The Carleton Ravens have looked vulnerable in a couple of games this season which has led some bloggers on the net to downgrade their chances of winning another CIS title. However, the thirty point massacre over a strong Windsor team on their home court last weekend should have silenced their critics fast. Until someone actually defeats the Ravens in league play, they are undoubtedly still the cream of the crop and the odds on favourite to again win the championship in March.

The Toronto Varsity Blues back court duo of Rob Paris and Nick Magalas are a treat to watch. They carve up defenses regularly with their shooting. The Varisty Blues run great offensive sets which emphasis their ability to create their own shots. They are as good a back court as can be found in the CIS this year.

The Lakehead Thunderwolves are much improved over last season as they have added more size, depth to their young roster. After a few last place finishes they definitely look like at least middle of the pack contenders this year and will be especially tough at home if they get the kind of raucous support from Thunder Bay basketball fans they used to be famous for. This team has a very bright future.

The OUA West has a bumper crop of freshmen this year. Brock's Clinton Springer-Williams and McMaster's Ryan Christie have certainly stood out for me. Others who show great promise is Windsor's Josh Collins and Enrico DiLoreto, Guelph's Matt Howlett, Laurier's Max Allin and Lakehead's Ryan Thompson, who has dropped about thirty pounds and is much more mobile than he ever was as a high school player. This is a very deep group of talent and should ensure the conference remains strong for the next several years.

Nice to see the York Lions finally win their first game of the season last week. It has been a steep decline over the past three seasons for a once great basketball program. I'm sure veteran coach Bob Bain, who is nearing retirement, would like to go out on a winning note but they look like they will barely make the playoffs this year if they don't improve over the next few months.

The St. Lawrence College Vikings are off to a great start in the OCAA this year as they are ranked first in the CCAA as of mid-November. Long time coach Barry Smith has built a very strong roster including a lot of former high school stars from Toronto and Ottawa. They have excellent depth size and quickness and have a great shot at a national title if they can get out of the always tough OCAA. Their main opposition appears to be a veteran Humber crew, Fanshawe, Algonquin and Sir Sanford Fleming College in Peterborough.

The best freshmen in the OCAA this year is water bug point guard Adrian Tomlinson, a 5'9" point guard from West Hill H. S. in Toronto. He is a superb scorer and passer who came to St. Lawrence after a very short stint at a JUCO in Florida. Their loss has been a Viking gain. I doubt if Tomlinson will be at St. Lawrence College very long before some university scoops him up.

Despite heavy graduation losses and many defections to prep schools Peel Region basketball will remain strong this year. Everyone seems to be focused on the Toronto teams but the Edmund Campion Bears will be very strong this year with five starters returning and some talented juniors coming up to senior. They have a very talented back court of Jordan Clennon 6'2" and Jayden McDonald 5'10". Both young men are able scorers and are as quick a back court pairing as any in the province.

Has parity finally come to Ontario high school basketball? Toronto area powers West Hill, Pickering, Henry Carr and Mother Theresa have a all lost heavily to graduation and prep schools. Overall, most of the teams are still very good but not the super teams we are used to seeing from the GTA in previous years. This gives hope to teams in other parts of the province that they are more competitive than in the past. It has been ten years (1999) since a team from outside the GTA won Quad "A" OFSAA.

With the huge amount of Ontario ballers headed south to prep schools this year, the talent left in the province is a decidedly ordinary group with very few impact players available to CIS teams. Those universities looking for talent will have to dig deeper into the high school scene and really do a thorough evaluation job to get some diamonds in the rough from this year's class.

OUA teams looking for a sleeper forward who has really improved this year need to look no further than Vicrum Kailey 6'5" from Oakville Holy Trinity H. S. Kailey looks like a poor man's Manny Sahota who recently signed with Cornell. Kailey is mobile, runs the floor well and has very good offensive skills. He has also dropped forty pounds from his frame over the past two years. He is a classic late bloomer who could be a very good CIS player given time to develop.

Oakville's Holy Trinity point guard Jordan Catterall is one of the quickest players in the province and is a lock down defender. He has improved his perimeter shooting this year. Right now he is a carbon copy of McMaster point guard Jermaine Decosta. If Jordan works hard on his shooting and it improves even more, he could be a very good CIS lead guard. He also has great upside as a wide receiver in football.

The best basketball player west of Hamilton is Jordan Gauthier, a 6'2" combo guard from Herman H. S. in Windsor. He is a good student and could be an impact player in the CIS but wants a scholarship south of the border. He will be Windsor's "Mr. Basketball" this season.

Outstanding perimeter shooters are always in demand for university teams and two of the best in the province are Tecumseh St. Anne's guard Travis Turnbull 6'0" and Woodstock H. S. guard Jack Beatty 6'3". Both can change the outcome of games quickly and both are high on the radar of a number of CIS team's for next year.

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