For Alex Carson, having the in Halifax is about more than just basketball. It鈥檚 about community, and it鈥檚 about family.
鈥淢y dad and I would go to all the games when I was growing up,鈥� says Carson, who grew up in Lower Sackville. 鈥淚t was so much fun, and so exciting to see those games. We鈥檇 be in there all day, watching them all, every day of the tournament.鈥�
For nearly three decades, from 1984 until 2012, Halifax hosted the Final 8, the national university men鈥檚 basketball championships, at what is now the Scotiabank Centre. The tournament embedded itself deep in the city鈥檚 culture, making an impact not just on bottom lines of local business, but in the hearts and minds of young athletes like Carson.
After a three-year absence, the Final 8 made its return to the city two years ago: first with 鲍鱼tv hosting in 2017, then Acadia the year after. Now, it鈥檚 back again this weekend (March 8-10), with 鲍鱼tv as the host squad.
The Tigers team, fresh off its triumphant win at the AUS championships last weekend, faces UBC in the quarter-finals Friday night at 8 p.m. (Tickets are available from .)
鈥淲hile hosting the Final 8 is of great value to both our athletic and basketball programs, it is also an event that has a long history with our community,鈥� says Tim Maloney, executive director of Athletics and Recreation at Dal. 鈥淭o play a leadership role in bringing this event to Halifax is something we are very proud of at 鲍鱼tv.鈥�
Carson, now a third-year Recreation Management student, and a guard who鈥檚 the Tigers鈥� top scorer this season, feels the same way.
鈥淚 just feel like Halifax is a great city to have it in,鈥� he says. 鈥淣o matter who鈥檚 playing, be it a Halifax team or two teams from Ontario, the crowd is always into it. I love having the tournament here.鈥�
Clicking at the right time
Carson has good reason to be excited, given the roll his team has been on.
Though the Tigers were always assured a spot in the Final 8 as the host team, they still had to battle through a tough Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference to reach this point, one that included an ascendant SMU team that rode a 19-1 conference record to the top seed. It was a bit of a wakeup call for a Tigers team that, under the leadership of award-winning head coach Rick Plato, had claimed three of the past four AUS championships heading into this season. But the team clicked at the right time, finishing the regular season on an eight-game winning streak.
鈥淭o get wins at such a high rate like that, you obviously need a deep team,鈥� says Xavier Ochu, an Arts student who joined the team as a guard in the middle of last season. 鈥淲e have a lot of guys, from the first guy to the last guy, who can play and give good minutes when they get on the court.鈥�
鈥淭hen we carried that right through playoffs,鈥� adds Sascha Kappos, fourth-year Marine Biology student and power forward. 鈥淲e won Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So we鈥檙e feeling very good right now, I can鈥檛 lie.鈥�
The Tigers celebrate with their AUS championship banner this past weekend.
With a characteristically strong defensive effort that kept point totals low but the competitive level high, the Tigers bested SMU in the championship game 65-55 鈥� making it four titles in five years for Plato鈥檚 squad.
鈥淚 really think the boys are ready,鈥� says Plato. 鈥淔rom day one, we wanted to go in as AUS champions. Despite some mid-season growing pains, the boys persevered, overcoming injury and illness.鈥�
Now, they get to return to the Final 8 after missing out last year. Kappos says the team rallied hard this year, with encouragement from coaches being key.
鈥淭his year it came to a point of knowing that we had to bounce back, that we had something to prove not just getting into the national tournament as the host team but trying to show that we have earned the spot by trying to win our conference,鈥� says Kappos. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something that鈥檚 been taught to us by the coaching staff from the first day of practice.鈥�
Building on success
The Final 8 also offers the Tigers the opportunity to repeat or even exceed their success in the 2017 tournament, where the team took home the bronze medal and just barely missed out making on the championship game, losing by a single point in their semi-final against Ryerson. It was the Tigers鈥� best-ever finish at the tournament 鈥� and proof that the team鈥檚 run of success in the AUS is no regional fluke, but evidence of a basketball program that鈥檚 earned its place on the national stage.
鈥淭wo years ago when we hosted, playing with the support of a fantastic home fan base was extremely important to our bronze medal finish, and I鈥檓 hoping we have the same again this year,鈥� says Plato. 鈥淚 have tremendous confidence and belief in this group. If we focus on the game one possession at a time and do the little things, I think it will be a successful weekend.鈥�
Carson (pictured above) has fond memories of the 2017 tournament 鈥� but he experienced all of it from the sidelines. Suffering an injury just before Christmas, he was out-of-commission for the rest of the season. Now, this year, he gets to be part of the action.
鈥淚 love our chances,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e peaking at the right time: we鈥檙e on an 11-game win streak, everyone鈥檚 playing well and we鈥檝e got some time now this week to prepare. Everyone鈥檚 locked in right now.鈥�
For the players, that means extensive time on the court, continuing to become the best athletes they can be while also keeping one eye on their studies.
鈥淚 know, for me personally, every professor I鈥檝e had to work with has been great, whether it鈥檚 with assignments or with extra study sessions when you miss a class or something,鈥� says Carson. 鈥淭he support system here for student athletes is really great, and I think it鈥檚 what helps our student-athletes excel both in the classroom and on the court, or in whatever sport they play.鈥�
Cheer on the Tigers this weekend
Now, the Final 8 approaches, and Dal鈥檚 players are ready to take on Canada鈥檚 best.
It鈥檚 the highest level of amateur basketball in Canada, and to have that many eyes in us is going to be really cool,鈥� says Ochu (pictured left). 鈥淲e鈥檙e hosting, it鈥檚 right in our backyard, and we鈥檙e going to have the most fans and the most support.鈥�
Earlier this week, Student Affairs gave away 350 free tickets to students for Friday鈥檚 night鈥檚 8 p.m. quarter-final against the UBC Thunderbirds, who enter the tournament ranked fourth (just ahead of Dal in fifth) with a 17-3 record in their own conference. And with tickets discounted to $10 plus fees for students, staff/faculty and alumni, the team is hoping for a packed house for its first big game of the tournament 鈥� with hopefully more big games to come on Saturday and Sunday.
鈥淭he City of Halifax is one of the best basketball cities in all of Canada,鈥� says Kappos, 鈥淚 think you鈥檙e going to see some of the most intense games and some of the most highly atmosphere, best energy games鈥� I鈥檓 just going to enjoy the moment as much as I can, work out and play as hard as I can.鈥�
鈥淲e want to get as many fans there as possible,鈥� adds Carson. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to show up just like we did in the AUS championships. Everyone on the team鈥檚 really looking forward to playing this weekend. It鈥檚 going to be something special.鈥�
Tickets for the Final 8 are available from the . Dal鈥檚 first game is Friday night at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for double-headers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; individually for the championship game on Sunday; or as a full package for the entire weekend. Student tickets for the doubleheaders are just $10 plus fees for students; staff/faculty and alumni can use promo codes 鈥渄alstaff鈥� or 鈥渄alalumni鈥� to get tickets at the same price.