First place in Canada West is on the line in this week's home-and-home series between the Dinos and Golden Bears men's basketball teams.

Tonight, the first of two games between the top-ranked teams in the West is being played in Edmonton. Saturday, the series returned to Calgary.

The U of C team has a perfect 16-0 record heading into their final four games of the regular season, and are ranked number two in Canada behind the Carleton Ravens. The University of Alberta team is second in the west conference with a 15-1 record.

Cochrane's Jake Nielson is in his third season with Dinos and believes the games will offer the toughest competition of the season to date.

"Whoever wins the series gets home-court advantage all the way through, so it's an important weekend, that's for sure."

Still, with two other games remaining in the regular season against the 3-13 Mount Royal Cougars, Feb. 6 and 8, nothing is set in stone. The Golden Bears wrap up their season against the 10-6 University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

The biggest threat in USports is the number one ranked Charleton Ravens, who defeated the Dinos in the national final last year.

Nielson says the Dinos want a rematch.

That's what we're hoping for," says Nielson. "We're out for revenge after last year's performance."

"They are definitely beatable."

Nielson's 2018-19 season was cut short by an injury last year. Before then, the 6'3" guard appeared in 15 regular-season games, averaging 3.2 points per game with a season-high nine points against Mount Royal.

The Dinos won their first-ever national championship against Ryerson in 2018.