In this article, I will recap both of Camosun's seasons last year, go over their strengths and weaknesses, and how I think they will match up against VIU.
Women's
Season recap
Following a bronze medal finish in 2023, the Camosun Chargers regressed in 2024, falling to the Douglas Royals in the quarterfinals. Head coach Kate Service was shown the door, and former MacEwan lead man John Dedrick was hired in her stead.
Camosun entered 2024-25 with moderately high expectations. After a 2-1 start, things looked promising.
Then Abby Rauh went down.
Without their starting point guard, the Chargers fell into a tailspin, only winning two more games that season. Despite an unflattering 4-20 finish, Camosun snuck into the playoffs due to Okanagan's implosion down the stretch.
No one gave the Chargers a chance as they stared down the reigning PACWEST champion Douglas Royals, but while they were felled, they kept it extremely close, only losing 67-61. Kanda Diop and midseason addition Maren Bilsky would both ride off into the sunset without any hardware, but Chargers fans had good reason to be excited. Their depleted roster took a vastly superior team to the brink.
Next season, hopefully blessed with good health, the Chargers should return to their contending ways.
Strengths and weaknesses
Camosun's biggest strength is their depth. They have several starting-caliber players in their lineup, many of which will be in competition to replace the starting spots recently vacated by Bilsky and Diop.
Recent transfer Jayci Chase provides an extreme amount of defensive versatility in the lineup, despite seeing sheltered minutes at Lakeland.
Mackenzie Pogue and Mila Johnson were brought in as depth guards, but time will tell if they'll be anything more.
John Dedrick's return also gives Camosun much-needed continuity, as potential new recruits don't have to worry about the system changing from year to year.
Camosun strikes me as a team that won't win games with offensive firepower or stifling defense, but with sheer depth and numbers. They have a good enough bench to gradually wear anyone down.
As last year showed, health is still a major concern. Hopefully, they won't be given as bad a hand as they were dealt last season.
How do they fare against VIU?
As much as I've sung Camosun's praises so far, I don't see them winning more than one game against VIU. Their lineup is talented, I won't deny that, but VIU has a proven track record of beating Camosun, which should give them a mental edge. Will the games be more competitive? Absolutely. Will the results remain the same? More than likely.
Men's
Season recap
The Camosun Chargers are coming off of a 19-5 season that saw them earn the #2 seed in the PACWEST and finish as the #10 ranked team in the country. Their main strength all season long was their stifling defense, which finished first in points against, shooting percentage against, three-point percentage against, and defensive efficiency.
This is not to say that Camosun had no offense; they finished third in points per game off the back of veteran sharpshooter David Finch and standout rookie Isaiah Helman.
Despite their talent, the Chargers would not get a chance at redemption against the Mariners. Instead, they would fall in a double overtime epic against the Capilano Blues, forcing the Chargers to settle for a bronze medal against CBC.
That game would be the final career game for veteran guards Jaime Palamos-Molins and Eric Lees, but their biggest loss would come from behind the bench. After three seasons, Geoff Pippus resigned as Camosun's head coach to take the same position at the University of Alberta.
Assistant coach and former player Jake Wilmott will lead the Chargers on an interim basis. Camosun's system is expected to remain the same for at least this season.
Strengths and weaknesses
Camosun's biggest strength is immediately obvious. Their defense was incredible last year, and looks to be strong again. Combine that with Isaiah Helman and David Finch staying hot from the perimeter, and the Chargers are one of two teams in the conference that I believe has no outright weakness in their lineup (I'll talk about the other in a few days).
The departures of Lees and Palamos-Molins give room for other young guards on their roster, such as Malachi Bryden and Lincoln Faulkner, to emerge. While the Chargers have only made two additions, they made them count. A pair of Oak Bay guards in Diem Orser and Thomas Beames provide additional depth while maintaining a strong connection with Oak Bay High, a perennial AAAA powerhouse.
Orser is a proven award winner, winning DPOY at the 2024 Kodiak Classic and MVP at the 2023 UVic Alumni Tournament. He was named an All-Star at Islands during his final two seasons with the Bays while averaging 26 points per game on 50% shooting. He figures to be an immediate contender for a starting spot.
Beames, while not nearly as decorated, is a formidable player in his own right. He was named an All-Star alongside Orser, and won MVP at the 2024 Vancouver College Emerald Tournament.
The only question mark regarding the roster is Jake Wilmott. While he's been an assistant under Pippus for as long as he'd been there, this is his first season as head coach. I think he'll be good, but it's unclear as to whether or not he'll be anything more.
How do they fare against VIU?
This is one of VIU's most equal matchups. Every game between these two came down to the wire, with one of them even requiring a buzzer beater from Zekun Li. That shouldn't change this season.
VIU's biggest undoing last year was their lack of a conventional big man, which allowed Camosun to run rampant on the glass. While that hole was filled, Camosun added more guard depth, which should let them stay on equal footing in that regard.
In a way, both teams learned from each other to improve, which is weirdly wholesome. The Island Rivalry should remain a provincial spectacle, and I can't wait for it to come up north.
The next article will detail another team VIU has unpleasant history with, the Capilano Blues. Until next time, this has been Kaleb Green, the voice of VIU.
-K
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