The VIU Mariners basketball teams will each play a string of exhibition games against high level opponents before opening the regular season on Oct. 20. (VIU Mariners)

By Dan Marshall

Final Tune Ups

VIU basketball teams gearing up for PACWEST season

Oct 13, 2023 | 10:04 AM

NANAIMO —The basketball teams at Vancouver Island University are playing a flurry of exhibition games to get ready for the fall portion of the regular season.

The men’s squad has three games in three days from Friday, Oct. 13 to Sunday, Oct. 15.

Coach Matt Kuzminksi said a game versus the University of the Fraser Valley and two against Keyano College will be difficult tests.

“They’ll be really tough opponents, UFV being a U-Sports team and last year Keyano was number one ranked in our league, slightly ahead of us. It’s two different teams that are going to give us two different looks.”

The Mariners won PACWEST silver and earned a CCAA national bronze medal last season.

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Kuzminski said the team has a much different look now.

“More so than previous years there’s significant changes. We lost four of our top players who were all stars. We go from last year being a very athletic, physically dominant team to this year we might not be the same in that regard but we might have a higher ceiling for shooting, skill level and hopefully to execute our offense.”

Who the starting five will be in the season opener isn’t clear yet but for Kuzminski no matter who is on the court the end goal is still the same.

“The expectation without a doubt is to compete and win a national championship. We really focus on the standards we need to bring to the table every single day. We want to show up with a great level of effort, we are a competing team, we are a communicative team. All those little things we talk about daily and we place a lot of emphasis on.”

The men host UFV Friday at 5 p.m. and then have a double header with Keyano on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, the women’s squad tipped off at home versus Keyano in a preseason game Thursday, Oct. 12, which VIU won 64-52.

They travel to Simon Fraser University on Saturday and see Keyano again at VIU Sunday.

The VIU women’s team had a phenomenal 2022-23 campaign with gold medals in PACWEST provincials and CCAA nationals.

Both Mariners clubs start the regular season on the road with a two game set at Douglas College on Oct. 20 and 21.

The home openers are slated for Oct. 26 and 27 versus Capilano.

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