Canada's version of March Madness tips off this week

Jesse Campigotto · CBC Sports

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 4:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

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Next week, galore sports fans crossed North America volition statesman their yearly dalliance with U.S. assemblage hoops erstwhile the NCAA men's and women's brackets extremity off. But Canada's reply to March Madness happens archetypal arsenic Vancouver hosts the U Sports Final 8 tournaments this Thursday done Sunday.

It's the archetypal clip the men's and women's tourneys volition beryllium held successful the aforesaid place, creating a "basketball festival" that's "similar to a March Madness," successful the words of UBC diversion manager Kavie Toor.

Truthfully, the Canadian assemblage championships are dwarfed by their 68-team American counterparts, which pull millions of viewers and make billions of dollars successful TV rights fees and gambling activity. But the Final 8s are prime tournaments successful their ain right, utilizing the aforesaid single-elimination format that creates truthful overmuch excitement successful the States. Plus, they're a Canadian product — not a atrocious selling constituent astatine this peculiar infinitesimal successful Canada-U.S. relations.

Here's much astir the men's and women's Final 8s, which you tin ticker unrecorded connected CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.

Men's

A mates of teams are conspicuously absent. One is the Carleton Ravens, who won an unthinkable 17 nationalist titles successful 20 seasons earlier missing the Final 8 past year. They failed to suffice again aft going 15-7 and losing to Queen's successful the 2nd circular of the Ontario playoffs.

Also retired of the representation is reigning champion Laval, which won the rubric past twelvemonth successful Quebec City with an all-time Cinderella run. The Rouge et Or were lone invited to that tourney due to the fact that they were hosting it — they went 6-10 successful the regular play and mislaid successful the archetypal circular of the Quebec playoffs. But the No. 8 seeds parlayed their home-court vantage into upset wins implicit No. 1 Victoria, No. 4 Dalhousie and, successful the final, No. 2 Queen's to seizure their first-ever nationalist championship.

Laval finished an disfigured 4-12 this play earlier being eliminated successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Victoria appeared connected way for different No. 1 effect aft going 20-0. But the Vikes mislaid reigning U Sports MVP Diego Maffia to a season-ending genu wounded successful January, and it caught up to them successful the Canada West playoff semifinals arsenic they mislaid to Calgary and ended up with the No. 4 effect for the Final 8.

The Dinos — led by prima defender Nate Petrone, whose 24.2 points per crippled ranked 2nd successful the federation this season — went connected to bushed UBC for the Canada West rubric and gain the No. 2 seed. Host UBC got the 3 effect arsenic it hopes to replicate Laval's home-court success.

The top-seeded squad is Ottawa, which went 20-2 earlier capturing the Ontario title with a triumph implicit Queen's successful past weekend's final. The balanced Gee-Gees — led by guards Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta, Ankit Choudhary and guardant Justin Ndjock-Tadjore, who each averaged astir 15 points a crippled this season — are seeking the archetypal W.P. McGee Trophy successful schoolhouse history. Ottawa mislaid back-to-back nationalist rubric games to cross-town rival Carleton successful 2014 and '15.

Here's the docket for the men's archetypal circular connected Thursday:

(5) Bishop's vs. (4) Victoria astatine 2 p.m. ET
(8) Concordia vs. (1) Ottawa astatine 5 p.m. ET
(7) Queen's vs. (2) Calgary astatine 8 p.m. ET
(6) UPEI vs. (3) UBC astatine 11 p.m. ET

The semifinals are Friday astatine 9 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET, and the title last goes Sunday astatine 4 p.m. ET.

Women's

While the men's Final 8 went all Hoosiers last twelvemonth successful Quebec City, the women's tourney successful Edmonton was overmuch chalkier. No. 2 effect Carleton repeated arsenic nationalist champs by defeating No. 1 Saskatchewan 70-67 successful an exciting final after a last-second three-point heave by the Huskies rimmed out.

A rematch for the Bronze Baby trophy could beryllium successful the offing this Sunday successful Vancouver. Saskatchewan is erstwhile again the No. 1 effect aft capping an 18-2 regular play with different Canada West playoff championship, defeating UBC 71-59 successful past Saturday's final. Carleton dropped to No. 3 aft the defending champs' cleanable 22-0 regular play was spoiled by a 70-61 decision successful the Ontario last to intracity rival Ottawa, which leapfrogged the Ravens for the No. 2 seed.

Carleton mislaid back-to-back Final 8 MVP Kali Pocrnic to graduation aft past year's tournament. But returning defender Kyana-Jade Poulin elevated her scoring from 8.4 points per crippled to a team-high 14.3 this play portion respective different cardinal veterans helped manager Dani Sinclair support the Ravens atop their perch until the upset nonaccomplishment to Ottawa.

Saskatchewan's apical scorer from past year, guardant Carly Ahlstrom, besides graduated out. But elder defender Gage Grassick stepped close into the starring relation for longtime manager Lisa Thomaidis (the erstwhile caput of the Canadian women's nationalist team), averaging 18.6 points to triumph Canada West subordinate of the year. 

Here's the docket for the women's archetypal circular connected Thursday:

(7) Laval vs. (2) Ottawa astatine 3 p.m. ET
(6) Bishop's vs. (3) Carleton astatine 4 p.m. ET
(5) UBC vs. (4) Saint Mary's astatine 9 p.m. ET
(8) Alberta vs. (1) Saskatchewan astatine 10 p.m. ET

The semifinals are Saturday astatine 9 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET, and the title last goes Sunday astatine 7 p.m. ET.