ACAA Basketball Championship Men's Preview
The field is set for the ACAA Basketball Championship as regular season comes to an end. St. Thomas will host all the action from March 3-5 at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym.
With 12 teams hitting the court, here is what you need to know from all six competing teams from the Men's side.
St. Thomas University Tommies (13-5)
The Tommies have gone through their ups and downs during the 2022-23 season before narrowly finishing the regular season in the first-seed. Winning their first four games of the season, STU went through a cold streak to end their fall semester, losing three of their final four games. With two of those losses coming to the Crandall Chargers, STU opened their winter semester with a bounce back win over the Chargers. They proceeded to go 9-2 over the course of the winter semester, including two huge wins over the Holland Hurricanes. Finishing with the same 13-5 record as the Hurricanes, STU earned the top-seed due to winning the season series 2-1.
The high-flying Tommies, led by head coach John Hickey, put up some of the best offensive numbers in the league - scoring 91.9 points per game, the second highest. They hit the century mark in four games of their 39% shotting from beyond-the-arc - the highest in the ACAA.
ACAA veteran Geoffrey Lavoie and reigning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Gayo Isaya will play a key role in how successful the Tommies will be over the weekend. Lavoie put up 16.7 points per game this season while Isaya, who can match up with anyone on the court, averaged two steals a game.
The Tommies will get a first-round bye and will match up with the lowest advancing seed from Friday's quarterfinals and will open their Championship chase Saturday at 5:00 PM.
Holland College Hurricanes (13-5)
The Hurricanes are a dangerous team heading into the ACAA Championships this weekend - only losing five games this season, Holland's biggest loss was only by nine points, losing 101-92 to the Tommies. Their 13-5 record earned them a first-round bye and the second-seed in the ACAA.
Tim Kendrick is at the helm for the Hurricanes. His team are legitimate threats in nearly every aspect of the game. Holland averages the most points per game in the ACAA at 99.6, shooting 45.2% from the field, both the highest in the ACAA. Defensively, the Hurricanes storm their opponents with 13.2 steals per game, also highest in the league, only allowing 85.4 points per game.
Kyree Thompson leads all Hurricanes in scoring with 20.4 points per game, Thompson can get to the free-throw line with ease and scores in high volumes, including a 36-point performance against the Blue Devils. The rookie worked his way into the starting lineup and ran with his opportunity, averaging 25.3 points per game in seven games as a starter.
The Hurricanes begin their battle Saturday night at 7:00 PM against the highest advancing seed from Friday's quarterfinals.
Crandall University Chargers (12-6)
The Chargers look to make some noise heading into the ACAA Championships, establishing themselves as serious title contenders during the regular season. Crandall made a statement to end the winter semester, heading into STU's house in an 87-75 win over the Tommies. The Chargers beat the Tommies just a few weeks prior and the Mystics by double-digits.
With Todd McKillop in charge for Crandall, his team has significantly improved from their 2021-22 campaign. The Chargers doubled their win total and improved to the best defense in the ACAA, only allowing 75.7 points per game.
James French and Brett Curtis leads the way for the Chargers - both former ACAA champions with the 2020 Mounties squad. French nearly averages a double-double - leading Crandall in scoring with 14.6 points per game and grabbing 9.4 rebounds per game. Devon Glenn is also a threat, averaging 14.5 points per game.
The Chargers take on the UKC Blue Devils in the quarterfinals on Friday at 3 PM. UKC defeated the Chargers in their last matchup on Feb. 18, 82-81. Crandall took the other two matches by scores of 78-68 and 61-55.
Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics (12-6)
The defending champions head back to where they snagged the 2021-22 Championship from the Tommies. After a Cinderella run last year, the Mystics have carried their success over into a well-played 2022-23 season, defeating all three teams ahead of them in the ACAA standings.
Danny De Palma, a veteran head coach, leads MSVU to the third highest scoring average in the league at 85.6 points per game, shooting at the highest field goal percentage in the league at 46.4%. The Mystics have made their presence in the paint known all season, as they thrive at getting second chances at about 11 offensive boards each game. Their 2.4 blocks per game is the most in the ACAA.
Will Spaulding will be key to the Mystics shot at back-to-back titles. He's scored high numbers all season, scoring past double-digits in all but three games - finishing the year at 17.6 points per game. The sharpshooter hit a three in every game but one, including four against the Hurricanes in a 35-point performance.
The Mystics take on the Mounties on Friday at 5PM in their quarterfinal game. They swept their season series against MTA 3-0 in the regular season.
Mount Allison University Mounties (9-9)
The Mounties ended their regular season campaign at a .500 record - a sight that could easily fool anyone at first sight. The Mounties have proven to be just as good as any team in the ACAA, defeating the top-2 Tommies and Hurricanes this season.
Steve Chapman, head coach of the Mounties, has been in high pressure situations enough to lead the Mounties back to another ACAA Championship. With their last title coming in 2020, the Mounties didn't get a chance to compete at the CCAA Nationals - they'll be motivated to earn another shot. They've grabbed the most rebounds in the league at 41 and offensive boards at 14.
The Mounties feature the leading scorer in the ACAA in Noah McCarthy. McCarthy is cold blooded and lives for the clutch moments - he hit the game winner against STU and put up 40 against the Hurricanes in 95-94 win. He finished the season with 21 points per game pace.
MTA faces the Mystics in their quarterfinal matchup on Friday at 5PM. In three matchups with MSVU this season, they've yet to beat them.
University of King's College (4-14)
UKC enters the ACAA Championship tournament as the underdogs, a role they've already thrived in. The Blue Devils, who will see the Chargers in their quarterfinal matchup, escaped with an 82-81 win over Crandall in their last meeting.
Luc Stevenson, the Blue Devils head coach, has had stints with multiple teams around Canada, including Red Deer and Medicine Hat College before his most recent stint with Acadia University. His team excels at limiting second-chance opportunities, grabbing the most defensive boards in the ACAA at 27.6.
Corson O'Rourke leads the tenacious Blue Devils with 7.8 rebounds per game throughout a season where he recorded several double-doubles.
Full Tournament Schedule:
Friday March 3
11:00am - Women's Quarter-Final 1 - MSVU Mystics (3rd) vs Crandall Chargers (6th)
1:00pm - Women's Quarter-Final 2 - STU Tommies (4th) vs UKC Blue Devils (5th)
3:00pm - Men's Quarter-Final 1 - Crandall Chargers (3rd) vs UKC Blue Devils (6th)
5:00pm - Men's Quarter-Final 2 - MSVU Mystics (4th) vs Mount Allison Mounties (5th)
7:30pm - ACAA All-Conference Banquet (for championship participants)
9:30pm - Championship Coaches Meeting
Saturday March 4
1:00pm - Women's Semi-Final 1 - Mount Allison Mounties (1st) vs lowest advancing seed
3:00pm - Women's Semi-Final 2 - Holland Hurricanes (2nd) vs highest advancing seed
5:00pm - Men's Semi-Final 1 - St. Thomas Tommies (1st) vs lowest advancing seed
7:00pm - Men's Semi-Final 2 - Holland Hurricanes (2nd) vs highest advancing seed
Sunday March 5
1:00pm - Women's Final - Winner Semi 1 vs Winner Semi 2
3:30pm - Men's Final - Winner Semi 1 vs Winner Semi 2