Heinbuch Classic: 2014 Teams, Draw Released

(Update:  Here's a Link To the Draw)

The start of November means the start of boys' basketball tryouts and practices in the CWOSSA region.

With that comes the release of some tournament schedules, including the prestigious 31st annual Heinbuch Classic.

As usual, the tournament takes place towards the end of November (it's the 28th and 29th this year), but it's the first year that the tournament will be primarily played in Waterloo, with first and second round games being played at RIM Park in Waterloo.

Needless to say, that's a great set-up for hoops fans as attendees of recent OBA tournaments (and, of course, OFSAA AAAA Boys Basketball in 2007) can attest.

Games will continue on Saturday, at both WCI & SJAM in Waterloo.

Before we get to the draw, here's a list of the CWOSSA participating teams:
Cameron Heights (Kitchener)
Eastwood (Kitchener)
Grand River (Kitchener)
North Park (Brantford)
SJAM (Waterloo)
St. Mary's (Kitchener)
Waterloo CI (Waterloo)

The First Round Draw Is As Follows:
SJAM vs. North Park
Eastwood vs. Welland Notre Dame
Grand River vs. Toronto Oakwood
Windsor Herman vs. Ottawa Lisgar

St. Mary's (K) vs. Burlington Nelson
Hamilton St. Thomas More vs. Ajax J. Clarke Richardson
WCI vs. Hamilton MacNab
Cameron Heights vs. Ottawa St. Patrick's

....we've got SJAM vs. North Park (all-CWOSSA) in the first round and we're guaranteed at least another "all-CWOSSA" second round game as Eastwood will play one of those teams depending on the results.

Analysis
The early-season CWOSSA favourites, the St. Mary's Eagles, will have as good a shot at any of ending the CWOSSA (and more importantly, the Waterloo Region) championship drought.

The Eagles, who return virtually all of their scoring offense from a season ago, lost in last year's championship
final to Toronto Oakwood (69-57).  

This was the first time a Waterloo Region based team had advanced to the tournament's final since 2004, when KCI dropped a 61-49 decision to Mother Teresa of Scarborough.

Again, a Waterloo Region team has never won the Heinbuch. 

I'd expect St. Mary's, Cameron Heights (likely my preseason CWOSSA #2 team) as well as the SJAM Highlanders to be the CWOSSA teams with the most potential of "making some noise" here at the Heinbuch.

It's been 15 years since a CWOSSA-based team has tasted victory --- that was the Brantford Assumption Lions back in 1999.  That year, in fact, was the second straight year a CWOSSA team had won (St. James won in 1998).

Good luck to all participants (and, in particular, our CWOSSA clubs!).