A large majority of Canada West Conference women’s basketball coaches believe the Saskatchewan Huskies will be anxious to overcome last year’s playoff disappointment.

The U of S received 13 of 17 first place votes in the pre-season coaches poll to out-point defending champion Alberta. Saskatchewan lost to the Pandas in the semi-final round following a 17-3 regular-season. On the men’s side, the Huskies finished ninth out of 17 teams in the coaches’ pre-season poll. Victoria received 14 of 17 first place votes to finish on top of the poll. Following are the news releases from the Canada West Conference…..

WBB: Huskies lead preseason poll

Defending champion Alberta Pandas take second spot as season kicks off Thursday

Nov. 1, 2023 – Coaches from across Canada West have once again voted the Saskatchewan Huskies as favourites this season, as the conference has released its 2023-24 women’s basketball preseason coaches poll.

The Huskies topped the poll in commanding fashion with 13 first place votes. Defending conference champion Alberta placed second and received three first place votes, while last year’s runner-up Calgary Dinos were third and also received a first place vote.

The regular season schedule kicks off Thursday night with Brandon visiting Manitoba, with a full slate of games to follow on Friday and Saturday.

Saskatchewan will be hungry to get back on top of the conference after suffering playoff disappointment last season. The Huskies enjoyed a terrific 17-3 regular season campaign before ultimately being upset by Alberta in the semifinals. They’ll be led by forward Carly Ahlstrom, the 2022 Canada West MVP who returns for her fifth year. Ahlstrom averaged 19.8 points per game last season and also represented Canada this summer on the 3 x 3 national team.

In Edmonton, expectations are high for a Pandas team coming off their first Canada West title, and as the host for the upcoming U SPORTS Championship in March. For the Pandas to remain among the best in U SPORTS, they will need forward Claire Signatovich to again be one of the best players in the nation. Signatovich was named the Canada West and U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, while also contributing offensively to the tune of 13.8 points per game and 12.6 rebounds per game.

After reaching the CW final, expectations will also be high for the the Calgary Dinos. With a young group that features six newcomers, the team will look to the veteran leadership of fourth-year local product Mya Proctor. Last year, Proctor played a big role in helping Calgary earn its third trip to nationals in the past five seasons,

UFV set to host CW WBB Championships

The UFV Athletic Centre will be rocking next February as the UFV Cascades welcome the conference’s best women’s basketball talent to the Fraser Valley. The championship tournament moves to a single-site location this year, which will create an exciting atmosphere for fans and teams alike.

“Given the great history of high school and club basketball in the Fraser Valley, we plan to invite all ages to experience the excitement of competition in a smaller venue,” says Steve Tuckwood, Cascades Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation. “Adding live entertainment, great food, participation of our alumni and our community, we will be able to showcase Canada West’s amazing athletes to our fans and the basketball enthusiasts we have in the Valley.”

UFV came in fourth in the pre-season poll and will look to enter the tournament as a title contender. The Cascades went 14-6 last season and were nationally ranked for most of the year. Head coach Al Tuchscherer indicates the program will return every player for the 2023-24 season, including first team Canada West all-star Maddy Gobeil.

View the complete 2023-24 Women’s Basketball schedule here.

2023-24 CW WBB PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Team – Points (First-place votes)

Saskatchewan Huskies – 253 (13)
Alberta Pandas – 240 (3)
Calgary Dinos – 228 (1)
Fraser Valley Cascades – 207
Regina Cougars – 191
UBC Thunderbirds – 181
Victoria Vikes – 163
UBCO Heat – 148
Mount Royal Cougars – 140
Trinity Western Spartans – 136
UNBC Timberwolves – 97
Manitoba Bisons – 94
Lethbridge Pronghorns – 70
Winnipeg Wesmen – 63
Thompson Rivers WolfPack- 50
MacEwan Griffins – 40
Brandon Bobcats – 21

NOTE: Coaches ranked all opponents 1-16. First-place votes worth 16 points, second-place worth 15 points, etc.

MBB: Victoria tops preseason poll

The 2023-24 CW basketball season tips-off Thursday

Nov. 1, 2023 – After going back-to-back last season, the University of Victoria Vikes will once again enter as the favourites when the 2023-24 Canada West basketball season tips off on Thursday.

The Vikes received 14 first place votes in the preseason coaches poll and will be looking for a rare three-peat, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in CW men’s basketball for over 38 years. They’ll once again be led by Diego Maffia, the reigning CW Player of the Year who led the nation with 24.9 points per game. The hometown Victoria product will look to continue his domination as he enters his fourth year, and is also coming off an impressive debut season with the CEBL’s Vancouver Bandits.

Looking to halt the Vikes’ reign will be west coast rival UBC, who placed second in the poll and received two first place votes. The T-Birds will field a well-rounded roster led by fifth-year forward Brian Wallack, who is coming off a season where he averaged 18.8 points per game.

The two Manitoba based programs took third and fourth in the poll, with the Winnipeg Wesmen landing third and the Manitoba Bisons placing fourth. The Bisons also received a first place vote.

The Wesmen will look to build off last year’s conference final and U SPORTS final eight appearance, led by fourth-year guard Shawn Maranan. The local product averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 assists per game last season while leading Winnipeg to a 15-5 record and a memorable semifinal win over rival Manitoba.

Across town, the Bisons will look to reigning U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and All-Canadian Simon Hildebrandt to push them toward a conference championship. The 6’9 home grown Winnipeg product led the Herd to an 18-2 regular season record in 2022-23, and is coming off a successful summer of pro basketball with the CEBL’s Winnipeg Sea Bears.

Bisons to host CW Men’s Basketball Championships

All roads lead to Winnipeg as the Manitoba Bisons are set to host the 2024 Canada West Men’s Basketball Championship from Feb. 21 to 25. The postseason tournament moves to a single site this year, hosted inside the Investors Group Athletic Centre.

View the complete 2023-24 Men’s Basketball schedule here.