The reigning national champion Carleton University Ravens and University of Windsor Lancers top the first CIS men’s and women’s basketball rankings of the 2012-13 season, respectively.

In other CIS sports, only men’s hockey has a new national leader this week as the Saskatchewan Huskies replace UNB at No. 1. In other disciplines, Ottawa (women’s soccer), York (men’s soccer), Calgary (women’s hockey), Trinity Western (women’s volleyball), Alberta (men’s volleyball) and Guelph (women’s & men’s cross country) all hold on to the pole position.

In men’s basketball, Carleton opens at No. 1 for the seventh straight campaign and for the 10th time in the last 11 years. The Ravens claimed their record-tying eighth W.P. McGee Trophy (all in the last 10 years) last march in Halifax, thanks to an 86-67 gold-medal win over Alberta. They will have a chance to become the most decorated team in CIS men’s basketball history in front of their home fans this winter when they host the Final 8 in the nation’s capital (March 8-10).

The top-ranked Ravens, who received 43 of 44 first-place votes in the initial coaches’ poll, are off to a great start once again this fall with eight victories in nine pre-season contests, including a 2-1 record versus NCAA opponents and a 6-0 mark against CIS rivals. The defending champs travel south this week for two more exhibition games against U.S. schools, Villanova (Thursday) and La Salle (Friday), before opening the regular season at Windsor and Western on Nov. 9-10.

Rounding out the first Top 10 of the season are the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds, who earned the remaining first-place nod, as well as No. 3 Acadia, No. 4 Fraser Valley, No. 5 Saskatchewan, No. 6 Lakehead, No. 7 McGill, No. 8 Cape Breton, No. 9 Windsor and No. 10 Alberta.

In women’s hoops, Windsor opens at No. 1 for the second time in three years, seven months after claiming a second straight Bronze Baby Trophy thanks to a 69-53 defeat of UBC in the national final.

Like the Carleton men, the Lancers have been impressive in pre-season action with six victories in seven contests, all against CIS opponents. After winning their first five games this fall, the reigning champs split a two-game set against the Regina Cougars in Saskatchewan’s capital last weekend, taking the opener 69-57 and dropping a 74-63 decision in the rematch. Windsor hits the road to face Oakland University of the NCAA on Saturday in its final exhibition test before opening conference play at home against Carleton and Ottawa on Nov. 9-10.

The Lancers received 41 first-place votes in the first coaches’ poll of the campaign, with the other two nods going to the second-ranked Cougars, who will host this year’s CIS championship from March 15 to 17.

Rounding out the Top 10 are No. 3 Fraser Valley, No. 4 Carleton, No. 5 Saint Mary’s, No. 6 Saskatchewan, No. 7 Victoria, No. 8 Acadia, No. 9 Wilfrid Laurier and No. 10 UBC.

League play kicks off later this week in CIS men’s and women’s basketball with 32 games in Canada West and four matches in the AUS. Conference action gets under way a week later in the RSEQ and OUA.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(REGULAR SEASON RECORD) / VOTES (FIRST-PLACE VOTES) / (PREVIOUS RANKINGS)

1. Windsor (0-0) / 514 points (41) / (-)

2. Regina (0-0) / 446 (2) / (-)

3. Fraser Valley (0-0) / 429 / (-)

4. Carleton (0-0) / 393 / (-)

5. Saint Mary’s (0-0) / 300 / (-)

6. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 230 / (-)

7. Victoria (0-0) / 195 / (-)

8. Acadia (0-0) / 191 / (-)

9. Wilfrid Laurier (0-0) / 188 / (-)

10. UBC (0-0) / 79 / (-)

Also receiving votes: Ottawa (78), Alberta (74), Calgary (63), Laval (48).

MEN’S BASKETBALL
(REGULAR SEASON RECORD) / VOTES (FIRST-PLACE VOTES) / (PREVIOUS RANKINGS)

1. Carleton (0-0) / 526 points (43) / (-)

2. UBC (0-0) / 457 (1) / (-)

3. Acadia (0-0) / 338 / (-)

4. Fraser Valley (0-0) / 320 / (-)

5. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 314 / (-)

6. Lakehead (0-0) / 313 / (-)

7. McGill (0-0) / 309 / (-)

8. Cape Breton (0-0) / 150 / (-)

9. Windsor (0-0) / 131 / (-)

10. Alberta (0-0) / 87 / (-)

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