By Nathan Hutton (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: February 26, 2014
UFV’s men’s basketball roster for this year was not the best in the conference on paper, and their season started out very rocky.
Unable to get a good jump out of the gate, the Cascades were at one point two games below .500.
Friesen never panicked and showed the poise that made him a stellar Canada West point guard in his day. He stayed with his regular seven-eight man rotation, only putting players in the game if it was absolutely necessary, and developed an incredible man-to-man defense that enabled his players to thrive.
Since the Cascades’ worst game of the season, an 83-62 loss to the University of Saskatchewan, the Cascades have been unbeatable, winning their last 14 regular season games and capturing the second seed in their division.
At this point it is obvious to those who watch the Cascades regularly that Friesen should be the Canada West coach of the year. He has taken a roster that many thought would be unable to contend this season and instead pulled off one of the most incredible in Cascades history, on the way to a second-consecutive Canada West final four.
