Friday, Nov. 9: Cascades (1-3, T-12th in Canada West) vs. No. 5 Alberta Golden Bears (2-2, T-7th in Canada West), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 10: Cascades vs. Pandas, 7 p.m.
Envision Financial Athletic Centre
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv
For the second straight week, the Cascades men's hoopsters face a nationally ranked foe. Last weekend, it was the No. 9 Saskatchewan Huskies (now up to No. 8 in
the latest U SPORTS poll). This week, it's the No. 5 Alberta Golden Bears, last season's Canada West silver medalists. The Bears are led by former UFV head coach Barnaby Craddock, who helmed the Cascades for five years (2007-2012) before joining the Edmonton-based program.
The UFV squad struggled at Sask last Friday,
falling 92-65, but turned in a much better performance on Saturday, dropping a hard-fought 77-71 decision in a game that was up for grabs in the fourth quarter. Cascades head coach
Adam Friesen said his team hopes to build on that effort.
"I think the guys are positive and really feel we can keep improving, and that we can play with the Saskatchewans and Albertas of the world," Friesen said. "We're eager to test ourselves and see if we can improve from last weekend.
"Alberta is a really well-balanced team. They're talented on the perimeter, and they've got height and guys who can score inside. We're going to have to limit our turnovers and really dial in defensively. And then offensively, we're going to have to move the ball. They're really athletic, so we're going to have to move the ball, move our bodies, and really value every possession and try to find good shots."
Players to watch: Third-year Cascade
Daniel Adediran is coming into his own as an impact defender. The springy 6'5" swingman out of Surrey, B.C. routinely draws the assignment of guarding the opposing team's perimeter scorer, and has the athleticism and balance to excel in that role. Adediran's 4.8 rebounds per game are third-most on the team, and his 7.0 points come in exceedingly efficient fashion: He's shooting 84.6 per cent from the field on 3.2 attempts per game. He provided the highlight of the weekend for the Cascades vs. Sask, soaring for a huge two-handed putback dunk. The Golden Bears' leader is fourth-year centre
Brody Clarke. A Canada West first team all-star last season, the 6'8" Toronto product leads Canada West in rebounding (12.0 per game) while averaging a team-best 15.5 points.
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