By: Dwayne Tingley
The defending champion Dalhousie Tigers have been challenged throughout the entire AUS regular season and head coach Rick Plato expects the same in the conference playoff tournament.
"Everyone who makes the playoffs have identical records and it is sudden death—you lose and you're done," said Plato, who has coached the Tigers for seven years after serving at the help of the Mount St. Vincent Mystics for 25 years.
"There is no such thing as an easy game so no matter who we play, we will have to be at our best," he added. "To be successful, we must do what we have all season, but be better and consistent, play 40 minutes and simply be healthy, and, just a little lucky."
The Tigers, who have won four of the last five AUS championships, finished first in the conference with a 19-1 record.
The Tigers and second-place StFX X-Men (11-9) have earned first-round byes in the Subway AUS Basketball Championships, co-presented by PepsiCo Canada and Keep it Social, scheduled for this weekend (Feb. 28-March 1) at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
Men's tournament play begins on Friday at 3 p.m., when the fourth-place Saint Mary's Huskies (11-9) meet the fifth-place Memorial Sea-Hawks (8-12).
The third-place UNB Reds (13-7) clash with the sixth-place Cape Breton Capers (8-12) at 8:30 p.m.
Semifinals are set for Saturday at 3 and 8:30 p.m. and the championship game will tipoff Sunday at 4 p.m. The winner will advance to the U SPORTS championship March 5-8 in Ottawa, Ont.
"I have tremendous respect for every coach and team in this conference so to have the success that we have had to this point, it is a testament of the commitment, work ethic and teamwork of our student-athletes," said Plato, who was named AUS coach of the year this season.
"They are tasked with a wide variety of demands and expectations so I am pleased that they can see the positives of their individual and collective efforts."
Third-year guard Keevan Veinot—league MVP and an AUS first team all-star—led the Tigers this season with an average of 15.6 points per game. He finished eighth in league scoring.
Steve Konchalski, who is finishing his 45th season as head coach at StFX, said the Tigers are the clear pre-tournament favourites, but noted anything can happen in one game and the X-Men feel confident against any opponent.
"This season has been a growing experience for our young X-Men team with several younger players playing a significant role and finding their way," said Konchalski, who has guided StFX to six Atlantic and two national championships.
"This resulted in some ups and downs along the way, but at this point I feel we have the formula for success that the team has bought into and is executing with some consistency, particularly at the defensive end of the court," added Konchalski, who has announced next season will be his last as the head coach.
"We need to get back in transition to minimize easy buckets and win the rebounding table."
Fourth-year forward and AUS first team all-star Azaro Roker led the X-Men and was third in conference scoring with an average of 17.6 points per game.
UNB head coach Brent Baker said the Reds will be emphasizing defence and "executing at a high level."
"There are no easy outs in the AUS and each squad possesses its own challenges so preparing for each team, especially on a weekend when you may face two different opponents makes for a tough week of preparation," Baker said.
"A number of coaches have done a great job keeping their squads in the hunt despite not playing with a number of their best performers (because of injuries)."
AUS second team all-star shooting guard Chris Spurrell was fourth in league scoring with 17.5 points per game.
Saint Mary's head coach Jonah Taussig says the Huskies will be competing hard and giving themselves a chance to win in a very difficult conference.
"We need to get out in transition, and we need to rebound as well because we are a pretty small team," Taussig said.
Third-year guard and AUS first team all-star Johneil Johnson led the Huskies with 16.1 points per game. He was sixth in league scoring while AUS second team all-star Qyemeh Gibson was seventh with 15.7 points per game.
The Sea-Hawks have battled injuries all season long and had a full lineup for the first time on the final weekend of the season.
"Hopefully, the experience a lot of guys were able to get while we were dealing with injuries will help us be a deeper team and help guys be ready to contribute when we need them," said Sea-Hawks head coach Peter Benoite.
"To be successful, we will have to play smart, control our turnovers and make sure we control the boards," he added. "If we do that, play together and move the ball, I believe we can make a run in the playoffs."
Fourth-year centre and AUS first team all-star Cole Long of the Sea-Hawks finished second in league scoring this season.
AUS second team all-star guard Osman Omar of the Capers was this year's AUS scoring champion, averaging 20.6 points per game.
Capers head coach Matt Skinn said his team struggled with inconsistency for most of the season and they will be looking to make amends at the championship.
"We had some really great moments against great teams, and then the opposite as well," said Skinn. "We have to limit second chances by our opponents and hitting some perimeter shots will help us. We must play at our pace through our defensive intensity."
Skinn said the conference's depth means it is unfortunate that only one team will gain a berth in the national tournament.
The stakes are high this weekend as teams compete for not only the conference title but the lone guaranteed spot at the U SPORTS Final 8 championship.