Courtesy Chris Cochrane, The Chronicle Herald
AUS men’s regular-season basketball is heating up, and just in time for post-season tournament organizers.
At the club level, there’s been no let-up in the hot rivalry between St. F.X. and Cape Breton universities, as seen in last Wednesday’s 101-98, double-overtime Caper win in Antigonish. Once again, there’s just no calling it between the conference’s two dominant regular-season teams, and many expect their final clash of the year will be for the AUS title.
But post-season glory shouldn’t be restricted to the conference’s two leaders. Last week, St. F.X., Cape Breton and Dalhousie ranked nationally in the Top 10. And don’t be surprised if high-scoring Saint Mary’s emerges as a legitimate contender, as it so often seems to do by tournament time.
Several star players have made it worth buying a ticket to AUS games this season. The most notable of late has been Saint Mary’s Joey Haywood, who put up a 46-point effort to tie Mickey Fox’s 1973 single-game Huskies mark. That’s pretty special.
But there’s one other important group that should benefit big-time from all the exciting triumphs on the court and that’s the AUS hosts for the conference’s Final 6, to be held March 4-6, and the CIS Final 8 on March 11-13. Yes, both tournaments are back in Halifax in the same year and the dog-eat-dog nature of the local conference can be a huge selling point.
"If we have a conference that’s performing well and three, four or five teams performing at a high level, where it’s anyone’s game in a given night, that creates excitement in the marketplace and excitement across the country," said AUS executive director Phil Currie of the importance of a competitive AUS basketball division.
The Final 6 tourney was moved to Sydney last year due to a scheduling conflict at Metro Centre, and the Final 8 was finishing up its three-year run in Ottawa, so it was a dry March for those itching to see local university basketball action.
he Final 8 is returning for a two-year contract and the Final 6, which gained greater prominence during the Final 8’s stint in Ottawa, will again call Metro Centre home this year.
Local CIS basketball pride is bursting now that both tournaments are back, and early ticket sales are expected to reflect that pride. In fact, court-side tickets are almost sold out for the Final 8.
Final 6 basketball fans from across the Maritimes and Final 8 enthusiasts from across the nation are eager to show how much they’ve missed their tournaments in the city that once hosted nationals for 24 consecutive years.
It’s fair to say that many Final 8 fans regard Halifax as THE host for nationals. It has history here and the tournament creates an atmosphere of good-natured rivalry and fun that’s hard to beat. The weak attendance numbers put up during the event’s three-year stay in Ottawa are proof of that.
"We’re pretty happy with it so far, considering we’ve been out of the market for three years with the Final 8 and we’d moved the basketball (AUS Final 6) last year," Currie said of all the early excitement.
"The event sales are fantastic."
There was local disappointment when Ottawa originally won the bid to host the Final 8. The tournament’s return, even for only a two-year stint before it goes back to Ottawa, temporarily fills what had become a glaring hole in the local sports calendar.
"The people who love basketball, love basketball," said Currie. "They’re excited to again have them both back-to-back in this market."