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Men's basketball using team-oriented approach at the midpoint

In 2024, the UBC men’s basketball team was trounced in the early rounds of the Canada West playoffs. Fast forward to 2025 and the Thunderbirds have turned a new page, jumping all the way up to the number two position in the U Sports national rankings and boasting a strong 10–4 conference record. 

The team went undefeated in their preseason and have picked up comprehensive wins against most of their opponents, only dropping games to UVic (14–0) and the University of Calgary (11–3).  

Crucial to the Thunderbirds’ resurgence is the emergence of players like second-year wing Adam Olsen, whose increased scoring has provided the team with a reliable offensive spark. Olsen, who came off the bench this past season, currently leads the team in points. UBC sits third in points per game in the conference due to his contributions.  

When asked about his individual performance, Olsen cited the time he spent in the offseason playing with professional Vancouver Bandits. 

“Now I’m able to, when I'm in the gym, train how professionals train, and that's just increased my overall skill set massively,” he said.

While Olsen’s growth has highlighted the team’s success, the Thunderbirds have also adapted to playing without two key senior players from last season, point guard James Woods and forward Brian Wallack. The team has successfully made a shift from running a star-driven offence to a deeper and far more versatile lineup. 

“We really went from not a deep team last year to a super deep team where it's not just one person taking over James Woods and Brian Wallack’s roles, but a bunch of guys have taken over certain roles,” Olsen said. 

He spoke highly of other players who have stepped up this season like fifth-year transfer Nikola Guzina, second in points on the team. 

“Guzina wasn't here last year, but is a big 6’10” presence, [he’s] able to score like a guard and he really stepped up his game,” said Olsen.  

He also noted point guard Brendan Sullivan, who leads UBC in steals, and Fareed Shittu, who doesn’t lead any categories but is in the top-three for six different ones. 

“[Shittu’s] always just one of the most consistent players … consistent on offence, consistent on defence,” Olsen said.

This new team-oriented approach has also paid its dividends on the defensive side of the floor for the team. Last season, UBC gave up 77.1 points a game on average, and this figure is now down to 73.1 points per game. In the conference, the T-Birds lead in defensive rebounds, steals and blocks per game. 

Olsen also attributed a large part of the team’s success to their defensive efforts and emphasized how defence is viewed as a team priority. 

“Defence is the key,” he said. “Defence first, and offence will come if you have good defence.” 

Rounding into the postseason, the Thunderbirds are looking as strong as ever. With an automatic bid into the U Sports Final 8, the team has a golden opportunity to make a deep national run on home court. The UBC student body and fans alike will be eager to rally behind this team, and hopeful their outstanding season will culminate in a championship come March.

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