Capers primed to compete for AUS basketball crown

CBU, UNB to clash in quarter-final round

By Corey LeBlanc

(Sydney, NS) - The Atlantic University Sport (AUS) men's basketball season could be best described as a marathon rather than a sprint; just ask the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers.

Bitten early and often by the injury bug in the 2022-23 campaign, the Matt Skinn-coached roster tipped off with a disappointing 0-5 record.

"We had a pretty rough start," the former CBU student-athlete offers.

He adds, "It is certainly not what we wanted, but we worked hard and we were able to hang in."

Coupled with improved health, the Caper line-up steadily improved, with players beginning to get more and more comfortable in their roles.

"We are playing well," Skinn says, noting that his squad was only a five-point road loss (74-69) to the defending champion Dalhousie Tigers on the final day of regular season action from securing third place in the conference.

Fifth-year all-star guard Osman 'Ozzy' Omar points to the Christmas break when it comes to how the Capers turned around their season.

"We were able to spend a lot of time with each other," he explains, noting that several players stayed in Cape Breton over the holidays to rehab and train.

Omar adds, "We really started to bond."

CBU finished the regular campaign in fourth place – at 9-11 – which earned them a spot in this weekend's 2023 Subway AUS Men's Basketball Championship at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

"We are looking forward to the opportunity," he offers of competing for a conference banner, which would be the first since Skinn guided the Capers to the summit in 2013.

In the first quarterfinal match-up of the tournament, CBU – the fourth seed – will tip-off versus the fifth-ranked UNB Reds.

"They have a young team with a lot of energy," Skinn says.

Noting their "quickness" at guard, he says that UNB has "players who can stretch the floor."

"We are going to have to do a good job defending the three [pointer]," Skinn adds.

UNB won both regular season match-ups; 94-85, on Nov. 25 at CBU; and 83-80, on Jan. 15 in Fredericton.

"I don't think that we played up to our ability," Omar offers, noting that "defensive lapses" were key to those setbacks.

He adds, "We are going to have to clean up those things."

The Capers – second in the AUS, averaging 83.6 points per game – will be led offensively by Omar. In a campaign where he moved into fourth on the conference's all-time scoring list, the Mississauga native led the AUS with 23.3 points per game – an average that placed him third in the U SPORTS scoring race. With his penchant for steals, he is also one of the top defenders in the conference.  

The 2022 first-team All-Canadian and AUS most valuable player is one of a trio of CBU seniors shooting for their first conference title. Jason Callaghan (Sydney, NS), one of the top sixth-men in the AUS – averages 13.1 points per game and 43.3 percent from beyond the arc, while do-everything point-forward Paul Watson (Mississauga, ON) has made an increased impact in each game since his return after missing more than a season-and-a-half with a knee injury.

Coupled with the steady leadership and performance of Omar, the return of Watson – a former AUS defensive player of the year – was a key to the turnaround; not to mention sophomore forward Chris Ruta (Calgary, AB), who battled injuries before Christmas, becoming a force – not only offensively, but also as one of the top rim protectors in the conference. His 8.1 rebounds per game placed him fourth in the conference.

A breakout year from Tyson Cato (Ajax, ON) – whose 9.2 rebounds per game was second best in the conference – along with the continuing maturation of first-year point guard Justus Peuser (Geisenheim, Germany), who finished with 11.9 points and 3.7 assists per game, have also been important ingredients to success.

Cato, with 13 points per game, was just shy of averaging a double-double, while Ruta contributed 13.8 points per game.

Watson, who averaged 5.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game – in limited action, has been a steadying force on both ends of the floor. Often described as a Swiss army knife by his head coach, a homage to his versatility, the veteran continues to bring everything to the table, including leadership and other intangibles. 

"We have to limit opportunities in transition," Skinn says, when asked about keys to success this weekend, adding the importance of giving "no extra possessions."

Noting their ability to score, he adds that the Capers will have to limit turnovers and opponents' offensive rebounds.

"We are excited about the possibilities – we have a nice mix of veteran leaders and eager young players," Skinn says, noting that they are "confident" heading into the six-team battle for conference supremacy.

He adds, "I think that we are going to be a tough out."

Omar says, "We are feeling pretty confident."

Noting the challenge of winning three games in three days – what the Capers will have to accomplish to capture the AUS title – "We will have to be locked in mentally."

Although cliché, Omar says that the team is taking it "one game at a time."

The Capers and Reds will tip off on Friday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. at Scotiabank Centre, with the winner moving on to face the top-seeded STFX X-Men in semi-final action on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m.

Regardless of how the weekend unfolds, it will be the final AUS action for Omar and Watson – best friends and long-time teammates; the tandem helped resuscitate a Caper program that went 0-20 in the campaign before they joined the program.

"It drew us back," Omar explains of their decision to return for a fifth season to vie – one last time – for a conference championship.

In order to complete that unfinished business, he adds, "We are going to give it all we have."

The 2023 Subway AUS Men's Basketball Championship final will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m.

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