Game Information
 
Date: Friday, Jan. 31 & Saturday, Feb. 1
Time: 8:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, Sask.
Venue: Ron & Jane Graham Centre Court at the PAC
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's basketball team will take the floor at the PAC during the regular season for one final time this weekend when the team plays host to the visiting UBCO Heat.
 
The Huskies, who enter the weekend tenth in the U SPORTS top ten, will have a prime opportunity to get back in the win column this weekend.
 
The visit from UBCO at the PAC will be a sight for sore eyes for Saskatchewan, following three-consecutive matchups against programs that entered the clashes against the Huskies ranked inside the U SPORTS top ten. The Heat currently hold a 3-15 record and make the trek to the Bridge City looking to snap a two-game losing skid.
 
However, despite being down, UBCO is not necessarily out of the race for a postseason spot. With eight of the 12 postseason teams determined, the race for the final four seeds is on. Unfortunately for the Heat, their backs are against the wall with the team playing their last pair of regular-season games this weekend. UBCO trails the UNBC Timberwolves in the standings by just one win, but the Timberwolves, as well as the Brandon Bobcats and Mount Royal Cougars are tied with the Heat in wins.
 
Meanwhile, the playoff-bound Huskies are now left to jostle for postseason seeding. Saskatchewan sits in sixth in the conference record-wise, but with seeding left up to RPI, the Huskies likely will need some help to rise in the standings.
 
As it stands, the Huskies would play host to a play-in game, which would feature the team taking on the 11th seed to move on to the conference quarter-finals.
 
Saskatchewan will be looking to get back into the win column this weekend after falling in back-to-back contests against the Calgary Dinos. The Huskies hold a 5-0 record against the Heat all-time, with the team's last pair of meetings coming back in 2017-18.
 
5 Things
 
1: Prior to the Huskies game on Saturday night, the program will recognize the contributions of JT Robinson, who is the lone fifth-year athlete on the roster this season. Robison, who joined the program in 2017-18, is playing out his final season of U SPORTS eligibility in grand fashion with the Vallejo, California native sitting in sixth in the conference with 18.9 points-per-game.
 
2: There will be significant Huskies flair in the CEBL next season, with the program's lead assistant coach Chad Jacobson landing the position as the Saskatchewan Rattlers head coach. Jacobson will serve under Barry Rawlyk, who was named the franchise's general manager just weeks prior. 
 
3: It's been a breakout season for Alexander Dewar. Dewar has improved off a rookie season where he produced 9.9 points-per-game to the 2019-20 campaign, where he has emerged into a budding star for Saskatchewan. The Marion M. Graham Collegiate graduate is averaging 17.3 points-per-game this season, which is second on the Huskies.
 
4: Saskatchewan has taken care of business against the teams beneath them in the standings with an 8-0 record this season, sweeping Brandon, MacEwan, Regina and Trinity Western.
 
5: UBCO will be making their first trip to Saskatoon for a regular-season contest since the 2011-12 season, which served as the Heat's first campaign as a member of the Canada West conference.
 
Scouting the Heat
 
The Heat, who played their final home games of the 2019-20 season last weekend will wrap up their regular-season this weekend as the program looks to play spoiler to keep their slim, but possible, playoff hopes alive.
 
UBCO has slightly regressed this season after going 7-13 last season, missing the postseason by just one win.
 
Clayton Pottinger is in the midst of his first season of guiding the program, taking over from interim head coach Ken Olynyk, father of current Miami Heat forward Kelly Olynyk and former Huskies women's basketball guard Maya Olynyk, in the offseason.
 
Hafith Moallin and Philip Okanlawon have led the Heat this season, as the pair of guards are the lone members of the team to enter the weekend averaging double-digit scoring.
 
Patrick Dujmovic is the lone UBCO player to graduate off their roster following this season. Dujmovic's career-high in points came back in 2017-18, when the White Rock, B.C., native went for 20 points, including four triples against the Huskies.