King George's Nikola Guzina (left) is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound senior who comes to the UBC Thunderbirds as a true five-position player. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Men's Basketball

Nikola Guzina: With a versatile game that hints at shades of Conor Morgan, UBC inks multi-skilled King George Dragons’ star

VANCOUVER — Ask Nikola Guzina to talk about his rise to prominence on the hardcourt, and the standout incoming recruit of the UBC Thunderbirds proceeds to do so with a nod of thanks to the basketball gods.

UBC head coach Kevin Hanson wants his star senior Jason Cohee "...to just be himself" when the 'Birds open against Saskatchewan on Friday as part of the Canada West's revamped post-season format. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC men’s basketball: Thunderbirds’ head coach Kevin Hanson weighs the pros and cons of new Canada West playoff format

VANCOUVER — The eight remaining Canada West men’s basketball teams have no margin for error under the conference’s new and radically-revamped playoff system.

Although they have made two Final 8 national tourney appearances since, UBC Thunderbirds' head coach Kevin Hanson has his team at the event's traditional Halifax site for the first time since it lost in the semifinals back in 2011. It's a first-time trip for star guard Jadon Cohee. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC hoops back in Halifax! On long journey to Final 8 nationals, here’s why you can stamp these underdog ‘Birds as ‘battle-tested’

VANCOUVER — Over the course of a 17-game in-conference win streak which defined its Canada West regular season schedule, it was sometimes difficult to wonder if the UBC Thunderbirds were getting the level of competition which would best serve them on the road towards qualifying for the ultimate challenge.

UBC's Jadon Cohee brought the aggressive nature back to his game Friday and helped the 'Birds stave off elimination at the hands of the visiting Fraser Valley Cascades. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

After playing “…one of the worst games of my career” UBC’s Jadon Cohee flips the script Friday as ‘Birds stay alive with win over UFV

VANCOUVER — Jadon Cohee has had some great days playing basketball in his home province of B.C.Like scoring 22 points and being picked tournament MVP in leading the Walnut Grove Gators to the B.C. senior boys Triple A championship in March of 2013.Or later that summer, picking up the phone to take a call from […]

Fraser Valley's Sukhjot Bains (left) rises in the paint against UBC's Grant Shephard (centre) and Mason Bourcier during Game 1 of Canada West quarterfinal Thursday at War Gym in Vancouver. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

After UFV’s three-point daggers stagger UBC in Game 1, Cascades coach Friesen says “…we came in with the belief winning was possible”

VANCOUVER — The Fraser Valley Cascades vowed last week that they would never let indecisive play be the reason they weren’t advancing through the Canada West playoffs.

UBC's fifth-year senior Patrick Simon scored a season-high 20 points Friday as his 'Birds topped UNBC 94-75 for the team's 15th straight win. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

The long journey of UBC’s Patrick Simon: Says ‘Birds coach Hanson “…now he’s a fifth-year man-child”

VANCOUVER — If the talent evaluators were never fully sure how to project what kind of talent Patrick Simon was going to become coming out of PoCo’s tiny Archbishop Carney back in the spring of 2013, the answer was pretty evident Friday night at War Memorial Gymnasium.“You’re seeing him out there in his fifth year […]

UBC's latest recruit, rising fourth-year point guard Jadon Cohee has big goals for both himself and the Thunderbirds' basketball program. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Parker Simson wanted to reach a new level following a B.C. AAAA high school basketball championship title with the Kelowna Owls in 2016. He gets a chance to meet that goal this weekend back in his hometown, this time with the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photo used through the permission of UBC athletics)
Feature University Men's Basketball

A weekend for history: Parker Simson aims to become second UBC athlete in 57 years to play football, basketball in same school year

VANCOUVER — As Parker Simson prepared for a most unique moment in UBC sports history this weekend, and in of all places his hometown of Kelowna, he was professing an appreciation for one of sport’s oldest cliches.

UBC Thunderbirds' fifth-yeast senior Conor Morgan, one of the nation's elite, has been lost for a potentially extended period of time following an elbow injury suffered Thursday in Saskatoon. (UBC athletics photo by Richard Lam)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC star Conor Morgan lost to elbow injury, freshman Grant Shephard sees role increase

The UBC Thunderbirds men’s basketball team has added a lot of new faces to its 2017-18 roster, and while they have clearly shown huge promise in the early going, they may well be without their best player for an extended period of time.Head coach Kevin Hanson told Varsity Letters on Friday afternoon that forward Conor Morgan, the […]

Kelowna Owls' senior guard Mason Bourcier gives the UBC Thunderbirds yet another blue-chip B.C. recruit. (Wilson Wong, UBC athletics)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Men's Basketball

Kelowna’s Mason Bourcier stamps platinum status on UBC Thunderbirds solid gold recruiting class

VANCOUVER — Mason Bourcier is turning the 2017 recruiting class of the UBC Thunderbirds men’s basketball program into the school’s own version of the NBA’s 1996 draft lottery.