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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 Youngstown, Ohio, where the Hawks had played just one season, in the year 2000.[2] In Youngstown, the team was owned by former NBA owner Ted Stepien, but failed to gain traction, leading Stepien 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 GP W L Pct. GB Finish Postseason
1999–00 IBA 36 9 27 .250 16 3rd IBA East Lost East Semi Final 2–0 Vs Fargo-Moorhead Beez
2000–01[5] 36 21 19 .583 9 3rd IBA West Won West Semi Final 2–1 over Billings RimRockers,

Lost the West Final 2–0 to Dakota Wizards[5]

2001–02[7] CBA 40 8 32 .200 25 8th CBA Did not qualify
Totals (2000–2002) 112 38 78 .339 – –

References

  1. ^ Romuld, Darrell (October 4, 2022). “What pro sports teams used to exist in Sask.?”. CTV News. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Mitchell, Kevin (May 3, 2018). “City sports checkered pro basketball history”. Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Richesson, Brian (October 20, 2004). “Another risky venture”. The Vindicator. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Mitchell, Kevin (May 9, 2019). “After a long, long absence, pro hoops is back in Saskatoon”. Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c “2000 – 2001 Schedule”. Saskatchewan Hawks. Archived from the original on April 8, 2001. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Reid, Glenn (May 9, 2019). “Sask.’s latest entry into the world of pro hoops and why this one should succeed where others have failed”. CBC News. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  7. ^ “2001-02 Continental Basketball Association”. Stats Crew. Retrieved July 21, 2023.