Hamilton, ON- James Derouin has a lot to be proud of and knows it. The Ottawa Gee-Gees men’s basketball team has won two OUA titles and multiple national medals in his tenure. Derouin said he has a great life, loves coaching the team and is proud of what they’ve built at Ottawa. 

However, when he looks at their city rivals, he’s reminded of something. He knows all the national championships the Carleton Ravens have won – 17 of them, including 11 since Derouin’s 14 seasons as head coach. He knows the Gee-Gees are still searching for their first. 

He knows how much winning a national championship will resonate with their current players, alumni and those in the city. It will put a stamp on the success they’ve enjoyed.

“It’s always, you had success but…but…but…” Derouin said. 

The absence of a national title really bothers them. It drives Derouin and this coaching staff to be constantly looking at how to reach the pinnacle. It’s the only thing that’s eluded them. 

Why can’t we get that last one, Derouin asks himself and others. What it is that’s missing?

They’ll pour over countless hours of tape and numbers looking for that edge, looking for that answer. Perhaps they’ll find it from last season’s U SPORTS semi-final defeat – one that still stings deeply. Ottawa routed Carleton in the OUA finals before coming up just short against them in Halifax a week later. 

The Gee-Gees trailed the Ravens for most of the match but couldn’t complete the comeback. “We just couldn’t seem to string together one good run against them,” Derouin said back then. “There’s probably 10 plays that are gonna haunt us for the whole summer.”

Even though they captured the bronze medal and Derouin called the season a “huge success”, it was yet another moment of coming so close for the program. Another moment of wondering what was missing. 

If this season is anything to go by, the Gee-Gees look like they may have found that answer. They’re undefeated in the preseason and regular season. They’re ranked number one in Canada. They’re back in the national title hunt. They’ve found that edge. 

Ottawa has been known in the past as a team to jack up tons of three – preferring pure volume at times. They did so at the start of this season as the wins continued to roll along. Even as the margins got closer and closer.  

However, in their 84-77 win over the Western Mustangs on Nov. 11, it reached an inflection point. As three-after-three missed (Ottawa shot 11-for-38 in the game), the realization hit Derouin and his coaching staff.

They were among the best teams in two-point field goal percentage but kept shooting threes. After the game, the coaches talked among themselves and agreed. Can we dial this back, they asked? Can we shoot even 10 fewer threes a game? 

Turns out the answer was yes. The Gee-Gees did so and started to see the dividends. Their players have been good at attacking the rim – Brock Newton, Justin Ndjock-Tadjore and Jacques-Melanie Guemeta among others – and this was just a way to do so even more. 

Against the McMaster Marauders on Dec. 2, Newton scored a game-high 17 points while Ndjock-Tadjore had 16. Kevin Otoo (13 points), Khalifa Koulamallah (12) and Guemeta (10) also finished in double figures. 

The most notable stat of the night might be the three-points attempted: 25. Ottawa only shot 28 per cent from deep but perhaps passing up on those deep shots made a difference. They shot 44.3 per cent from the field. 

Against McMaster, they missed some threes early as McMaster came out with a zone defence. Then they started to attack the basket more and score in transition. When they did so in the third quarter, they started to pull away. 

“We just want to continue to emphasize that this team has another gear,” Derouin said. 

Something else the Gee-Gees take from their hearts and minds onto the court is last season. The experience of winning the OUA title, losing the semis and winning bronze. All the highs and lows that come with that. 

Fourth-year point guard Dragan Stajic called it an extra added motivation. He feels the camaraderie from all the returning players from last season. He feels it continue to build and build. He feels that urge of winning it all. 

“We’re trying to make history this year,” Stajic said. “We keep chasing that every day and as long as we have that in sight, we’ll continue to stay hungry.” 

Derouin called their continuity massive. However, it’s not just about who’s back but also what they’re doing. He’s seen those veteran players take on leadership roles. 

Four stand out: Stajic, Otoo as well as Cole and Brock Newton. When the games get close, Derouin sees them taking over and making plays – like they did against McMaster. 

“I think they figured something out at the end of last season and I think they believe that they can do it,” Derouin said. The head coach sees that belief with their confidence in the fourth quarter. 

He sees them crank up their defence in key moments by switching and communicating. He saw Stajic hit some big threes down the stretch in their 86-75 win over the York Lions on Dec. 1. 

As the floor general, Stajic is at the centre of the offence – the one running the offence and setting up teammates. He credits them for making him look good by knocking down their shots. “The best group of guys in the country,” he calls them. 

For Derouin, he’s a coach’s dream. When he watches Stajic play, he’s reminded of when he used to watch Jason Kidd. Those around him keep telling him to shoot more but Derouin recognizes his game beyond scoring. He and Stajic’s teammates recognize his rebounding, defence, steals and assists. 

“Dragan is just a winner,” Derouin said. “He’s got it all and people are hung up on that fact that he doesn’t score, you know, 16 points a game. Ridiculous.” 

Stajic only tallied two points versus the Marauders but made his impact all around, finishing with nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals and a block. 

“We recognize his brilliance and hoping he’s coming back for a fifth year next year,” Derouin said. “Fingers crossed.” 

The ultimate question remains in the air as their fingers remain crossed. Will all the offensive adjustments, the personal growth of the players and everything else be enough to win that national title at long last come next March? Or will Derouin and those around him be once again asking: What’s missing? 

The Gee-Gees have a home game against the Ravens on Dec. 6 to close out the first half of the season. It’s an always dangerous opponent despite their 5-4 record and recent struggles. It’s also a reminder of what Derouin and his team are chasing.

Even if it’s 17 national titles for Carleton to one for them, it might not make a big difference to some but it will to them, according to Derouin. They want to take out that ever-present caveat at the end of those sentences about their program.

“We want to kind of eliminate that ‘but’ this year,” Derouin said. “And put a championship banner at Montpetit Hall.” 

Featured Image: Greg Kolz/University of Ottawa Athletics