The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team hosts the Lakehead Thunderwolves in OUA playoff action this Wednesday, February 22 at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game also being streamed live on OUA.tv. Advance tickets are on sale
here. U of T students are FREE with a valid T-Card.
A Head-to-Head Look:
The Varsity Blues finished the regular season in second place in the OUA East with an 11-8 record, claiming fifth in the RPI standings, to earn their first home playoff game since 2011.
Meanwhile, Lakehead finished third in the OUA Central division with a 6-13 record, to sit 12th in the RPI standings setting up the first home playoff game for the Blues at the state-of-the-art Goldring Centre.
U of T went 1-0 versus the Thunderwolves in the regular season, defeating the Northern opponent 74-64 at Goldring Centre on Jan. 7.
Blues to Watch:
Two-time OUA all-star Devin Johnson has once again proven to be one of the most effective offensive threats in the OUA, finishing second in the OUA scoring race averaging 20.5 points per game. The Ajax, Ont. native also became just the third player in program history to surpass 1200 career points in his fifth season as a Varsity Blue. Johnson has also proven to be strong on the boards, leading U of T in rebounding with 6.7 rebounds per game.
The strong wingman will be supplemented by a pair of capable guards in Sage Usher and Reilly Reid. In his third season running the point, Usher has proven to be a field general for the Blues. The Toronto native leads the team in assists (44), while also contributing effectively from behind the three-point line, ranking seventh in the OUA in three-point percentage (42.5) this season.
Meanwhile, Reid has brought a slashing style to the U of T offensive attack, which has allowed the Assumption College transfer to become the Blues second leading scorer with 11.8 points per game. Reid has also delivered at the defensive end, showing success even when found in a positional mismatch.
Thunderwolves to Watch:
Athletic forward Bacarius Dinkins has been the key focal point for the Thunderwolves in 2016-17, nearly averaging a double-double with 15.8 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game. Dinkins success on the boards allowed him to finish in the top five in the OUA in offensive rebounds (56), defensive rebounds (125) and total rebounds (181). Meanwhile, Dinkins adds a defensive presence, ranking fifth in the OUA in blocks this season with 25.
Beyond the frontcourt monster, the Thunderwolves will rely on a pair of versatile guards in Henry Tan and Mor Menashe. The duo averaged 12.7 and 11.1, respectively, with Tan serving as the teams main facilitator with 58 assists and Menashe delivering as a defensive disruptor with 20 steals.
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