CALGARY – A new season begins for the University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team this weekend at the Jack Simpson Gym.
 
Hosting the UBC Okanagan Heat, the Dinos commence their journey to return to the U SPORTS Final 8, after missing out last season for the first time in five years.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
 
1. Preseason Recap – With twelve pre-season games under their belt, the Dinos come into the opening weekend battle tested. Calgary opened the season against numerous NCAA Div. I programs and perennial U SPORTS contenders; conversely UBCO was limited to three preseason bouts.
 
2. Playoff Memories – Both UBCO and Calgary were eliminated in the second round of CW playoffs this past season, their journey to that point differed greatly. Entering the playoffs with the lowest seed, UBCO upset No. 10 Manitoba in the first round before falling to the Lethbridge Pronghorns. Unlike UBCO, Cinderella's shoe did not fit Calgary's foot, the No. 6 Dinos were upset by the red-hot No. 11 TWU Spartans following their first-round bye.
 
3. Fresh Faces – Calgary welcomes six new faces to the program, each looking to uphold the culture laid down by Mason Foreman and his four fellow graduating seniors.
 
4. Hold The Line – Calgary's offence has been predicated on generating high volume and quality three-point attempts, finishing top three in 2021-22 in CW 3pt makes, attempts, and percentage. While the Heat defence may have struggled on the whole last season, they held opponents to the second-fewest makes from distance in CW.
 
5. Identity – Early season matchups are a terrific litmus test for team identity. UBCO led the conference in offensive rebounds and was second-best at the free-throw line. For a developing team, forging an identity is critical – the question now is if it translates into the new season.

-UC-