morning (note: no awards reception)... All-Canadians and major award winners will be honoured at centre court at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday evening between the third and fourth quarter-finals.
 

SEEDING

 
1. Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA champions: 20-2 regular season / 3-0 playoffs)
2. Carleton Ravens (OUA finalists: 22-0 regular season / 2-1 playoffs)
3. Alberta Golden Bears (CWUAA champions: 20-2 regular season / 4-1 playoffs)
4. Victoria Vikes (CWUAA finalists: 19-3 regular season / 3-2 playoffs)
5. McGill Redmen (RSEQ champions: 14-2 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
6. Saint Mary’s Huskies (AUS champions: 14-6 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
7. McMaster Marauders (OUA bronze medallists: 18-4 regular season / 2-1 playoffs)
8. Saskatchewan Huskies (CWUAA bronze medallists: 15-7 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times EASTERN TIME)
 

Thursday, March 6 (55-minute practices at Canadian Tire Centre)

9:00 QF 1 TBD (Saint Mary’s or Alberta)
10:00 QF 1 TBD (Saint Mary’s or Alberta)
11:00 QF 2 TBD (McMaster or Carleton)
12:00 QF 2 TBD (McMaster or Carleton)
13:00 QF 3 TBD (McGill or Victoria)
14:00 QF 3 TBD (McGill or Victoria)
15:00 QF 4 TBD (Saskatchewan or Ottawa)
16:00 QF 4 TBD (Saskatchewan or Ottawa)
 

Friday, March 7

12:30 Quarter-final 1: No. 6 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 3 Alberta (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
14:30 Quarter-final 2: No. 7 McMaster vs. No. 2 Carleton (www.CIS-SIC.tv)   
17:30 Quarter-final 3: No. 5 McGill vs. No. 4 Victoria (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
20:00 Quarter-final 4: No. 8 Saskatchewan vs. No. 1 Ottawa (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
 

Saturday, March 8

12:30 Consolation 1: Loser QF 1 vs. Loser QF 2 (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
14:30 Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4 (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
18:00 Semifinal 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv *) 
20:00 Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (Sportsnet 360 / www.CIS-SIC.tv *) 
 

Sunday, March 9

10:30 Bronze (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
14:00 Final (Sportsnet / www.CIS-SIC.tv *) 
 
* The webcast of all 3 televised games (semifinals & final) will be on pay-per-view basis.

Source: CIS