The defending CCAA national champion Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s basketball team begins defense of its title this week as a new ACAC season tips off. Meanwhile, the Kodiaks men’s team has its own championship aspirations as the club will host the Cora Breakfast and Lunch ACAC Men’s Basketball Championships from March 1-3 in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
The Kodiaks men’s team will host the ACAC championship tournament for the first time in program history. It is the second straight year that the ACAC championships have come to Lethbridge College, after hosting the women’s tournament last season.
In 2016-17, the Kodiaks men’s team finished the season 15-6, in third place in the ACAC south division. In the playoffs, they upset top-ranked Medicine Hat College before earning a conference silver medal. They went on to finish tied for fifth at the CCAA national championship tournament in Prince Edward Island.
The team hopes to build off its accomplishments this season, led by returning ACAC all-star Cory Richardson (fourth year, Business Administration) who will guide the offense from the point, versatile Pierce Val Gaalen (fifth year, General Studies) who can play anywhere on the floor and power forward Keanu Funa (second year, Business Administration). While the team lost firepower with Chris Maughn and Robert Myles III moving on, recruits Cole Crick (fourth year, Business Administration), Mike Clemons (fourth year, Exercise Science) and Daniel Lybbert (second year, General Studies) bring previous post-secondary experience to help bolster a team that returns most of the rest of its core.
“We've made the playoffs in each of my six seasons here as head coach, however southern Alberta fans have never seen an ACAC men's playoff game in Lethbridge during that time,” says Kodiaks men’s basketball head coach Ryan Heggie. “We are excited to host and we feel that when March comes, our team will be ready to make another run at a banner. Our ACAC south division plays a very good brand of ball and it is very tough to win on any given night, but we’re ready to go.”
The Kodiaks women’s team put together one of the greatest seasons in Canadian college basketball history in 2016-17, going a perfect 37-0, winning both the ACAC and CCAA championships. But, it was an off-season of turnover for the club, as long-time head coach Brad Karren retired and three of the top players in the country – ACAC MVP Logan Moncks; CCAA tournament MVP Sunder West; and four-time ACAC first team all-star Emma Lowry – all finished their ACAC careers.
Former Kodiaks all-star and long-time assistant coach Deanna Dotts replaces Karren as head coach. While on the court, the team will lean heavily on returnees Amy Arbon (fifth year, General Studies), Jaclyn Heggie (fourth year, General Studies) and Shayna Mathison (third year, Interior Design Technology) to help fill holes, while bringing in a strong group of recruits to help build for the future.
“Coming off a national championship season, and losing six of our top nine players, we are looking to rebuild and redefine who we are as a team,” says Deanna Dotts, Kodiaks women’s basketball coach. “We have a balanced core, with a talented incoming class who will all need to step into new roles when the season begins. This group will be fundamentally sound and will have the growth potential to work our way to the playoffs.”
The Kodiaks basketball season preview is available here
The Kodiaks open the season with home games against Briercrest College on Friday, as the women tip off at 6 p.m., followed by the women at 8 p.m. at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, youth and alumni, $3 for college employees and free for students. The Kodiaks then travel to Medicine Hat College for games on Saturday evening.