The University of Victoria Vikes men's basketball team had a roster filled with fresh faces and transfers in the 2014-15 season. Despite the new faces, the Vikes closed out their final season in McKinnon Gymnasium with an 15-5 record to sit in second-place in the division. The Vikes then captured their first Canada West title banner since 2006, punching their ticket to the CIS Final 8 in Toronto, Ont.  At the national stage, the Vikes posted a 1-2 record, finishing fourth in the country for the second consecutive year.

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Prior to the regular season tipoff, the Vikes hosted the annual Guy Vetrie Memorial Tournament in McKinnon Gymnasium. Opponents included top teams from around the country including Carleton, Alberta and Bishop's. The new Vikes team struggled in their first two games, suffering 80-65 and 80-64 losses to Alberta and Carleton, respectively but managed to defeat Bishop's 67-63.
 
Despite the poor results from the Guy Vetrie tournament, the Vikes displayed a much stronger performance over Fraser Valley two weeks later, winning 71-58.

In hopes of more preparation for the regular season, the Vikes travelled to Saskatoon, Sask. to fit one more preseason tournament. The Vikes showed overall improvement at the Graham Shootout as they posted a 2-1 record, breezing past Nipissing and MacEwan until they finally falling to the hosts, Saskatchewan
 
The Vikes returned home to open up their regular season on Oct. 31 against Regina. Fifth-year centre Chris McLaughlin and fourth-year point guard Marcus Tibbs were the leading scorers both nights as they carried the team to back-to-back victories. McLaughlin posted double-doubles both games and topped the scoreboard with 21 points twice to help the Vikes defeat Regina 72-63 the first night and by an even larger margin the next, 78-63.
 
Carrying their momentum to the mainland, the Vikes faced UBC the next weekend. Fourth-year guard Reiner Theil found his offensive strides in the first game as he posted a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds to help put the Vikes over UBC 68-58. The next game proved to be a monumental one for the 6-10 post McLaughlin who logged 31 points against UBC to win 85-79.
 
With a four-game winning streak and ambitions to extend it, the Vikes travelled to Saskatoon, Sask. to face the Huskies. Despite the fact that both teams were on par in the first quarter, Saskatchewan extended their lead in the remainder of the game to give the Vikes the first upset of the season, 82-70. Saskatchewan repeated the same outcome the next night winning the game 95-70. With the result, both teams were tied in the Canada West division standings with 4-2 records.
 
Hosting Alberta before the holiday break in conjunction with the annual Shoot for the Cure, the Vikes found redemption after conceding losses to Alberta in their preseason meetings. In a very close match that was decided by one point, the Vikes had all five starters hit double digits including McLaughlin, Jordan Charles, Mack Roth, Tibbs and Theil. The Vikes impressed in similar fashion the following night, with a 76-52 scoreline in favour of the Vikes.

After a two-game California tour, the Vikes started their the new year on the road against Manitoba. Although the Vikes had to come back from behind in the first game to seal the game 85-75, the next night they easily defeated the Bisons with a 30 point margin, 85-55.

Back at McKinnon gymnasium, the Vikes were forced to face Winnipeg without starting point guard Tibbs. His absence was recognized as the first game brought a painful blow to the Vikes. Defensive energy by the Wesmen sparked their lead in the third quarter and the Wesmen maintained that lead until the final whistle, winning the game 72-69. The next night, performances by the trio of McLaughlin, Pilato, and Theil ensured that the Vikes did not suffer two consecutive losses. The Vikes won by a two-point margin 78-76.
 
Tibbs made a return appearance against Calgary and made up for lost time by logging 22 points against the Dinos. The Vikes won that game comfortably 81-63 to hold the top spot in the division. However, in a pivotal game the next night, the Vikes were upset 73-79 and lost their division top spot.
 
In the final stretch of the regular season, McLaughlin proved to be in his top form. He posted 28 and 27 points against Lethbridge and logged a season high of 32 points against Brandon, securing victories for the Vikes in each match. Despite McLaughlin's performances, Brandon managed to upset the Vikes for the final time in the regular season, winning by one point, 77-76.
 
The weekend of Feb. 13 was a special one for Vikes basketball. Not only did the Vikes easily defeat Trinity Western both nights to win hosting rights for the Canada West Quarter-Finals, but the Vikes also honoured their senior players in the midst of the special "I heart McKinnon" celebrations recognizing the conclusion of four decades of Vikes excellence at McKinnon Gymnasium.

Hosting the Canada West Quarter-Finals, the Vikes duo of McLaughlin and Tibbs posted double-digits and found help from the Vikes bench to breeze past Alberta 77-62 and 81-67 to advance on to the Final Four.
 
Saskatchewan, the highest seed in the division, hosted the Canada West Final-Four and the Vikes were matched up against Fraser Valley in their first game. Four Vikes posted double-digits with Mack Roth leading the team to a 86-61 win to the finals.

The Vikes then faced Saskatchewan, the only team in the division that the Vikes had lost to in every single meeting. Despite the bad history, the Vikes and Huskies battled until the very end. McLaughlin pushed the Vikes to tie the game 65-65 and Tibbs sealed the game for the Vikes 70-67 at the final whistle. The victory gave the Vikes their first division banner since 2006 and punched the Vikes into the national championships for the third year in a row.
 
The Vikes were faced against Dalhousie in their first game of the CIS national championship in Toronto, Ont. In a very close game between both sides, McLaughlin drained two final second free throws to put the Vikes on top 57-56 to advance to the semi-final. The key contributor in points was third-year transfer Grant Sitton, who came off the bench to post 19 points for the Vikes. Tibbs proved his control of the court with his 16 assists and 12 points, while McLaughlin added 10 points and 11 rebounds. 
 
At the semi-finals, the Vikes took on the number one team in the country, the Carleton Ravens. Like usual the Ravens came out strong, leading the first quarter 27-15. Although the Vikes managed a few of their own impressive runs to shorten their opponents' lead, Carleton pushed through to win the game 83-74. Tibbs put up an impressive 27 points, just two points behind Carleton's Phil Srub, while Sitton and Theil also contributed 16 and 15 points, respectively.
 
With eyes on capturing CIS bronze, the Vikes played against the hosts Ryerson. Despite staying on par with their opponents for the majority of the game, a late surge from Ryerson's Jahmal Jones gave Ryerson the victory and CIS medal. The outcome meant a fourth-place finish for the Vikes for the second year in a row. 

McLaughlin, who will not return next year due to graduation, received CIS First Team All-Canadian honours and was named Canada West Outstanding Player of the Year for his performances. In the regular season, the 6-10 center averaged 19.8 points and 10.0 rebounds a game. Fourth-year point guard Tibbs who averaged 17.1 points per game also received a Canada West Third Team All-Star nod.