Men’s Basketball
The Gaels had an impressive and promising preseason, recording wins in six of eight games with room for grow. With the regular season now underway, and the Gaels having defeated the Guelph Gryphons 97-81 on Oct. 26 in Guelph, it’s the perfect time to predict how this season might unfold.
This year, the Gaels will be look to defend their OUA title, a tall task considering the departure of numerous players from the starting five, such as Gaels’ golden-boy Cole Syllas, Sci ’24, who has taken his talents to Greece, where he’s currently playing professional basketball for AO Mykonou in the Greek Elite League.
The Gaels have a slower start to the season, with most of their games against divisional powerhouse teams such as the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Ontario Tech Ridgebacks coming in the second half of the season.
This should allow the Gaels to shake off any early season rust against teams like Windsor, Algoma, and Waterloo, whom they traditionally do well against.
An early test for the Gaels will come on Nov. 2, when they host the Western Mustangs at the ARC. The Mustangs finished at the top of the OUA’s West division last year and should provide a good baseline for how this year’s team will stack up against one of the province’s top basketball programs.
In the Gaels first regular season game on Oct. 26, the Gaels’ victory over the Gryphons provided insight as to who we might see step up and take the helm for the Gaels offensively.
Veteran and rookie players alike showed promise, with Aaron Tennant, Law ’25, and AJ Cummings, ArtSci ’26, putting up 10 points each while shooting over 50 per cent from the field. Scott Jenkins, ConEd ’25, also continued to be a threat from the three point line for the Gaels, knocking down three of four shots from beyond the arc.
Homegrown talent Luka Syllas, ConEd ’25, is seemingly picking up where his brother left off, dropping 21-points and recording three steals on defense. If he maintains this level of dominance throughout the regular season, the Gaels could be in for another historic season.
In what might be the most exciting aspect of this year’s Gaels’ team, first-year Ollie Engen ArtSci ’28 dropped the game-high 23 points, three assists, and two steals on only one turnover. The Kingston native is quickly stepping up and taking form as a serious threat on the court and should grow into the role of Queen’s primary offensive option quite effortlessly.
Should the Gaels continue to perform as they have thus far, I can’t see many teams being able to handle the defensive tenacity or the offensive relentlessness of this Gaels team. In short, I predict that the Gaels will have little to no trouble making the playoffs and making it back to the OUA championship, and should they find the same chemistry we saw them have last year, they should be able to legitimately contend for U SPORTS Gold.
The Gaels take part in a double-header this weekend, hosting the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 1 at the ARC and then the Western Mustangs on Nov. 2.
Women’s Basketball
The Women’s basketball team had a shaky preseason performance, winning just three of their seven games, with none of those wins coming against Ontario teams. The Gaels were also blown out by the Guelph Gryphons in their season opener on Oct. 26 in Guelph, losing 54-83.
This season, the main focus for the Women’s team should be reshaping their identity as they work to fill the holes left behind by past stars such as Julia Chadwick, ArtSci ’24, and Emma Weltz, Nurs ’24.
It’s no surprise the Gaels might experience some growing pains early in the season, but their historically strong 11-5 record against the Gryphons suggest their opening-game performance should be cause for concern.
Their schedule’s difficulty is still unclear, but matchups against the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees near the end of the season will add pressure to secure a strong position in the standings early on. Establishing momentum in the first half of the season will be crucial as they approach tougher opponents.
On the bright side, Hailey Barbieri, ArtSci ’26, seems to be adjusting well to her role as the Gaels’ starting point guard easily, recording 17 points against the Gryphons in their season opener with only one turnover.
Mikayla McFarlane, Kin ’25, also seems to be making the most of her increased minutes, tallying 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists in Guelph.
The Gaels struggled to find consistency offensively, with none of their players shooting over 50 per cent from the field against the Gryphons. Should the Gaels look to regain their identity as powerhouses in the OUA, they’ll need to buckle down on scoring against whatever opposing defensive schemes will give them.
The Gaels’ next game is against the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 1 at the ARC, and while the Gaels don’t typically match up well against the Lancers, this game as a must-win. The Women’s Basketball team is in dire need of some momentum before things get legitimately ugly.
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