Pilots men’s basketball hoping for American success
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This article was published 01/12/2023 (597 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Providence Pilots men’s basketball team is dreaming of championships beyond Manitoba.
While they’re still aiming for a three-peat in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC), the program is hoping to taste victory in the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC) and the National Christian Colleges Athletic Association as well.
The Pilots have gotten off to a perfect start, at least in Manitoba action. The team is 5-0 after a pair of blowout victories over the St Boniface Les Rouges.
“I think the team chemistry is really good,” head coach Pierre Dubreuil said after a 100-53 victory Nov. 25.
“Guys seem to to really enjoy each other’s company and have fun with each other. We have an older group this year, a few of the guys are transfer from either USports or some teams in the U.S.”
It’s a roster full of familiar faces at point guard and centre, but the team is feeling the loss of Joshua Armstrong, who was their best offensive wing last season.
His absence has opened the door for players like second-year Fort St James B.C.’s Raphael Rhys Maestre, who has looked good driving in the half-court.
“He can do it all,” Dubreuil said on the shooting guard, praising his work on both ends of the court, including taking a charge in the fourth quarter against St Boniface.
“Games where we really need him to step up, he’s going to do it. He can bring any defender to the rim, and he’s also a very good shooter.”
The Pilots have been able to double-down on size as well, at times playing a double-big lineup with fourth-year Riley Paul and second-year Emmanuel Oleko (both listed at 6’7).
“It’s hard to get size,” Dubreuil said.
“Getting size (with) basketball IQ, shooting ability, finishing at the rim, shot blocking, all of this combined in two players is really pleasing… They are the heart and soul of this team.”
The Pilots have taken a page out of the women’s team’s book, playing a more aggressive, pressing style this season compared to last year.
“We don’t want them to have time to set up their offense, and have too much shot clock,” Dubreuil said on the team’s goal when pressing.
While things have gone swimmingly in Manitoba, the team is 1-1 in NIAC play, with match-ups against Turtle Mountain, a community college based out of St John, North Dakota, this weekend. That action will be the final games before Christmas for the basketball teams at Providence.
“We want to prove we belong in the discussion in the U.S., and we can compete for a championship down there,” Dubreuil said.
It was a weekend filled with Providence defeating St Boniface across the board. Between basketball and volleyball, the Pilots went 8-0 against Les Rouges, including back-to-back straight sets victories for both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams.
The Pilots will return to the AMF Fieldhouse at the Niverville Rec Centre, as they host Assiniboine Community College Dec. 1. The floor is now repaired after flooding this summer forced the college to play games inside Niverville High School to start their season.