It’s that time again.
The OUA men’s basketball playoffs begin tomorrow (Feb. 20), with four first-round games that will decide who advances to the quarter-finals.
Here’s our preview.
OUA East
Carleton Ravens (first place, 22-1) and Ryerson Rams (second place, 21-2) receive a bye.
Queen’s Golden Gals (fifth place, 12-11) at Laurentian Voyageurs (fourth place, 13-10)
Season series: 1-1
Queen’s 87-80 win on Jan. 4
Laurentian 85-72 win on Jan. 26
Who to watch
Queen’s: Jaz Bains
Bains, a fifth-year guard from Brampton, leads the Golden Gaels in scoring this season with 19.3 points per game.
He was an OUA Third-Team All-Star last season after three seasons with the St. Lawrence College Vikings, where he was an All-Canadian, OCCA player of the year in 2015-16 and OCAA rookie of the year in 2014-15.
Laurentian: Kadre Gray
Gray has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Huskies, averaging 31 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
The 6-foot-1 guard from Toronto is the OUA’s leading scorer by a mile, and the reigning U Sports player of the year.
York Lions (sixth place, 8-15) at Ottawa Gee-Gees (third place, 15-8)
Season series 1-1
Ottawa 92-58 win on Jan. 18
York 78-67 win on Feb. 9
Who to watch
Ottawa: Guillaume Pepin and Gage Sabean
Pepin, a freshman 6-foot-6 forward from Montreal and Sabean, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Port Williams, N.S., lead a balanced attack for the Gee Gees.
Both averaged about 15 points per game during the regular season.
York Lions: Chevon Brown an DeAndrae Pierre
Brown and Pierre have shouldered much of the scoring load for the Lions this season, forming a potent backcourt with a mix of youth and experience.
Pierre has 13 ppg as a freshman combo guard, starting 18 games this season. Brown has 14.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a senior in his fourth year of eligibility.
Brown, a 6-foot-1 guard from Toronto, spent two seasons at ASA College, a junior college in Brooklyn, N.Y., before joining York in 2017-18.
OUA West
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (first place, 18-6) and Western Mustangs (second place, 16-8) have a first-round bye.
Lakehead Thunderwolves (sixth place, 10-14) at Brock Badgers (third place, 16-8)
Season series: 1-1
Lakehead 94-74 win on Feb. 15
Brock 73-72 win on Feb. 16
Who to watch
Brock: Cassidy Ryan and Johneil Simpson
Ryan, a 6-foot-7 forward from Mississauga, Ont., had 20 points and nine rebounds in Brock’s victory over Lakehead.
He also had 20 points, five rebounds and a steal in a loss to Lakehead the previous evening.
Simpson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Toronto, is Brock’s second all-time leading scorer and fourth in the OUA this season with 20.5 points per game.
Thunderwolves: Lock Lam and Isaiah Traylor
Lam, a 6-foot-9 forward from Ottawa, is the Thunderwolves’ defensive anchor.
He had 19 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and a steal in the loss to Brock on Feb. 16, after an 18/6/5 performance the previous day.
Traylor, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Tupelo, Miss., played NCAA Division I before joining Lakehead, and is the Thunderwolves’ leading scorer this season.
Guelph Gryphons (fifth place, 11-13) at McMaster Marauders (sixth place, 11-13)
Season series: 1-1
McMaster 97-80 win on Jan. 11
Guelph 77-75 win on Feb. 13
Who to watch
Guelph: Tommy Yanchus and Malcolm Glanville
Yanchus (senior guard from Guelph) and Glanville (sophomore guard from Toronto) have been an effective one-two punch for the Gryphons, both averaging roughly 17 points per game during the regular season.
McMaster: Connor Gilmore and David McCulloch
Gilmore, a senior forward from Etobicoke, Ont., has been remarkably consistent this season, averaging 16.4 points and eight rebounds per game.
McCullough is a crafty fifth-year guard who moves well with and without the ball. Good spot-up shooter who can create his own shot off the dribble. He averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists during the regular season.
