Saskatchewan Hawks

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Saskatchewan Hawks
Saskatchewan Place
LocationSaskatoon, Saskatchewan
Championships0

The Saskatchewan Hawks were a professional basketball club based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that competed in the International Basketball Association beginning in the 2000–01 season, and the Continental Basketball Association in 2001–02.[1]

Team history

From Youngstown to Saskatoon

The team moved to Saskatoon from

NBA owner Ted Stepien, but failed to gain traction, leading Stepian to move the team.[3] Tom Tao was the principal investor, purchasing 70 per cent of the team and bringing Saskatchewan its first professional team since the Saskatoon Slam folded in 1994.[4] During their lone IBA season in 2000–01, Saskatchewan finished third in their division and defeated the Billings RimRockers in the first round of playoffs, before losing to the eventual IBA-champion Dakota Wizards in the second round.[5] That season, the team was coached by Rob Spon. The IBA folded at the conclusion of the season.[4]

From IBA to CBA

The team joined the Continental Basketball Association in 2001 after the IBA folded, along with the rival Wizards and Fargo-Moorhead Beez. The Hawks gave away more than 6,000 tickets for their season-opener.[2] In their first and only season in the CBA, the Hawks compiled the worst record in the league with just 8 wins in 40 matches. Their coach that year was Laurian Watkins. Tao disappeared from the team during the season and the league took over the team's operations, along with a local First Nations investment group. However, talks between the groups ultimately collapsed, and the team folded after the 2002 season.[2] Their final game was a 112–100 loss at home to the Beez on 22 March 2002.[4]

The Hawks collapse left the province without professional-level basketball until the founding of the Saskatchewan Rattlers, a charter member of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, in 2019.[6]

Seasons

Season League W L GB Postseason
2000–01[5] IBA 21 19 9 Won first-round over Billings RimRockers, 2–1

Lost second-round to Dakota Wizards, 2–0[5]

2001–02[7] CBA 8 32 25 Did not qualify
Totals (2000–2002) 29 51 –

References

  1. ^ Romuld, Darrell (2022-10-04). "What pro sports teams used to exist in Sask.?". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  2. ^ a b c Mitchell, Kevin (2018-05-03). "City sports checkered pro basketball history". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  3. ^ Richesson, Brian (2004-10-20). "Another risky venture". The Vindicator. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  4. ^ a b c Mitchell, Kevin (2019-05-09). "After a long, long absence, pro hoops is back in Saskatoon". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  5. ^ a b c "2000 - 2001 Schedule". Saskatchewan Hawks. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  6. ^ Reid, Glenn (2019-05-09). "Sask.'s latest entry into the world of pro hoops and why this one should succeed where others have failed". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  7. ^ "2001-02 Continental Basketball Association". Stats Crew. Retrieved 2023-07-21.

External links

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