V-Reds regarded as a team on the rise

November 13, 2010

Nine preseason wins have transformed the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds women's basketball program from the seventh-place team in the Atlantic University Sport women's basketball conference to the fifth-best team in the country.

It's all down in writing: the V-Reds missed the AUS playoffs last season with an 8-12 record for 20 points that left them on the outside looking in. Yet in the first CIS rankings of the season, without the benefit of having played a single regular season game in the AUS, there they were, listed fifth in the country.

UNB coach Jeff Speedy places no stock in the preseason poll.

"None," he said. "I'll enjoy it if it's true or better in March."

For now, he's looking for more immediate enjoyment. The V-Reds kick off the regular season with home games tonight at 6 p.m. and Sunday morning at 11 against the Memorial Sea-Hawks, a chance to begin fulfilling all the preseason promise - for whatever it's worth.

"It's kind of neat, it's something cool to talk about, but we could win every game between now and Christmas and not move up the ladder, or we could lose one game in triple overtime and drop four spots," Speedy said. "I asked the girls who was ranked fifth in the country in November last year...nobody knew. Neither did I. Not a clue."

Speedy said the phantom ranking produces no more pressure on his squad.

"There's no more pressure than anyone outside the locker room or the gym could put on us than we've already put on ourselves," said Speedy, beginning his fifth season on the UNB sidelines. "We're very, very driven to get better every day."

The Sea-Hawks and the AUS in general should test them regularly, said Speedy. He believes any one of "six or maybe even seven" teams could win the AUS title this season, with the V-Reds very much a part of the conversation. He can admit now he didn't believe the V-Reds were title contenders a year ago.

"Last year, we were trying to knock down that door and become one of the top three or four teams," he said. "I don't think we underachieved last year. I think we went about as far as we could go. We went from a below-average team to an average team, maybe a bit above average team, But we ran out of time."

But "I think we're a team that legitimately has a chance to win a championship this year," he said.

Preseason victories over teams like MacMaster University of Hamilton, Ont., the University of Calgary and the University of Maine have underscored that belief.

"I think we've demonstrated that we're much better than last year's version, in chemistry and work ethic and skill level," Speedy said. "We're happy to have some wins and some quality wins under our belt. I think the first-place team could be 13-7 or 12-8 this year, it's going to be that even."

A solid recruiting class is headlined by Calgary freshman Claire Colborne (Calgary, AB) and includes Virginia Peters (Ottawa, ON) of Ottawa, Tamara Tompkins (Centreville, NB) of Centreville and even assistant coach Cory Russell of Calgary.

"It's as good a class as I've had since I've been here," Speedy said.

As well, veteran leader Leah Corby (Fredericton, NB) found her way back to campus to play her fifth season, joining a solid core of veterans led by all-Canadian Amanda Sharpe (Fredericton, NB) and including Emma Russell (Grand Manan, NB) and Megan Corby (Fredericton, NB). That balance should put the V-Reds right in the picture.

Memorial, which split a pair of games against Cape Breton on home floor last weekend, will be there too.

"Always," said Speedy, and a glance at recent history - six AUS titles since the turn of the century - indicates that's true.

The Sea-Hawks boast solid and consistent scoring from the combination of Brittany Dalton and Grace Fishbein, and six-foot-one Jennifer Parsons or six-foot-two Alexandria Forsey in the post. Memorial will host the AUS tournament March 4-6, leading to one of three CIS regionals and then the CIS championship tournament, to be hosted by the University of Windsor Lancers.

The V-Reds wrapped up the preseason a week ago with a 77-72 loss to the University of Maine Black Bears at Alfond Arena. The Bears outscored UNB 11-3 over the final 4:07 to pull out the victory. Colborne scored 17 points and Leah Corby 13 for the Reds.

Men's basketball

Brent Baker's UNB men's basketball squad hosts Memorial in the back half of the season-opening hoop twinbill tonight at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

UNB went 5-6 in the preseason, including wins over AUS opponents Cape Breton, Saint Mary's and UPEI. The V-Reds finished 3-17 last year and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season. They tied with Memorial, each with eight points, for the league cellar last year. Among the top off-season recruits for the V-Reds are the Australian duo of forward William McFee (Northbridge, Australia), and six-foot-10 post player Michael Suffield (St. Ives, Australia), along with six-foot-five Woodstock High School product Jordan Irvine (Riceville, NB).