GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Nov. 5 & Saturday, Nov. 6
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Opponent: Regina Cougars
Location: Saskatoon, Sask.
Venue: Physical Activity Complex
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Coming back to Saskatoon for the first time in a long-time, the undefeated University of Saskatchewan Huskies are back at the PAC for their home-openers this weekend.
This is a new-look Huskies team and they earned a nod of approval from the rest of the west prior to the season tipping off. The Huskies were ranked second in the Canada West preseason coaches poll.
That rank is partially thanks to a trio of incomers. Tyrese Potoma, Nervens Demosthene and Marquavian Stephens are all new to the program and each showed their stuff on the weekend. But also back are the likes of Chan De Ciman, Emmanuel Akintunde and Alexander Dewar, mainstays who will be vital in Saskatchewan's success this season.
Fellow returnees Noah Nickel, Maxwell Amofao and Kessler Bishop all figure to play healthy minutes in secondary roles on a Saskatchewan program with legitimate aspirations of reaching their first U SPORTS Final 8 since 2014-15.
But there's a long journey that remains until nationals and this weekend that route winds through Saskatoon for the first time.
Last weekend, Saskatchewan did what they were supposed to do. They took care of business with convincing double-digit wins over Brandon. 94-75 and 91-75 victories to open their season.
However, Regina presents a tougher task. They were ranked sixth in the Canada West preseason coaches poll. The Cougars figure to be the Huskies toughest opponent in this five-team east division, which also comprises Brandon, the Manitoba Bisons and the Winnipeg Wesmen.
But this is a team that Saskatchewan has had a fair amount of success against. The Huskies have defeated the Cougars in four of their six seasons over the past two seasons. Regina has won just twice in the Bridge City since the 2007-08 season, with Saskatchewan holding a 15-2 record over that span. They'll look to continue their winning ways against their provincial rivals this weekend.
5ish Things:
- Saskatchewan will be playing their first games on home court since Feb. 14, 2019 - 629 days.
- Demosthene, a 2019-20 RSEQ First-Team All-Star, was solid in the first Canada West action of his career with 16 and 18-point performances in the opening weekend sweep. The Terrebonne, Que. product is one nine Huskies who could make their PAC debuts this weekend.
- This is a veteran-laden Cougars roster, which returns the likes of Benjamin Hillis and Carter Millar, who was a Canada West Second-Team All-Star last season. Millar had 24 and 15-point performances this past weekend, as the Cougars split their opening weekend in Regina against the Winnipeg Wesmen.
- If the early going tells us anything, when Regina is rolling, there's a good chance Brayden Kuski is too. Kuski, a fellow returnee, was 4-10 from downtown on Friday night when the Cougars won by eight, but he was 0-5 from deep the following night as they lost by eight. Look for Saskatchewan to try and eliminate the free-firing Kuski this weekend.
- What better way to round out five things then highlight Huskies head coach Barry Rawlyk starting-five from this past weekend, which featured Demosthene, Stephens, Amoafo, Potoma and Akintunde.
