2023 U Sports Men's Basketball Championship Explained

Custom Title:2023 U Sports Men's Basketball Championship
Year:2022-23
Season:2022-23
Teams:8
Finals Site:Scotiabank Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Champions:Carleton Ravens
Title Count:17th
Runner Up:St. Francis Xavier X-Men
Coach:Taffe Charles
Coach Count:3rd
Mvp Label:Tournament MVP
Mvp:Aiden Warnholtz
Mvp Team:Carleton
Attendance:40,092
Television:CBC[1]
Prev:2022
Tournament Link:Men's Final 8
Next:2024

The 2023 U Sports Men's Final 8 Basketball Tournament was the 60th edition of the U Sports men's basketball championship, a postseason tournament to determine the national champion of the 2022 U Sports men's basketball season. The tournament started on March 10 and ended with the bronze-medal and championship games being played on November 12 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[2] [3]

The defending champion Carleton Ravens entered the tournament ranked third, following a loss in the Ontario provincial championship game to the Ottawa Gee-Gees. However, the Ravens overcame three teams in this tournament, including Ottawa in the semi-finals, and the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in the first ever double-overtime final, to claim their 17th national title.[4]

The game set a record for the highest number of points scored by a single team in the championship game (men or women)—109—and the highest number of combined points in the title game (men or women)—213.

Both the Carleton men’s and women’s teams won the national titles in basketball this season, something no school had accomplished since 1985, when the Victoria Vikes were double champions. It was Carleton's fourth straight crown, 11th of the last 12, and 17th of the last 20. They remain the winningest top division school in Canada or the United States.

Venue

The tournament was held at the Scotiabank Centre for the fourth time in seven years, and was the 33rd time the tournament was played in Halifax.[5]

The tournament was hosted by St. Francis Xavier University, the second time the school hosted the championship, after previously doing so in 1968.[6] St. Francis Xavier was originally awarded the hosting rights for the 2021 championship, but that tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[7] [8]

Participating teams

align=left Seedalign=left Teamalign=left Qualifiedalign=left align=left align=left
1 Canada West Champion 17–3 1997 8
2 OUA Champion 17–5 None 0
3 OUA Finalist 18–4 2022 16
4 AUS Champion (Host) 17–3 2001 3
5 OUA Semifinalist (At-large berth) 17–5 None 0
6 RSEQ Champion 10–6 None 0
7 Canada West Finalist 15–5 None 0
8 AUS Finalist 15–5 None 0
[9] [10]

[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CBC Sports to broadcast U Sports national championships for next 4 years . . September 20, 2021.
  2. Web site: U Sports Calendar . May 17, 2022 . May 26, 2022 . usports.ca . U Sports.
  3. Web site: Atlantic University Sport releases 2022-23 winter sports schedules . . May 19, 2022.
  4. Web site: Ravens work overtime, soar to record 17th W.P. McGee Trophy with epic win over X-Men . usports.ca . . March 12, 2023.
  5. Web site: November 2, 2015 . CIS men's basketball: ArcelorMittal Dofasco Final 8 to return to Halifax in 2017 and 2018 . U Sports.
  6. Web site: Men's Final 8 History . usports.ca . 29 May 2017 . . May 26, 2022.
  7. Web site: U Sports announces hosts for 2019-2021 Men's and Women's Basketball and 2019-2020 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey National Championships . . February 1, 2018.
  8. Web site: U Sports unable to offer national championships in winter 2021 . usports.ca . . October 15, 2020.
  9. Web site: Playing Regulations: Men's Basketball . . September 2022.
  10. Web site: Victoria named top seed for the first time since 2006, Queen's takes final spot . . March 5, 2023.