As November draws closer and closer, so does the start to the Dalhousie University basketball season.
Both men’s and women’s basketball teams are well into their pre-seasons as they await the start to their Atlantic University Sport (AUS) seasons with a road trip to StFX scheduled for Oct. 30.
This season finds the two teams on polarizing ends.
The men’s team is coming off an AUS championship winning season, but have lost their three top scorers including AUS most valuable player Malcolm Christie. The Tigers are welcoming seven new recruits to the team headlined by 6-10 post Austin Thomson — which fills a need of size the team had last year.
On the other hand, last year the women’s team endured its second straight winless season, but found a new star in AUS Rookie of the Year Kaitlyn Ferrier. Sydney Guker-Wickie, the second leading scorer last season, is returning for her fifth year of eligibility, while Simona Matic adds another year under her belt as the team’s point guard.
Men’s team
It’s clear from the jump for the men’s basketball team to succeed it will need to score throughout their lineup, and head coach Rick Plato knows this.
“It’s not going to be like we’re going to count on Malcolm [Christie] to score 25 points per game like last year,” Plato said. “That’s not going to happen.”
Besides Christie, the Tigers have lost the likes of Sam Maillet and Nginyu Ngala, two AUS all-stars at some point in their college career.
Instead the Tigers will be led by a handful of veterans such as Dolu Johnson, Lydell Husbands-Browne and Jayden Parker, along with a ton of young talent. Expect the likes of Spencer Riar and Gabe Damey to lead the offensive charge as they garner experience in the AUS.
But if coach Plato wants you to do one thing, it’s to not count out the Tigers.
“If people in this conference haven’t learned that no matter what we lose or who we’ve got, that at the end of the year we’re going to be there, then they need their head read,” Plato said.
Husbands-Browne, one of the most experienced players on the team and the oldest at 22-years-old, knew he would have an increased role this year, but perhaps underestimated how vital he would really be.
“This year I’m being relied on,” Husbands-Browne said. “If I come out of games, and I shoot poorly, that’s not going to go over well.”
However, Husbands-Browne is up to the task and wants to be an AUS all-star, but foremost wants to win.
“I think that says a lot,” Husbands-Browne said. “If you can withstand losing guys, coming in and leading them to wins.”
Dalhousie has not yet been able to win a game in pre-season but has gone against the likes of Laval University, the reigning national champions, and top ranked teams such as the University of Victoria and the University of Calgary. During those games and during off-season play Husbands-Browne has been impressed with freshman Drake Kucharik who scored 18 points against the University of Alberta, and twins Caleb and Riley Stewart.
Women’s team
It is only up from last year for the women’s basketball team.
During their first pre-season game, the Tigers ended their winless streak against Queen’s University, a team that lost the Ontario University Athletics championship and competed at nationals the year prior.
Kaitlyn Ferrier who starred in her first year at Dal, said she noticed a difference in the level of intensity this year as they welcomed nine new players to the team including a post, which they didn’t have last season.
“This season is going to go completely differently,” Ferrier said.
The team has its eyes set on making the playoffs, which would be for the first time since the 2018-19 season. They will also welcome back Mercy Olugu who missed the last half of the 2023-24 season, Eva Widmeyer who enters her sixth season with the squad and Sarah Valley, the long range sniper.
In her second season with the Tigers, Ferrier is starting to feel the pressure compared to in her rookie season where the bar was set low, but her goal for the season is to be an AUS all-star.
Once November comes there is no doubt that the Dalplex will be bumping again until the season ends in February.
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