By Bill Cowin
Once again the Ryerson Rams have been slighted in their quest for basketball glory.
This week the CIAU announced the two wild card recipients to round out the eight team field for the national basketball championships, taking place this weekend in Halifax.
The field is comprised of six conference champions—Victoria, Brandon, Guelph Gryphons, Toronto, Concordia, and Cape Breton—along with two wild card teams, this year’s winners being Alberta and McMaster Marauders.
It came as no surprise that McMaster was given the nod over Ryerson but the numbers just don’t add up.
Ryerson finished with a record of 7-5, while McMaster was 11-3. The OUAA West used to be the class of the CIAU but not anymore. This year the OUAA East proved to be stronger with much more parity. THe East had four quality teams (Ryerson, Toronto, Laurentian and Ottawa) which knocked each other off during the season. In the West, Guelph and McMaster topped the division. Both the Gryphons and the Marauders beat up on the inferior opposition and, when it counted, Guelph proved to be the best of the division. The Gryphons beat the Marauders three times this year, twice handily.
It should also be noted, as Rams’ coach Terry Haggerty pointed out in Monday’s Toronto Sun, the numbers favour Ryerson. Toronto and Ryerson combined for a 6-1 exhibition record against Guelph and McMaster, the only loss coming when the Marauders edged the Rams by 12 points early in the pre-season schedule. Ryerson, Toronto and Laurentian also combined for an 18-4 record against the West division.
Add all this up and the Rams should be making their first-ever trip to Halifax, but once again they’ve been denied. The unfortunate thing is, with the tournament-style play of the Nationals, McMaster has an opportunity to win a title they don’t deserve. It’s a shame that we can’t decide national championships on the playing field, rather than in a boardroom.
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