The VIU Mariners are entering 2025-26 as they have almost every year this century, with massive talent and equally massive expectations. VIU has been the team to beat since Tony Bryce's first stint, and have only become more dominant.
As I did with the women's team, I will recap the previous season, go over VIU's moves during the recruiting period, and predict how the Mariners will finish next season.
Previous Season Recap
Only a few months removed from their most recent PACWEST championship, the Mariners landed a massive recruit from just a bit down south.
And no, I'm not talking about them hiring me.
Kam Bender was acquired from Green River of the NWAC, where he was a key contributor on both offense and defense. He joined a guard room that had just lost longtime point guard Dan Zimmerman, but had several strong pieces, including deadly shooters Zekun Li and Kaeleb Johnson, two-way guard Ryan Bastian, and young corner threat Rylan Adams.
VIU would employ a five-out motion offense throughout the course of the season, which wasn't surprising given their guard-heavy lineup, complemented by a trio of stretch bigs: Adams' old high school teammate Kai Leighton, ACAC transfer Noah Lehto, and Australian journeyman Max D'Amato.
Markus Modrovic was tabbed as the team's primary defender and de facto starting centre, though he was also a capable shooter in his own right. Brad Lansdell also saw heavy minutes from the bench as an extra defender and rebounder, only two seasons removed from leading the CBC Bearcats in that category.
Just by looking at the roster, you might think that head coach Matt Kuzminski was only tooling his roster based on the personnel he acquired. While this is technically correct, I believe the change to a shooting-heavy offense was made out of necessity, rather than direct intent.
Breandan McLaughlin, a young big man, was projected to fill in as the team's starting centre, which would move Modrovic to power forward. Many questioned if he could perform as well as his predecessor at the position, Adam Anhold.
Unfortunately, those questions will remain unanswered for a few more months. During my first preseason game, I was simply told that McLaughlin was dealing with a leg injury, and wouldn't be able to play.
I assumed this was a minor injury, and expected him to return in time for the home opener against Okanagan.
That leg injury turned out to be, among other things, a torn ACL. The Mariners would be without one of the only true big men on their roster for the entire season. Woof.
Despite this crushing loss, the Mariners didn't skip a beat. They began the season with a blowout victory over the Okanagan Coyotes, winning by a final score of 100-59. This game set the tone for a thrilling season, which included Zekun Li hitting a buzzer-beater against the Camosun Chargers in the first leg of that year's Island Rivalry (which still needs a new name). They roared into the winter break as the only undefeated team in the conference, and briefly held serve as the #1 team in the country.
Their joyride would be temporarily halted on January 17th, 2025, when the Chargers made the trek up to Nanaimo and strangled VIU's potent offense, grinding out a 73-66 victory against the team that had bested them innumerable times before, handing VIU their first home loss since November 1st, 2019, exactly 1904 days ago.
Though VIU got revenge the next day, a statement was made to the rest of the province:
The Mariners were mortal.
Dejected, the Mariners fled to the interior to boost their confidence. After grounding the Coyotes into dust and dispatching the Royals, they returned home to host the Capilano Blues, who had beaten them in the PACWEST gold match two seasons prior. This would serve as the final home series for Noah Lehto, who would be VIU's lone graduating player this year.
Both of those games followed a similar script: Capilano races out to an early lead, but VIU slowly claws back and makes the game competitive in the final minutes. In the first game, the Mariners would complete the comeback. In the second game, they would run out of gas and suffer their second home loss of the season. It would be the first time they had lost more than once at home in a season in almost a decade.
Entering the playoffs as the #1 seed, the Mariners dispatched the CBC Bearcats before facing the Capilano Blues on their home court. In the first half, VIU held the slight advantage, but after halftime, Capilano would shift into third gear, taking a lead that they would never relinquish. Despite a valiant effort from Kai Leighton, who hit a trio of threes in the fourth quarter, Capilano survived and won their second PACWEST title in three years, both of which came over the Mariners.
With this loss, the VIU Mariners, who were the #1 team in the country coming out of the winter break, would be denied a trip to nationals.
Recruits
The fact that a 21-3 season, winning conference MVP, and conference silver is considered subpar for the Mariners speaks volumes as to their reputation among teams in the PACWEST and the CCAA at large.
VIU's guard room, once one of their strong suits, will be a relatively unproven bunch next year. Kam Bender and Kaeleb Johnson both left, while Zekun Li transferred to Capilano to be closer to his family.
Fortunately, the Mariners have reinforcements, proven and unproven alike, waiting in their ranks.
First came Nathan Pasloske, a point guard from Thompson Rivers. He is expected to be the centerpiece of VIU's offense next season and for the forseeable future, as he carries extra eligibility thanks to the pandemic.
Then, the Mariners looked to the mainland for more veteran hands. Lanky forward Ekman Sohal, who was named to the conference all-rookie team in 2023, was poached from Douglas to join Kai Leighton, while three-point specialist Levi Van Egdom came over from CBC, trading his cross for a trident.
VIU also carried two redshirt guards last season in Cohen Cadieux and Boyd Anderson, both capable scorers in their own right, but only Cadieux remains following Anderson's departure this past August. Rylan Adams, while primarily a corner shooter, fills a much needed role in the lineup.
Ryan Bastian, who set a career high in rebounds per game last season, is expected to serve as the anchor of the defensive backcourt. I expect to see another younger player, likely Adams, to partner with him in situations where the Mariners need to maintain a lead. Matt Kuzminski has never been one to stay with one system for too long, and Adams wasn't given the heaviest workload last season, so him becoming a 3-and-D guard makes sense.
While there will be an early transition period, VIU should be back to their scoring ways in no time.
Among forwards, the offense will be led by Kai Leighton and Ekman Sohal, while the defense will be anchored by Markus Modrovic. Scoring will take a slight dip due to Noah Lehto's graduation and Max D'Amato's departure. However, the major addition to VIU's frontcourt comes in the return of Breandan McLaughlin. While he has added a three-point shot to his arsenal, he should still serve as the team's primary interior presence, while Hudson Trood will step in as an additional big.
Expectations
Though it may not look like it at first, the Mariners are an immensely improved, especially in their forward room. Camosun and Capilano exposed VIU's subpar post presence during their matchups late in the season.
Even if they weren't granted an automatic bid to nationals as the host team, the Mariners would still be among the favorites to qualify. Their lone weakness was shored up, and the perimeter should remain a strength.
Another factor is the desire to get revenge on Capilano, both for the gold match last year and Li's departure. Even if their ire is not directed solely towards the Blues, no team will want to face the wrath of an enraged king trying to reclaim their throne.
The next article will discuss the Camosun Chargers, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they match up against the Mariners on both the men's and women's side. Until next time, this has been Kaleb Green, the voice of VIU.
-K
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