VICTORIA - It's a new era for the University of Victoria men's basketball team. After 21 seasons under Craig Beaucamp's steady hand, the Vikes are beginning the 2024-25 season with Murphy Burnatowski as their new bench boss. Kicking off with a home-and-away weekend, the Vikes face Trinity Western in Langley on Oct. 31 before hosting the University of the Fraser Valley on Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the CARSA Performance Gym. 

The coaching staff may have changed, but the expectations remain as high as ever. Chosen as preseason favourites in the Canada West coaches' poll, the Vikes are gunning for a fourth-straight conference title. And while the past three years saw early exits at nationals, is this the year the Vikes finally take it all? If the preseason is any indication, the team is certainly a strong contender to finally bring home the banner. 

Key returners 
Reigning Canada West and U SPORTS Player of the Year, Diego Maffia returns for his fifth and final season with the Vikes, coming off yet another dominant year that saw him lead the nation in scoring for the second straight time with an impressive 26.7 points per game. The sharpshooting phenom from Oak Bay High School is fresh off his second season with the Vancouver Bandits in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), where he's further elevated his game at the professional level. Now, he's back for once last dance to finish the job.  

"There were a lot of lessons learned last season, but our main takeaway was that we have to be tougher as a group and trust each other to take that next step. We've been adapting well with the change in coaching staff, obviously it's an adjustment, but so far we've tried to approach every day like it's the national final and the guys are enjoying the process, plus having some fun while doing so," said Maffia. 

Renoldo Robinson, the blue-chip recruit from Montreal, enters his third year with serious momentum after a breakout sophomore campaign. Appearing in all 26 games last season, Robinson averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in just over 22 minutes per game. He made headlines with a record-breaking 46-point performance against Manitoba, setting the Canada West single-game scoring record. Like Maffia, Robinson spent the summer honing his skills in the CEBL, playing for the Montreal Alliance and is primed for what is sure to be another electrifying season.  

Back for his fifth year, Aaron Tesfagiorgis returns as the Canada West Defensive Player of the Year, bringing invaluable leadership and relentless defensive pressure. Known for his tenacity on the defensive end of the floor, Tesfagiorgis became only the fourth Vike in program history to win Defensive Player of the Year honours, following in the footsteps of UVic great Reiner Theil. 

The Vikes are the team to beat with a bench as deep as any in the country including a long list of other key returners. Shadynn Smid of Cowichan Secondary School is a high-flying center who can block big shots and control the paint, Ethan Boag from Claremont Secondary can stretch the floor with his Euro-style game and shooting range, and Griffin Arnatt from Oak Bay High School, is a 2023-24 Canada West All-Rookie team honoree who averaged 9.0 points per game in his debut season. 

Off-season additions 
Perhaps the biggest pick-up this off-season comes in the form of 6'7" guard Sam Maillet. A fifth-year transfer from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Maillet played alongside Maffia on the Vancouver Bandits this past summer. According to Burnatowski, "as a fifth-year guy, Sam brings great leadership to team. He's a utility player who will do the dirty work and play whatever role the team needs him to play."  

Also new this year is fourth-year transfer Geoffrey James, a talented combo guard from Edmonton with a high ceiling and the skills to match. After stints with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, the University of Alberta, and the Edmonton Stingers in the CEBL, James is working his way back from a spring injury. With veteran experience and toughness, he's a versatile, all-around player who can adapt to any role the team needs and, when healthy, can make a significant impact.

Coaches notes  
 "This team has already set the goal and the standard, so nothing has changed there. We're focussed on playing basketball the right way with the goal of continuing to get better as the season progresses," said Burnatowski.

"We have a lot of individual talent, but from an efficiency standpoint we're focussed on teamwork and coming together as a group so that we're ready to perform at the highest stage when the lights are the brightest," said assistant coach, Josh Reddy.  
 
GAME INFORMATION 
Vikes vs Trinity Western University 
Oct. 31 | 8:00p.m. 
Langley Events Centre, Langley, B.C.  

Vikes vs University of the Fraser Valley 
Nov. 2 | 7:00p.m.  
CARSA Performance Gym, Victoria, B.C.  

Full schedule