The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team head to the nation's capital on Wednesday (Feb. 25) night to challenge the No. 7 nationally ranked Carleton Ravens in an OUA semifinal showdown.

This marks the second time over the last three seasons the Varsity Blues have reached the OUA Final Four, achieving a semifinal appearance last during the 2023-24 campaign. The Blues earned their spot in the semi-final after back-to-back postseason upsets over nationally ranked opponents. U of T entered the OUA playoffs as the 11th-seed after finishing the regular season with an 11-11 record (W-L). The underdog Blues then proceeded to knock off the sixth-seed Queen's Gaels in a first round playoff match-up and third-seed Western Mustangs in the OUA quarter-final round, defeating both the No. 10 and No. 9 U SPORTS nationally ranked teams along the way. Aiming for a third straight win over a nationally ranked opponent, Toronto will look to once again utilize their strong defensive play and comprehensive offensive attack to repeat the impressive feat. Defensively, U of T ranked in the OUA Top 10 in opponent field goal percentage, making opponents earn every basket. This included a focus on disrupting opponents at the three-point line, holding the second best opponent three-point percentage (26.8) in the province. This has been crucial to Toronto's postseason run as they have seen the most three-point attempts against through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the offensive side has featured numerous contributors at different times, showcasing the depth of talent and team basketball played by the Varsity Blues this season. Third-year forward Simeon Jeffers and fourth-year centre Nigel Hylton have been consistent performers, with Jeffers leading the way at Queen's and Hylton delivering a career-high at Western over the last two games. Guards Rohan Scott-Smith, Mikey Ballout, and Nathan Bureau have been pivotal in rotation with each other, while centre Panashe Dumbu has provided the Blues with a physical presence in the paint.

A perennial powerhouse in men's basketball, the Ravens have once again shown themselves to be one of the top teams in the OUA and a national contender after finishing the regular season with a 17-5 (W-L) record and entering the postseason as the second-seed overall. Carleton received a first round bye as one of the Top 4 teams in the province, and then defeated the Lakehead Thunderwolves in dominant fashion, earning a 73-58 quarter-final victory. Despite the strong season overall, the Ravens did see a dip late in their season dropping three of their last four regular season games before the playoff bye. However, the combination of veteran leadership, strong on-ball defenders, and interior size always allow them to be a threat. Guard Marjok Okado has been a standout offensively this season registering the second most three-pointers (59) in the OUA, while leading the Ravens averaging 15.5 points per game. Meanwhile, the combination of 6-foot-9 Louth-Mohamed Coulibaly, 6-foot-8 Emmanuel Ngo Kana Suzama, and 6-foot-6 Cedric Mbiaba will create tough match-ups inside on either end of the court.

Meeting one time this season in mid-January, the Blues dropped an 80-50 road contest at Carleton. They immediately followed that with an upset win over the nationally ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees, once again displaying their ability to knock off any of the top teams in the country this season. Toronto's last win over the Ravens came in January 2023. If they win on Wednesday, it will mark their first appearance back in the OUA Wilson Cup since 1996. Tip-off for the OUA semifinal is set for 8 p.m., with the game streamed live on oua.tv.

SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 8 p.m.
Ottawa, Ont. | Ravens' Nest
Live Stats
Watch

2025-26 STAT LEADERS
Toronto
Points per game: Simeon Jeffers | 15.8 ppg
Rebounds per game: Nigel Hylton | 6.8 rpg
Assists per game: Rohan Scott-Smith | 3.9 apg
Blocks per game: Panashe Dumbu | 1.0 bpg
Steals per game: Mikey Ballout | 1.2 spg

Carleton
Points per game: Marjok Okado | 15.5 ppg
Rebounds per game: Louth-Mohamed Coulibaly | 8.3 rpg
Assists per game: Aubrey Dorey-Havens | 4.7 apg
Blocks per game: Emmanuel Ngo Kana Suzama | 0.8 bpg
Steals per game: Marjok Okado | 1.1 spg

HISTORY
Last Five:
Jan. 16, 2026 | Carleton 80, Toronto 50
Jan. 10, 2025 | Carleton 86, Toronto 59
Feb. 9, 2024 | Carleton 82, Toronto 70
Jan. 20, 2023 | Toronto 56, Carleton 54
Feb. 26, 2022 | Carleton 80, Toronto 63