There's some Northwest punch in the mix for UVic's men's basketball program in 2021-22

The University of Victoria Basketball program features
to familiar names from the northwest on the 2021-22 roster
(Photo from UVic Vikings)
click to enlarge

University Basketball season is underway across Canada and in British Columbia the province's six teams in the Canada West Conference are looking towards a strong fall and winter season, one that many hope will be leading to some national championship opportunities in Edmonton in Mid March of 2022.

For hoops fans of the northwest, one of the teams to watch is the University of Victoria Vikings, which features two notable stars of High School basketball from recent history in the northwest.

On the court for the Vikes this year is former Charles Hays Rainmaker Justin McChesney, who has seen action twice this year so far, with games against Trinity Western and UBC, gaining six minutes of play, with 2 points on the stats sheet. 

The six foot nine forward from Prince Rupert joined the Vikes following a transfer from UBC in 2017 and is part of a mix of players from British Columbia, Alberta, Washington State and Norway looking to bring UVic back into prominence on the basketball scene in Canada.

Also returning for the ride this year is Trent Monkman from Smithers, he has joined the Vikes by way of  Thonpson Rivers university, when like McChesney he joined the Vikes in 2017. 

His name will be familiar for fans and followers of the Rainmakers, with the Monkman/McChesney showdowns of last decade a highlight moment of many battles on the court through those years.

Now as the basketball winds shift, they find themselves on the same court, on the same side ready to contribute towards the 2021-22 season.

The Smithereen is already making his presence on the court known, with 9 points and fourteen minutes of play in two games this year so far.

You can review the stats packages for both below:

Justin McChesney

Trent Monkman 

The pair of Northwesterners make up just a portion of the fifteen player roster that Head Coach Craig Beucamp has assembled, as the team takes on the four month road that Vikes supporters hope will lead to the national championships.

You can follow the Vikes through the season through the team's website and the UVic Vikes social media steams of Facebook, twitter and Instagram

The Vikes take on the UBC Okanagan heat this weekend with two games set for tonight and tomorrow.

Tonight's game from CARSA Performance Centre starts at 8PM, the Saturday contest set for 7PM

For those looking to catch up on the former northwest players, U Sports games are available for streaming with Canada West TV, you can check out their rates and schedule here.