blogsketball

We interrupt this discussion of the NBA and the 20 000th League Under the NBA for a couple of quick, off-season updates about Ottawa OUA Basketball.

As has become a regular occurrence over the last few years, NCAA teams will once again be heading north of the 49 to take on CIS schools as both sides prep for their respective seasons. With the six-time defending national champion Carleton Ravens based out of Canada’s Capital University, the two Ottawa-based teams always seem to attract some big names for some August games.

This year is no exception as the Ravens and the Gee-Gees from Canada’s University (and Ottawa’s best) will play host to a couple of good NCAA teams, including the defending NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks over the Labour Day long-weekend. South Alabama is the only other school that has been announced as the other school coming here thus far, but typically three teams are invited up to play over that weekend so it’s probably a safe bet that one more Div I school will be added to the roster.

While that announcement is pretty exciting on it’s own, there’s actually another one that has more impact on basketball in Ottawa. That is the fact that Montpetit Hall, the rather boring home court of University of Ottawa teams, is going to be refurbished. After some snooping around it seems that a new seating plan is going to be used, some club seats are going to be added and that an entirely new set of bleachers put in. While these probably won’t be the equivalent of an amazing new gym, it’s encouraging to see that the school is at least putting some money into the facilities.

In some other OUA off-season related news:

• North Carolina State, UNC-Charlotte and Penn State will be playing the York Lions over the Labour Day long-weekend in more NCAA-CIS action
• Carlos Brown was told he wouldn’t be returning to coach the Women’s Gee-Gees after leading them the a 3-13 OUA record and suffering the defection of four veteran players before last season.
• The Waterloo women’s team will have former SFU assistant coach Tyler Slipp take over behind their bench as head coach next year.
• Canada’s summer Universiade men’s basketball team will feature a trio of Ontario coaches as Humber College’s Darrell Glenn,  UO’s Dave DeAveiro and Guelph’s Chris O’Rourke will try and grab another medal.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled professional basketball ramblings.