Canada’s top collegiate basketball teams will gather in Nanaimo this month as Vancouver Island University hosts the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball National Championship.
The tournament runs March 18 to 21 at the university, just days after the VIU Mariners captured the provincial championship.
For Ladysmith’s Ryan Bastian, the event carries special meaning.
The fourth-year point guard said competing for a national title in front of a hometown crowd is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Bastian currently ranks second in the conference in steals and assists. He said the team has focused on improving each day and preparing to face the top programs in the country.
VIU head coach Matt Kuzminski said fans can expect fast-paced, high-level basketball and he hopes the community will fill the gym to support the Mariners as they pursue a national championship on home court.
Meanwhile, the VIU hockey team is celebrating its second British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League championship in three years after defeating the University of Victoria Vikes in the final last weekend.
