In Wednesday night’s post, I hoped out loud that the Brandon Bobcat rankings drop wasn’t due to something as simple as “the coaches screwed up.”

It would appear that’s exactly what happened.

If you look at Wednesday’s comments section, a post has been made there listing the rules/criteria for the coaches voting on the top 10 each week. Just three items down is this:

Best 2 out of 3 playoff series will count as one game when voting for top 10.

So Brandon wins the series, but drops to No. 3. Teams in the Canada West don’t play single-game weekends (usually), so there’s no reality to equate this to, but no teams get penalized for winning games, yet — by the letter of the CIS law — the Bobcats were penalized for losing a game, that really wasn’t a game.

To be honest, I’m one of the last people who cares about the national poll for about four-and-a-half months out of the season. Perceived injustices in November? Don’t care. Let’s see where everyone is in February. And I’m not the type of person who jumps on the coach-hating bandwagon and laments how the poll makes no sense, or highlights on a regular basis the incongruities from week to week. It’s about as productive as screaming at clouds to try to change the weather.

But then you get down to this time of year and rankings sure as hell do matter. Teams are going to their conference playoffs, schools that didn’t quite make it as far as they wanted are clamoring for a shot at the one precious wild card and everybody is desperate to find their spot in Ottawa.

This has little to do with the fact the team that dropped is the team I cover. Cut that B.S. out now. If it were another school that took the hit, I’d be railing against it just as strong.

So here’s the hypothetical: The Bobcats go into their Regina series knowing that if they win, they’re the No. 2 team in the country and the insider (because of that standing) for a wild card to nationals should things not go as planned at Canada West final four. If the ‘Cats were to open with a loss on Friday but back it up with a win in the bronze-medal game on Saturday, the wild card surely would be theirs. Now, however, say the same scenario presents itself but Acadia doesn’t go and win the AUS, a conference that is far from a lock and very much up in the air (just see last season’s results). Well, welcome to the national championship, Axemen.

BU head coach Mike Raimbault isn’t a scream and yell type of guy. He won’t raise fire and brimstone, his on-court and in-public persona is what you’d expect of a 26-year-old freshman coach just trying to get his feet wet. He’s not timid, but he’s not likely to be the one to raise the question publicly and bring it to light. Which is fine, he’s got bigger things to worry about right now than how the other coaches in the country couldn’t remember rules they’ve been supposedly following for weeks, months and years.

I’d suggest Raimbault knows what kind of team he has. The kind of team that can take the tiniest slight and use it like He-Man’s Sword of Power, like they did last season: Insulted by not getting an all-Canadian recognition, or mentioned in a Globe and Mail story previewing the nationals, or the constant doubting.

I’d also suggest Raimbault — even if he isn’t wont to make a fuss — is also pointing at the No. 3 and making his team well aware of what that means. Not only is there the revenge factor involved in trying to knock off an Alberta team that has beaten them twice already, now the Bobcats have been provided some extra ammunition.

• • •

• Another note, regarding one of our comments on Wednesday’s post: I would tend to agree Ross Bekkering should have been there but there were likely a couple of factors at play. Just playing Devil’s Advocate here, but he could have been a victim of a heavy senior class that included Andrew Spagrud, Alex Steele, Erfan Nasajpour and Greg Wallis on the first team, and Adam Hartman on the second team. Bekkering also missed a small portion of the end of the season and was third on his own team in scoring at the end of the year.

Do these arguments warrant his exclusion? I don’t know, but perhaps that’s the logic.

I haven’t gone off the handle in a little bit, so allow me to do that now as I recap a few things that went down in the CIS the past couple of days:

• The Brandon Bobcats lost to the Regina Cougars last Friday and apparently paid for that loss four days later. The Bobcats were dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the national rankings despite the fact that playoff series are considered one game, as it relates to the rankings … at least that was the belief of everybody I talked to before Tuesday’s perplexing turn of events. Brandon went on to win that series, but still took a hit in the rankings as if the loss in Game 1 was being counted. If it’s regular season, fine. If it’s playoffs, it’s supposed to be the series that counts, not individual results. No one has explained this further and I’m still hoping for that explanation and I’m praying it’s not something as simple as “the coaches screwed up.”

• While we’re talking about coaches, have to chime in and say I disagreed with the selection of Alberta’s Don Horwood as Canada West coach of the year. I know, I know … far be it for anyone to ever say anything against people in the close-knit Canadian university community, but I don’t get it. No one here is questioning Horwood’s history as a great coach, one of the finest this country has watched for decades. But explain to me what the incredible coaching job that was done in Edmonton this season. The Bears went 16-6 this season, a one-win improvement from last. They didn’t finish first in their division, they had the fourth best record in the conference and they got swept in the division finals (which, to be fair, has no bearing on these awards, which are decided upon a couple of weeks prior).

Is Horwood retiring after this season? Is there a plan afoot to give him one last honour so he goes out on top? Listen, I have no beef with that team. I think the Bears are pretty darn good and have every chance in the world of winning a berth into nationals. I just simply don’t understand what it was that was so remarkable about this season that said to the other coaches “Wow, Don has really done something special there this season.” I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Alberta wins on Friday night, but I also wouldn’t say that all adds up to Horwood being COY.

Meanwhile, Calgary’s Dan Vanhooren watched his team improve by eight wins over last season and win the Central Division. It would be shocking to not see the Dinos in Ottawa given the set-up that’s in front of them.

Brandon’s Mike Raimbault had it tough, too. He took over a veteran-laden team that went 20-2 last season and just missed out on winning a national title. Doesn’t sound bad? Well, consider how exceptional a 20-2 record is in this conference — arguably the toughest in the country. So even if you go back and do it again (and the Bobcats did), people can say “well, yeah but you had almost the same team as last year.” There was an expectation there. Raimbault merely lived up to it (so far). That’s not all that enticing to voters, apparently.

UBC’s Kevin Hanson has brought his T-Birds back into the final four, the first time he’s had to go on without all-Canadian Casey Archibald. The T-Birds returned a good chunk of last season’s team but not Archibald, the unequivocal “team on his back” guy for UBC.

I don’t know if you can make a real case for Hanson, but here’s what the Canada West press release had to say about Horwood:

“Long-time Alberta bench boss Don Horwood is the conference Coach of the Year, as selected by his fellow coaches. Horwood, in his 40th year overall of coaching basketball, took the team to a solid 16-6 record, good for second place in the Central Division, and his Bears now have a spot in the Final Four at Calgary this weekend, where the two semifinal winners on Friday earn a berth to Nationals. He has taken Alberta to three national titles in his career, two second-place finishes and one bronze medal, while racking up 566 overall victories, 300 conference wins and a 70-56 playoff record.”

If we’re talking about coach of the YEAR, then that paragraph should have stopped after the words “at Calgary.” There is only one sentence — conveniently bolded for your viewing pleasure — that actually relates to this season. The rest is filler and wholly unrelated to the voting of coach of the year. No one will argue his historical impact, but you should be able to debate the fact there were better options for this season’s top coach.

• The more I thought about it, the more I was fine with Alex Steele being named conference MVP. The fifth-year guard was huge for the Bears and was regularly the guy talked about by other coaches, a sure sign you’ve got some juice in the conference. The other fact, I thought, was that there were some great players this season yet no one jumped out at you far and away over everyone else. You can shoot down most other suggestions: Anyone on Brandon (too deep, too many important guys); Henry Bekkering (see again depth, plus he was apparently only thought worthy of a second-team all-star); Andrew Spagrud (team was too flawed and not successful enough); Chris Dyck (big to his team, but is he the most valuable of them all?). If I honestly were to pick a runner-up to Steele, I’d probably side with Dyck. You saw how his team struggled when he wasn’t playing and the genuine lift he gave the Birds when he was in there.

• We’ll apologize if there exists a Scrum curse because it has apparently claimed the Windsor Lancers. Two days after appearing on our podcast, Chris Oliver and his Lancers were stunned by the Western Mustangs in the OUA West semifinal Wednesday night at the St. Denis Centre. The Lancers could very well be cooked now, but will be able to put their name in for a wild card to nationals. That would seem to be a very outside shot at best and Windsor has to hope all goes according to plan in playoffs everywhere else in the country. Even that likely won’t be enough.

• Count me as one who is now pulling for a Brock-Carleton OUA final. The Badgers pushed the Ravens to the wire back in December. Yes, it was in St. Catharines, but the Badgers aren’t a team that seems to have any fear of facing up against big bad CU. Brock head coach Ken Murray, for the record, said most teams go in hesitant against the five-time defending champs and that’s where Carleton dominates you. Don’t expect the Badgers to be filled with trepidation. They’ve seen it before.

Western, however, is surging and might have the bigs to match up well with Carleton should the Mustangs get by Brock. We’re not forgetting Ottawa either, but I still don’t trust them. I’m going Carleton-Brock in the OUA final with the Ravens pulling out an eight-point win.

An interview with Windsor Lancers coach Chris Oliver; thoughts on the upcoming Canada West Final Four; an episode of Blindside featuring thoughts on the Air Bud franchise, Mats Sundin, Sesame Street, and the Muppets. Plus, who was the better boy band: *NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys?

 

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The Canada West final four is set and this weekend’s divisional finals really just confirmed what we believed all along:Brandon, Calgary, UBC and Alberta are your four teams that will bid for the conference’s two berths (and possibly a wild card) into next month’s national championship tournament in Ottawa. Let’s recap the weekend that was and re-visit the picks of Swatter and Larks:

GREAT PLAINS DIVISION

#2 Regina at #1 Brandon

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Sawatzky: “Ultimately, I’m picking Yul Michel. … The second most important player will be Regina’s Jeff Lukomski.”
Larkins: “Brandon’s Yuri Whyms or — conversely — Regina’s Jamal Williams.”

The Verdict: Lukomski struggled shooting the ball, again, but he was excellent at creating for other players in Game 1. Michel, the fifth-year point guard, played with a chip on his shoulder on Saturday and Sunday, including a 12-point, nine-assist and seven-steal effort in Game 3. But the most consistent player on the floor was Whyms. He averaged a double-double, shot 66 per cent from the field and the Regina big men did very little in the way of keeping him from getting position.

Brandon will win because:
Sawatzky: The Bobcats have won 10 straight against the Cougars, the Brandon faithful will be out for blood, and a trio of ‘Cats are playing their final games at the BU Gym… all of it adds up to a sweep.
Larkins: There really has been something going on with Brandon on home floor. The Bobcats have won games by blowouts, by getting ahead big and then hanging on, and by grasping victory from games that look like sure losses. It’s arguably the best home-court advantage in the conference and that’s why they win.

The Verdict: The BU Gym was a nuthouse for much of the weekend but, in the end, you just have to say the better team won and leave it at that.

Final prediction (in games):
Sawatzky: Brandon in two.
Larkins: Brandon in three.

The Verdict: Larkins knocked this out of the park. Was there ever any doubt?

CENTRAL DIVISION

#2 Alberta at #1 Calgary

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Sawatzky: All year long, people have mocked Larkins and me for giving lots of love to the Bekkerings. You people are idiots. That said, I’m picking Alberta’s C.G. Morrison.
Larkins: Alberta’s Richard Bates.

The Verdict: Morrison went for 13 and 21 in those two games and knocked down six threes. Bates, was invisible on Friday and made a brief appearance to the tune of 11 points on Saturday. In the end, it was the Bekkerings after all: Henry and Ross both had dub-dubs in Saturday’s blowout and Henry finished with 29 ppg and 10.5 rpg for the weekend.

Calgary will win because:
Sawatzky: The Bekkerings are good dunkers.
Larkins: They’re at home and we need not remind you that they’ve pumped U of A twice on that floor (95-74, 98-73).

The Verdict: Some 2,500 people packed the Jack and Alberta once again came away with a 0 on its trip to Cowtown. Henry Bekkering had a couple of dirty windmill dunks in transition on Saturday. Call it a push.

Final prediction (in games):
Sawatzky: My gut tells me Alberta gets the job done. U of A in three.
Larkins: Calgary in two.

The Verdict: Back-back-back-back-back-back-back annnnnnnnddddd GONE. Larkins another round-tripper. Touch ‘em all Larks, you’ll never make a bigger prediction in your life.

PACIFIC DIVISION

#2 Victoria at #1 UBC

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Sawatzky: Blaine LaBranche knows how to get the job done.
Larkins: I’m cheating here and saying a thing rather than a person. The Vikes D is the most important thing in this series.

The Verdict: Push. LaBranche has been a nice addition off the bench but he was relatively quiet this weekend. Ten points on Friday followed by five on Saturday. Meanwhile, Vic’s defence gave the Vikes a chance in Game 1 but surrendered 87 points in Game 2.

UBC will win because:
Sawatzky: I just said… Blaine LaBranche knows how to get the job done.
Larkins: There’s more weapons and they can fill it up, not what Victoria wants to see.

The Verdict: UBC went on late runs and owned the Vikes in the fourth quarters.

Final prediction (in games):
Sawatzky: UBC in three.
Larkins: UBC in three.

The Verdict: Call this one an infield single.

About an hour and a half before tip-off here in Brandon between the Regina Cougars and home Bobcats in Game 2 of the Great Plains Division best-of-three series, so let’s get to a few thoughts from Game 1:

• First off, the Cougars. Not sure what to say about these guys after last night. For approximately 20 minutes of game time Friday night they did everything well: They were confident, they executed well in the half-court, they bogged down Brandon’s offence, they protected the basketball and they stunned BU. Then they looked utterly shell-shocked as they proceeded to blow a 29-point third-quarter lead and barely hung on for a win. But, that last word is the operative one. They got the win, in a VERY hostile environment and they came down and made a couple of clutch plays in the final moments to escape with Game 1.

Brandon, meanwhile, was borderline wretched save for its unreal comeback that nearly made you forget about everything before that. The Bobcats couldn’t knock down open looks, they seemed almost surprised that Regina had the gall to trap in the halfcourt — and do it aggressively — and they really didn’t deal well with the Cougars’ zone. Regina packed the zone in and did a good job of taking away the middle of the key, where the Bobcats athletes generally torch you because of their ability to penetrate and elevate. And when the Bobcats got down, they needed to be told that there were no 12-point shots. Their shot selection was suspect and they really did try to get it all back at once. When you’re in quicksand, fighting it just makes you sink faster and that is probably an apt analogy for the Bobcats’ panic on Friday.

That said, I don’t know what to expect when the ball goes up in an hour here. I think Regina is absolutely confident and collected, especially after getting a win. The Cougars, for most of the game, played like the favourite and you can perhaps chalk that up to really having no load on their shoulders — heck, no one but themselves gave them any chance in this series. So that would tend to tell you that they’ll be at ease again tonight.

However …

If they’re any kind of competitors (and I believe the are) the Bobcats have to be utterly miserable with the effort they put out in Game 1. I originally wrote in my story for Saturday’s paper (but subsequently dropped the reference) that they played like a team that felt it was pre-ordained to win the division. There was no sense they took the Cougars seriously. So I have to believe they come out blazing tonight if only because this is a team that famously gets its back up when there is any perceived slight. If the Bobcats take a punch, they generally want to respond with a head-butt.

The Bobcats were in this position — albeit with much different personnel — in 2004 when the Cougars won Game 1 after a particularly uninspired effort from the home squad. BU went on to win that series in three. The following season, however, the Bobcats weren’t as lucky, losing Game 1 and the series in three.

History will repeat itself somehow, but if the Bobcats don’t get their act together, it won’t be the one they’re hoping for.

Given the glorious success of last week’s predictions by Swatter and myself, we’ve gotten back on the horse and are throwing out some thoughts on the Canada West conference playoffs that begin this weekend. So here’s us telling you how it’s going down, hopefully with spectacular results:

GREAT PLAINS DIVISION

#2 Regina at #1 Brandon

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Sawatzky: I’m torn between Adam Hartman and Yul Michel, two fifth year guys playing their final games at the BU Gym. Ultimately, I’m picking Michel, because I don’t think there’s anyone on the Cougars who can contain him in transition and/or stop him from getting to the rim for steady stream of right-handed layups. The second most important player will be Regina’s Jeff Lukomski. He was 6-19 from the field in ast year’s Great Plains final, and the BU faithful were screaming for is head every time he touched the ball. Can he shut them up this time round?
Larkins: I’m throwing a bit of a curveball here and saying Brandon’s Yuri Whyms or — conversely — Regina’s Jamal Williams. If Whyms, and in relief Stevens Marcelin, can get theirs inside, the Cougars are going to be back on their heels. They’re going to have enough of a handful with BU’s backcourt, so if the big guys are also rolling for Brandon, that could make this a painful death to Regina’s season. On the other hand, if Williams — or even Kris Heshka — establishes himself and puts Whyms in foul trouble, well they’ve eliminated a weapon.

Regina will win because:
Sawatzky: Brandon is looking ahead to the Final Four (you have to think they’re going regardless of what happens this weekend).
Larkins: They can play the “no one believes in us” card and get fired up to be the team that no one is counting on to even win a game. Playing with a chip on your shoulder is a good intangible.

Brandon will win because:
Sawatzky: The Bobcats have won 10 straight against the Cougars, the Brandon faithful will be out for blood, and a trio of ‘Cats are playing their final games at the BU Gym… all of it adds up to a sweep.
Larkins: There really has been something going on with Brandon on home floor. The Bobcats have won games by blowouts, by getting ahead big and then hanging on, and by grasping victory from games that look like sure losses. It’s arguably the best home-court advantage in the conference and that’s why they win.

Final prediction (in games):
Sawatzky: Brandon in two.
Larkins: Brandon in three.

CENTRAL DIVISION

#2 Alberta at #1 Calgary

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Sawatzky: All year long, people have mocked Larkins and me for giving lots of love to the Bekkerings. You people are idiots. That said, I’m picking Alberta’s C.G. Morrison. Great name, and something tells me he’s going to catch fire from the perimeter.
Larkins: Alberta’s Richard Bates. The Calgary posts are a tough group to handle, but Bates is one guy who could help the Bears win the battles down low. Truly it will be a team effort to win those battles, but if the 6-foot-11 Bates has a big weekend, Alberta might have the road win.

Alberta will win because:
Sawatzky: Do I need to-rehash the Don Horwood conspiracy theory? No? Well, in that case, I’ll say Alberta wins because a bunch of my friends have already booked non-refundable flights to Calgary for the Final Four, and the basketball gods frown upon assumption. The drive from Calgary to Edmonton is almost as boring as the drive from Brandon to Winnipeg. Enjoy it, boys.
Larkins: Alberta — with Horwood as the figurehead — is more battle-tested. The Bears will find a way.

Calgary will win because:
Sawatzky: The Bekkerings are good dunkers.
Larkins: They’re at home and we need not remind you that they’ve pumped U of A twice on that floor (95-74, 98-73).

Final prediction (in games):
Sawatzky: I made two upset picks last weekend (Winnipeg and Saskatchewan)… but I didn’t actually believe either team would win. Somebody has to keep this site fun and interesting, and since Larkins isn’t bringing the razzle-dazzle, I tried to step up. This week, I’m going with my gut… and my gut tells me Alberta gets the job done. U of A in three.
Larkins: Calgary in two.

PACIFIC DIVISION

#2 Victoria at #1 UBC

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Sawatzky: When Blaine LaBranche played for the Bobcats in 2002-03… me, him, and Gene Shipley (he of San Jose City College fame) went to Boston Pizza one night for some grub. When the waitress brought us our cokes, Blaine couldn’t believe how thin the straws were. As such, he asked her to find us some thick straws. The waitress said they didn’t have thick straws. Blaine said they had to have thick straws somewhere. The waitress went to the back, and no less than two minutes later, she returned… with three thick straws in her hand. Moral of the story: Blaine LaBranche knows how to get the job done.
Larkins: I’m cheating here and saying a thing rather than a person. The Vikes D is the most important thing in this series. If UVic locks down and makes these games in the 60-70 point range, Victoria has a shot. If it gets to be more in UBC’s mode, then forget it. Victoria has to lock it down.

UBC will win because:
Sawatzky: I just said… Blaine LaBranche knows how to get the job done.
Larkins: There’s more weapons and they can fill it up, not what Victoria wants to see.

Victoria will win because:
Sawatzky: In a bizarre pre-game twist, Victoria coach Craig Beaucamp manages to convince UBC coach Kevin Hanson that this series is actually part of next month’s CIS National Championship. When Hanson relays this message to his team, it causes them to implode and the Vikes cruise to back-to-back 40-point wins.
Larkins: They’re one of the best teams (maybe the best) at taking teams out of what they want to do. Again, a defensive game is right up their alley and an absolute must for them to win this thing.

Final prediction (in games):
Sawatzky: UBC in three.
Larkins: UBC in three.

A preview of the Great Plains division final with Regina Cougars coach James Hillis; a recap of Wednesday’s episode of General Hospital; and an episode of Blindside featuring thoughts on curling, wrestling, Swatter’s drive to make the Canadian golf tour, and Crash Test Mommy. Plus, which of our hosts would fare better in an actual CIS game?

 

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Lost in the hubbub of the Canada West playoffs (read Larkins’ entertaining recap here) and the great Web Server Disaster of last week was one of the biggest stories of the year.

The Streak is over.

On the afternoon of Thursday, February 7^th I sat down to prepare a series of ‘quick hit’ questions that Larkins and I would tackle in between games on our broadcast that night. Sort of like Blindside, only about the CIS, and minus the Larkins rage. The Bobcats were hosting the Winnipeg Wesmen in the final regular season home game of the year, and it didn’t promise to be a very exciting evening. In the early game, you had the 0-20 Brandon women, losers of 87 straight conference games, facing off against a Winnipeg team with eight wins. In the nightcap, you had a Winnipeg men’s team minus Erfan Nasajpour and Dan Shynkaryk and a Bobcat team honouring a trio of fifth year players.

I’m no to going to lie: Calling Brandon University women’s basketball games for the past 7 years has not always been fun. From 2001-2003, the squad went 0-40 under Tami Pennell. The delightful Les Berry took over for a season and won four games, however, three of them were on the road (games we don’t broadcast). From 2004-2006, the program disbanded for reasons unbeknownst to the general populace (Larkins and I both refuse to acknowledge the Cheryl Kryluk Era ever happened). And then a young upstart from Winnipeg named Jaime Hickson took the head coaching position in the summer of 2006.

Larkins and I both like Jaime. We get along with her. We go for wings with her. We think the world of her. But her first season went as expected. When you’re taking over a team that – for all intents and purposes – ceased to exist the previous two years, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Hickson didn’t win a game in 2006-07. The Bobcats went 0-22, to be precise.

The expectations were high heading into 2007-08. Larkins predicted two wins in his annual Brandon Sun pre-season column. I predicted zero wins in my annual “MSN conversation with Larkins about what I think will happen this year.”

November rolled around, and the losses started to pile up… again. When the ‘Cats fell to the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack in early January – TRU, like BU, entered the game without a win – both of us gave up hope. A fourth consecutive winless campaign was a foregone conclusion. The Streak would be 89 at year’s end, and we’d be poised to crack triple digits in January of next year.

So, it only made sense that the first ‘quick hit’ question on our final broadcast of the year be about The Streak. “Triple Digits” screamed the TV graphic; “Will the BU women lose 100 straight?” declared the sub-heading. And trust me; it was more of a declaration than a question. BU was losing their final two games of the season, and there was absolutely no doubt about it.

Larkins and I do not hate the Brandon women’s team. Many people have accused us of this over the years – especially Larkins, who was once singled out at a press conference by a high-ranking BU official because he’d been “overly critical” of the team – but it’s simply not true. We’re not Chuck Swirsky-esque homers, but deep down, we want the team to succeed. We know the players. We see the coaches on a day-to-day basis. We know the struggles they go through, we understand the burdens they carry. But we’re also journalists, and broadcasters, and when we’re calling a game where one team is leading the other team by 40 points… well, it’s hard to come up with something “nice” to say.

6:00 p.m., Thursday, February 7^th. Game time. Brandon vs. Winnipeg. The Bobcats come out flat and trail 16-11 at the end of one. Usually, by the midway point of the second quarter, Larkins and I are keeping one eye on the court and turning most of our attention towards the BU men. Here we go again.

And then, a 13-0 Brandon run. A half-time lead. Hope.

The Bobcats hit shot after shot in the second half. Melanie Thompson, Allie Butz, Tanysha Robinson, the list of heroes goes on and on.

81-76.

Final.

A championship-like celebration ensued. Tears from the BU players, coaches, and fans (I think I even saw Larkins welling up a bit). A standing ovation from the Brandon faithful. Joy.

To make the story even more wonderful, they Bobcats went to Winnipeg two days later and beat the Wesmen again.

2-20 never sounded so perfect.

So, congratulations to the Brandon University women’s basketball program. You proved me wrong. You proved Larkins wrong (even though, technically, he did predict you’d win two games this year). And in the words of Jaime Hickson, you “proved the world wrong.”

I’m expecting a home playoff series next year. Please don’t let me down.

(Note: For your listening pleasure, here’s a six-minute audio highlight pack of the 81-76 win. I pulled this off our TV broadcast, but couldn’t figure out how to get the video to work. I’m an idiot.)

 

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The first round of the Great Plains Division playoffs are in the books and really they just proved what was already well known:

We truly have no idea what we’re talking about.

Nevertheless, a sleep-deprived Sawatzky and a near-comatose Larkins took their crack at prognostication on the weekend and came through with alarming incompetence. Well, that’s a bit harsh but let’s revisit the picks anyway, and see how things panned out:

GREAT PLAINS DIVISION

#3 Winnipeg at #2 Regina

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: Jeff Lukomski.
Sawatzky: Erfan Nasajpour.

The Verdict: Have to call Swatter the winner here … and his guy didn’t even play. Lukomski went a combined 2-for-14 from the field and mustered just nine points all weekend. Things won’t get much easier for him in Brandon this coming weekend where the local fans take a particular pleasure out of razzing him mercilessly. Nasajpour’s absence, however, was the big (and sad) story here. It’s not the way you want to see one of the best players in the country end his career and his not being in the lineup was huge. Winnipeg — with Dan Shynkaryk banged up too — just didn’t have the guns to compete.

Regina will win because:
Larkins: They don’t lose home games in the playoffs. Conspiracy theories or not.
Sawatzky: The games are in Regina, and everyone knows that the refs in Regina — how shall I put this — enjoy it when the Cougars win? Like to favour the home team? Are employed by the university?

The Verdict: Push. The Cougs did in fact manage a sweep and, look at it however you want, the Cougars went to the line for 16 more free throws on Saturday. Sunday FT rate was inconsequential as the Wesmen were out of it by halftime, down 21 and with just 32 points on the board.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: Regina in 3.
Sawatzky: Winnipeg shoots 15 free throws all weekend (to Regina’s 94), but emerges with a hard-fought series win. Wesmen in 3.

The Verdict: Larkins. At least picked the right team and didn’t stoop to the same tired joke in the process.

CENTRAL DIVISION

#3 Saskatchewan at #2 Alberta

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: Kyle Grant.
Sawatzky: Andrew Spagrud.

The Verdict: You could make the argument that Grant was because in the one game that Saskatchewan did win, Grant went for 17 points and hit five threes. The thought was the Huskies would need someone else to step up and, when they got that, they got a win. Spagrud, however, went for 24.7 points and nine rebounds per game, hardly something to gloss over. So who was the big X-factor? How about Alberta’s Andrew Parker? The ultra-athletic fifth-year senior put up 17 points on Friday and another 16 with nine rebounds in Sunday’s clincher.

Alberta will win because:
Larkins: The Bears are deeper, they’re at home and they’re going in having won four straight including at Vic/at UBC.
Sawatzky: Don Horwood secretly runs the Canada West conference. Also, I hear that Alex Steele is a pretty good basketball player.

The Verdict: The secret underground lair that Swatter believes exists aside, the Bears used home floor and bounced back with a solid effort on Sunday after a tough last-second loss on Saturday. Steele, meanwhile, averaged a not-so-insignificant 15.7 points per game.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: Alberta in 2.
Sawatzky: We’re bucking conventional wisdom and predicting the Huskies in 3. Another upset pick: Following their series victory, Saskatchewan coach Greg Jockims cracks a smile, his first of the season.

The Verdict: Larkins picks the winner but Swatter gets points for predicting a three-game series. No one, however, believes Jockims did eventually smile. There’s always next year.

PACIFIC DIVISION

#4 Fraser Valley at #1 UBC

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: Doug Plumb.
Sawatzky: Chris Dyck.

The Verdict: Once again a player notable in absentia. Plumb played 32 minutes on Friday but managed just five points and six turnovers and then put up six points in 34 minutes on Saturday. Dyck, meanwhile, put up 20 on Friday and had 11 with seven boards on Saturday. We’re giving a nod here to Blaine Labranche who was perfect from the field on Saturday and finished the weekend averaging 14 points per contest off the bench.

UBC will win because:
Larkins: No one particularly likes going to War Memorial during the regular season, never mind with the season on the line. Home court advantage plays big-time here.
Sawatzky: They’re a much better team.

The Verdict: Push. They are a better team and the Birds used their home floor to full advantage. We’re very excited for the Victoria/UBC series that now looms.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: UBC in 2.
Sawatzky: UBC in 2.

The Verdict: It wasn’t a difficult prediction really, but beggars can’t be choosers. We’re taking a bow for actually getting one right.

PACIFIC DIVISION

#3 Simon Fraser at #2 Victoria

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: A combo act: Six-foot-six Tyler Hass, 6-foot-8 Rob Kinnear and 6-foot-7 Mitch Gudgeon.
Sawatzky: SFU’s Jordan Nostedt, “because he’s from Brandon and his dad is my neighbor.”

The Verdict: Let’s not have Sawatzky making major decisions at 6 a.m. The results could be apocalyptic. Nostedt’s a good kid and if you ever are in Brandon and needing a car, Pops Sheldon Nostedt can hook you up. However, the Vic bigs had a heck of a series, namely Gudgeon and Hass. Gudgeon put up two double-doubles and Hass averaged 16.5 points per game.

Victoria will win because:
Larkins: They can lock down teams like no one else in the conference and are the winners of the Most Likely To Win With 40 Points Award.
Sawatzky: Riding on a ferry is detrimental to a person’s legs. How do I know this? Medical journals.

The Verdict: Let’s be real about this: Sawatzky hasn’t read a book without cartoons in it since his Grade 12 english class was assigned to read Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel. So he wasn’t exactly ripping through the New England Journal of Medicine any time recently. The Vikes allowed SFU to score 69 points on both nights, slightly more than what they allowed on average this season, but a good defensive number to be sure.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: Victoria in 3.
Sawatzky: Victoria in two.

The Verdict: For all his goofball antics, Swatter nails this one while Larkins thought too highly of the Clan.

Three divisional finals are now set and they could all end up being epic. We’ll return later in the week with our looks at Regina at Brandon, Alberta at Calgary and Victoria at UBC. Plus, we’ll slap you upside the head with another podcast on Wednesday. Look alive.

Hello all.

Well, we ran into some server issues this week, hence the lack of a podcast and/or anything else on here. But in the words of George Costanza, we’re back, baby!

Alright, enough shenanigans. It’s playoff time in the Canada West conference, and Larks and I have stepped up with a preview of what to expect from this weekend’s divisional semifinals. Larkins will play the straight man and actually attempt to provide you some insight, while I — the veritable prop comic of this entire endeavour — will gussy it up with my own brand of “humour.”

Here’s a breakdown of each series:

GREAT PLAINS DIVISION

#3 Winnipeg at #2 Regina

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: Simply for the sake of going against the trends, I’ll just go away from the obvious here and say Jeff Lukomski, the second-year shooting guard for Regina. Undoubtedly Erfan will control whether or not Winnipeg gets into the next round, but if the Wesmen watch the gunner from O’Neill light it up, they are in for trouble. Conversely, if he’s cold and never finds his touch, the Cougs are needing someone else to step up.
Sawatzky: Erfan Nasajpour. This series hinges on Erf’s health, and if he’s unable to go — or if he plays at less than 90 per cent — the Wesmen don’t stand a chance. The second most important person is Regina’s Bryden Wright. Will his bronzed skin be a distraction to the Wesmen? Only time will tell.

Regina will win because:
Larkins: They don’t lose home games in the playoffs. Conspiracy theories or not.
Sawatzky: The games are in Regina, and everyone knows that the refs in Regina — how shall I put this — enjoy it when the Cougars win? Like to favour the home team? Are employed by the university?

Winnipeg will win because:
Larkins: The Wesmen have played the last few games without Erfan and Dan Shynkaryk, so they know what it’s like to be short-staffed. Presuming they get those guys back — it’s the same as donuts on baseball bats — they’ll be swinging with added muscle.
Sawatzky: If Erfan is healthy, I have to believe he’s got at least one more spectacular playoff series in him. A prediction: he puts up 39/11/10 in a stunning upset Friday, has an off night Saturday (think somewhere in the ballpark of 11/4/2 on 3-21 shooting from the field), then rallies the troops with a 42/8/15 performance on Sunday.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: Regina in 3.
Sawatzky: Winnipeg shoots 15 free throws all weekend (to Regina’s 94), but emerges with a hard-fought series win. Wesmen in 3.

CENTRAL DIVISION

#3 Saskatchewan at #2 Alberta

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: Saskatchewan’s Kyle Grant. We know Andrew Spagrud will get his, but the Huskies are the road dogs in this series and are going to need something big from somewhere. Grant has that capability.
Sawatzky: Andrew Spagrud. Take everything I just wrote about Erfan, and substitute his name.

Alberta will win because:
Larkins: The Bears are deeper, they’re at home and they’re going in having won four straight including at Vic/at UBC.
Sawatzky: Don Horwood secretly runs the Canada West conference. Also, I hear that Alex Steele is a pretty good basketball player.

Saskatchewan will win because:
Larkins: Even money is on the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Spagrud actually tearing out someone’s still beating heart and feasting on it while also going for 30 and 15. That’s just me though.
Sawatzky: Spagrud — for all intents and purposes — is one of the best players I’ve seen in my seven years of following the CIS. If I’m him, I’m not ending my university career with a first round playoff exit. I’m averaging 30/15/5 and carrying my team into Calgary.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: Alberta in 2.
Sawatzky: We’re bucking conventional wisdom and predicting the Huskies in 3. Another upset pick: Following their series victory, Saskatchewan coach Greg Jockims cracks a smile, his first of the season.

PACIFIC DIVISION

#4 Fraser Valley at #1 UBC

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: Doug Plumb, Fraser Valley. He’s been a great addition to what was just an OK UCFV team prior to his second-semester arrival. He gives them an added scorer and at least a fighter’s chance, which is all the youngsters from Fraser Valley can ask for.
Sawatzky: Chris Dyck. He’s from Winnipeg. He seems like a nice guy. And he has a Mennonite last name, which makes him one of my favorite players in the conference, alongside David Neufeld of Saskatchewan, Devon Krahn of Fraser Valley, and half of the Trinity Western team (I’m assuming).

UBC will win because:
Larkins: No one particularly likes going to War Memorial during the regular season, never mind with the season on the line. Home court advantage plays big-time here.
Sawatzky: They’re a much better team.

Fraser Valley will win because:
Larkins: Who doesn’t like a Cinderella? And UCFV fits the glass slipper better than any other team in the post-season.
Sawatzky: Barnaby Craddock doesn’t know how to lose playoff games — unless a championship is on the line (see: last year’s Canada West Final Four and Brandon vs. Carleton). … Too soon?

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: UBC in 2.
Sawatzky: UBC in 2. Kevin Hanson was on the podcast more recently than Craddock, and the good karma will rub off on his team. Also, nobody is picking the T-Birds to do much of anything this post-season, so can’t you just see them going on a huge run, sweeping the Pacific division, winning the conference (again), and dethroning the Ravens* in front of 10,000 naïve bandwagon jumpers in Ottawa? Yeah, me neither.

PACIFIC DIVISION

#3 Simon Fraser at #2 Victoria

The most important player in the series will be (And why):
Larkins: A combo act: Six-foot-six Tyler Hass, 6-foot-8 Rob Kinnear and 6-foot-7 Mitch Gudgeon. Hass and Gudgeon are both seniors and Kinnear is a fifth-year senior. Combined they give the Vikes a frontcourt that can neutralize the effectiveness of SFU’s bigs, namely Greg Wallis.
Sawatzky: I’m working on these questions at 6 a.m. and I’m starting to lose interest. Let’s go with SFU’s Jordan Nostedt, because he’s from Brandon and his dad is my neighbor.

Victoria will win because:
Larkins: They can lock down teams like no one else in the conference and are the winners of the Most Likely To Win With 40 Points Award.
Sawatzky: Riding on ferry is detrimental to a person’s legs. How do I know this? Medical journals.

Simon Fraser will win because:
Larkins: The slow-down, drag out halfcourt game isn’t a bad thing for SFU either. As an underdog they want to keep it close to give themselves a chance, and then hope Wallis or one of their other leads steps up when needed.
Sawatzky: Riding on a ferry is good for team morale.

Final prediction (in games):
Larkins: Victoria in 3.
Sawatzky: Victoria in two.