GUELPH, Ont. - Friday night (Nov. 3, 2023) marks the beginning of a new season, as the Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team officially tips off their 2023-24 regular season schedule with a home game against the defending OUA champion Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Gryphons return to action with a 22-game regular season schedule ahead of them and 18 opposing OUA programs to contend with across three divisions. The Gryphons will once again compete in the OUA West Division, along with the Western Mustangs, Waterloo Warriors, Windsor Lancers, Laurier Golden Hawks, and Algoma Thunderbirds. Following the regular season, the top 12 teams in the conference will earn a spot in the postseason. The three division winners and the best 2nd-place teams will all receive opening round byes while the remaining 8 teams compete in the opening round beginning on February 21, 2024.
The Gryphons season opener against the Gee-Gees is the first of a three-game home stand to open the season with the defending national champion Carleton Ravens making the trip to Guelph on Saturday (Nov. 4) followed by the Waterloo Warriors (Nov. 8).
"We are very excited to get going this year," says head coach
Chris O'Rourke, who enters his 27th season in charge of the University of Guelph men's basketball program, making him the longest-tenured head coach in U SPORTS men's basketball. "There is a lot of parity in the OUA this year so it will be up to us to fight for where we want to be in the conference and the division, and I can't wait to see this team do just that. Ultimately our team success will come down to defence and rebounding this season, but with a strong group of returning players complimented by some new additions, we believe we have the pieces to compete with every team."
Leading the way for the Gryphons in 2023-24 is the reigning OUA Rookie of the Year
Dezayne Mingo. Mingo, a 6-foot-4 guard from Hamilton, enters his sophomore season as one of the premier guards in the conference. Mingo averaged 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season en route to becoming just the sixth Gryphon in program history to be named the top rookie in the conference while also earning a position on the U SPORTS All-Rookie team.
The psychology major started last season coming off the bench before working his way into the starting lineup after just 3 games and finished the season with a team-high 282 points. Mingo's 2022-23 season as highlighted by a 16 point, 11 rebound, and 10 assist game against the Nipissing Lakers on January 29 to become the first U of G student-athlete to post a triple double in at least 15 years. At forward, the Gryphons welcome back
Emmanuel Ansah for his final season as a Gryphon. The 26-year-old Mississauga native leads the way in the Gryphon front court, with Ansah bringing size and skill to the forward position. In 19 games last season Ansah produced the second most points on the Gryphon roster with 260 while shooting just up 50% and bringing down 6.1 rebounds per game. The arts major enters his second season with the Gryphons after transferring from the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds.
6-foot-6 forward
Viktoras Nausedas returns for his fourth season with the Gryphons after a career season in 2022-23. Last year the Mississauga native more than doubled his best point total with 191 while also averaging 4.9 rebounds and shooting 49% from the field.
Returning third-year guards
Dylan McFee and Matthew Oliver are set for big seasons after impressing last season coming off of the bench. McFee, a 6-foot-5 three-point shooter led the Gryphons in shots made beyond the arc last season while averaging 7 points per game. Oliver meanwhile, is an athletic two-way player who will be a key player for the Gryphons at both ends of the court. Both McFee and Oliver have put together strong preseason efforts, highlighted by 17 point performance by McFee in a 107-79 win over the Sheridan Bruins. Returning guard
Carl Veltmann will add an additional veteran presence to the U of G roster, with Veltmann entering his fourth season. Veltmann, a 6-foot-3 Toronto native, has averaged 7.5 points per game during his career as a Gryphon and is coming off a season which saw the sociology major reach career bests in shooting percentage, three point percentage, and total points.
The 2023-24 edition of the Gryphons welcomes in 9 new faces with several ready to play key minutes for the U of G men's basketball team this season.
Raef Wykes,
Shaathon Walker,
Vytas Nausedas, and
Luke Trojanowski headline the group after impressing in preseason action. Reaf Wykes, a 6-foot-2 guard joins the Gryphons from the Wheeling University Cardinals of the NCAA-Divison I and brings a typical point guard style of play to the U of G front court.
The Brockville, Ontario native is a strong shooter with a pass-first mentality who can make an immediate impact with the Gryphons. Walker, a 6-foot-3 guard, arrives at the University of Guelph this season after having played for played for the Point Park University Pioneers of the NAIA.
Vytas Nausedas, a 6-foot-5 guard and brother of
Viktoras Nausedas, is a tough defender who can cover multiple positions. Vytas joins the Gryphons out of Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina and adds a well-rounded player to the U of G lineup. Finally,
Luke Trojanowski, a 6-foot guard from New Horizon Academy in Burlington, brings a tough style of play and an ability to play both sides of the ball that is complimented well by his perimeter shooting.
The Gryphons men's basketball team will look to return to the OUA postseason after a strong showing last season saw the team advance to the quarterfinal round for the first time in 11 seasons. Game time for Friday night's season-opener against the Gee-Gees is set for 8pm with tickets available at gryphons.ca/tickets. The game can also be seen live online at www.oua.tv.
