Mac men prep for CIS championship

The McMaster men’s basketball team is on their way to Ottawa for the CIS championship.

They have the unenviable task of facing the Carleton Ravens in their their first game Friday afternoon. The 2nd seeded Ravens, have won 9 of the last 11 national championships, but are coming off a loss to the Ottawa Gee Gees in the OUA final. The Ravens, led by three-time national player of the year, Philip Scrubb, beat Mac in November on their way to a perfect 22-0 regular season. The Marauders, who pride themselves on their depth, were smoked by Ottawa in the Wilson Cup semis, but rebounded to beat Windsor for a berth at the nationals.

According to head coach Amos Connolly, Carleton’s strength is largely dependent upon one main player — three-time CIS outstanding player Phil Scrubb.

Last week in the OUA final four, McMaster lost their first game to the top-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees, but handily defeated the Windsor Lancers in a game that showcased the team’s great depth.

Head coach Amos Connoly said. “I think they really did it on the backs of three guys off the bench. I think Adam Presutti, Trevon McNeil and Leon Alexander were really, really good off the bench. So if we have that kind of depth and we can bring that level of play off the bench, that bodes well for us.”

Rookie guard Trevon McNeil said. “Because our bench is so deep, I feel that’s so difficult for other teams to scout. Some teams usually scout 5 or 6 players. But for us, you have to scout everybody down the bench because we can all play half a game on any given day.

Connoly said. “I think it’s better for us to play a team that we know but haven’t played recently. Ottawa beat us pretty soundly on Friday so it’s probably better to get some separation from them right now. So, I think the matchup’s perfect.”