The University of Saskatchewan Huskies compete within the Canada West Universities Athletic Association conference as part of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. In order to win a CIS championship, which is top honours in the country’s university athletics, teams must qualify and win their conference’s playoffs, and win the CIS playoffs — the only exception in qualifying for playoffs is that the host school automatically competes. Other conferences in the CIS include the Ontario University Athletics, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec and the Atlantic University Sport.

Coming off the 2010-11 season, the Huskies saw a few of their teams put up their strongest showings in history. This year, a few of the Huskies’ teams have rosters in place to win conference championships and some star players to break national records. Other teams, of course, will finish at the bottom of their division as they have young rosters and are rebuilding for the future.

Men’s Basketball

Expect the Huskies to make their third straight appearance in the CIS final four this year.

Whether or not they win a championship will be up to last year’s Canada West most valuable player Jamelle Barrett and fifth-year forward Michael Lieffers.

Barrett, a second year guard from Sacramento, Calif., was a CIS first team all-Canadian. He had 600 points, 162 assists and 60 steals last season — all of which led the Canada West standings.

Lieffers spent some time this summer in China where he won a silver medal for Canada at the World University Games. He had the best field goal percentage in the Canada West last year, hitting 96 of 153 attempts for a .627 average. His 8.9 rebounds per game ranked sixth amongst all players.

They will be backed by a core of fourth- and fifth-year veterans.

Duncan Jones was supposed to start as shooting guard for the Dogs last year, but after Canada West second team all-star Rejean Chabot decided to return to the Huskies last season for his final year of eligibility, Jones had to split playing time. The fifth-year player will be ready to start this season.

Peter Lomuro, a fifth-year transfer from the Dogs’ conference opponents, the Winnipeg Wesmen, will have an immediate impact at the forward position.

On the defensive side of the ball, fourth-year forward Nolan Brudehl will lead the squad. He finished one spot behind Lieffers on the Canada West rebounding list by averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

The most notable rookie this year is guard Nick Foth. The recent graduate of Centennial High School in Saskatoon was regarded as the province’s top prospect and has the ability to skip the Huskies’ red-shirt phase — essentially the practice roster — and crack the starting roster immediately.

Women’s Basketball

Katie Miyazaki in action for Canada. (Photo by Freestyle Photography)

Without question, this season will be a rebuilding year for the Huskies women’s basketball team.

This year’s team is significantly different from the team that won last year’s CIS silver medal. Four starters are gone including Canada West most valuable player Kim Tulloch, CIS most outstanding student-athlete Jill Humbert and a CIS tournament all-star Jana Spindler.

It will now be up to two-time CIS defensive player of the year and CIS tournament all-star Katie Miyazaki to lead the squad. Miyazaki transferred to the U of S from Simon Fraser University before last season following SFU’s move to the NCAA. She won two national championships while there but despite her ability to win, the Huskies are likely too young and inexperienced this year to bring home any Canada West titles — even if Miyazaki can improve on the offencive side of the ball.

The only other players returning who had significant playing experience for the Dogs last season are Mary Hipperson and Amy Lackie.

Kabree Howard, last year’s backup point guard, will likely start this year while second year Trisha Carriere has the daunting task of replacing Spindler in the key.

Kiera Lyons is one recruit who is expected to make an immediate impact. The guard transferred to the Huskies from the Augustana Vikings of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.

Two-time CIS head coach of the year Lisa Thomaidis will lead the team again this season.