Renoldo Robinson starts his mornings the same way many Saanich locals do, with a walk up Mount Douglas (PKOLS).
He follows the same trail, at the same time, focused on his breath and the quiet before the day begins. It’s a routine he uses to stay grounded.
What separates him from most who take that climb is what happens when he steps onto a basketball court.
The fourth-year guard from Montreal, Que., has become one of the driving forces behind the University of Victoria Vikes’ rise to the top of Canadian university basketball.
Since joining the team in 2022, Robinson has established himself as a reliable scorer and a consistent threat from beyond the arc.
Last season, he averaged 15.8 points per game while helping the Vikes capture their first national championship since 1997.
As the new season begins, the Vikes once again find themselves in the national spotlight.
Victoria enters the year ranked No. 1 in the Canada West coaches’ poll after a dominant 20-0 regular season and an 82-53 win over the University of Calgary in the national final.
Head coach Murphy Burnatowski says the group’s goal remains unchanged.
“The goal is to compete for a conference and national championship,” he said. “With a solid veteran returning group and a new young core, we look to improve on the basketball we played last season.”
The Vikes will need to fill the void left by three key departures: Diego Maffia, the program’s all-time leading scorer, 2025 U Sports Tournament MVP Sam Maillet, and defensive standout Aaron Tesfagiorgis.
But Robinson says the returning veterans, including himself, Shadynn Smid, Griffin Arnatt, and Ethan Boag, are ready to lead.
“It’s been a big adjustment with those guys leaving,” Robinson told Saanich News. “Murphy (Burnatowski) has entrusted Ethan, Shadynn, Griffin and I to take on that leadership. We’ve been doing things with the team all summer and getting everyone together. It’s been pretty good.”
That leadership extended well beyond Victoria.
Over the summer, Robinson and three teammates represented Canada at the FISU America 3×3 Championship in Brasília, Brazil, before playing in the Ball Don’t Stop Pro-Am event at CARSA alongside NBA talent.
“Going to Brazil was an amazing experience, we grew together as a group. And the Pro-Am game was fun, just being on the same court as NBA players. Guarding Payton (Pritchard) was tough, he dropped like 40 on me,” Robinson said with a chuckle. “But it was motivating. I definitely took things from that I’ll carry for the rest of my career.”
The Vikes’ roster this season blends experience and youth.
Alongside returning veterans, three local freshmen, Toren Franklin of Oak Bay High, and Spectrum products Justin Hinrichsen and Tyler Felt, will aim to bring that same success that they saw at the high school level.
“I just tell them to play the way they play,” Robinson said. “They’ve been doing really well so far and stepping into their roles. I’m proud of them.”
Victoria won five of six preseason games, including a 91-78 victory over Calgary, setting the stage for the Oct. 24 season opener against seventh-ranked Trinity Western University at CARSA.
The Vikes won that one 98-91, and followed that up the next day with an 84-76 victory over University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford.
The opener featured a special moment for the team as they raised their 2025 national championship banner.
“It’s very exciting,” Robinson said prior to the weekend. “We made history, and it’s going to be amazing to see that banner go up. It’s one of many, I hope.”
And if his routine stays the same, Robinson and the Vikes will hope to find themselves in the U Sports final come March 2026.