The George Brown Huskies men's basketball team are one of eight teams in Calgary looking to continue their journey to the top at the CCAA National Championship. The squad is in search of the program's first gold medal since 1975.
The Huskies first round opponents are the PACWEST Champions in the Capilano University Blues on Thursday, March 16th at 8:00 pm (EST).
This marks the third National Championship the Huskies have qualified for in the last six seasons. A big reason why they qualified this time around is their all-around team play and depth. Offensively, led by Jeremiah Brown and Derrick Taylor, nine players average over 7.5 points per game, while none average more than 12.2 points. In addition, despite no true number-one scorer, the team ranked top five in points per game (95.7), FG percentage (47.2%), three-point percentage (31.7%) and assists per game (18.1).
The team is as dominant without the basketball. Third-year head coach Jason Dawkins takes advantage of his depth by distributing the minutes across the board. As a result, 11 players average over 10 minutes per game. This consistent rotation keeps his players fresh and energetic on the defensive side of the ball. During the season, they ranked first in the conference steals per game (16.6) and second in points allowed (70.4), opponents' field goal percentage (39.1%) and opponents' three-point percentage (26.2%).
The Blues' best player is fifth-year guard Tyrone Asenoguan. He leads the team with 22.3 points and 4.3 asissts while grabbing 5.8 rebounds.
The Huskies have only dropped two games the entire season and look to bounce back from the gold medal match against the St. Clair Saints.
Derrick Taylor has been a consistent threat for the Huskies on both sides of the ball. The second-year forward averages 12.2 points, seven rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals per game. He was named an OCAA East Division First Team All-Star for his outstanding play.
The guards that will be very impactful at Nationals for the team are fifth-year guards Chris Fields, Robert Ocampo, and fourth-year guard Caldre Campbell. This trio will be floor generals for Dawkins. All three offer different and unique skill sets to keep opponents on their toes. All of them play exceptionally well defensively.
Taylor and Campbell have a track record of elevating their play on the biggest stage throughout their Huskies career. In 2020, they played privital roles in the Huskies claiming the program's first Provincial Championship since 1976. Fast forward to last weekend; both were named OCAA Championship All-Stars.
If the Huskies get by the Blues, they will match up against either the Sait Trojans or Holland Hurricanes.
All action begins on Thursday, March 16 at 8:00pm. You can watch every second by clicking here.
