McMaster point guard Steve Maga was named recipient of the Moser. The 5-10 guard from Stoney Creek led McMaster to a 13-1 record in the OUA West and was named conference MVP. Maga was sixth in the CIAU in scoring at 19.4 ppg and eighth in assists a 5.1 per game. Maga has led the Marauders to the final eight in each of his five seasons at the school. The fifth-year guard was completing his M.B.A. In OUA regular season play, Maga averaged 19.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg and 5.1 apg, while shooting .415 from the floor and .439 from the arc. He was chosen a first-team league all-star and player of the game in 20 of 32 Mac games. Maga was a first team All-Canadian in 1999 and a 2nd team selection in 2000.
St. FX coach Steve Konchalski, who steered St. FX to the national title in 2000 and looking for a repeat in 2001, was named the winner of the Aberdeen. He led the X-men to a 20-0 conference record heading into the nationals and his team was ranked number one all season. In his 26th year at the X-Men helm, the 55-year old native of Elmhurst, New York, noted that “we’ve had some great, great players go through this program but it was this year’s team that won the award for me. I’ve paid my dues but this award is for all the X-Men.” Konchalski had a record of 521-323 as a coach and guided the X-men to 25 straight playoff appearance and 9 national appearances. Aberdeen “was a very special man,” said Konchalski. “He was a dynamo and a tremendous motivator. He has us so pumped on the court. … Just a wonderful man to play for.”
Laval swingman Charles Fortier was winner of the Mullins. The 6-4 forward and administration student from Amos, Que., led the QSSF and finished 3rd in the nation in scoring with 20.2 ppg. He shot .493 from the floor, .340 from the arc, and had 5.9 rpg and 2.5 apg. He was selected Quebec rookie of year and MVP, the first time in history the double had been accomplished, as well as a first team Quebec all-star. He helped the once-hapless Rouge et Or to a 12-10 conference mark.
Joining Maga as 1st team All-Canadians were: Fred Perry (St. FX); Randy Nohr (St. FX); Nick Maglisceau (Alberta) and Earnest Bell (Brandon). It marked the first time since 1984, when Victoria’s Greg Wiltjer and Eli Pasquale were selected, that two teammates had simultaneously cracked the first team. …………………………………………………… Perry, a 6-5 swingman and 5th-year arts student from Halifax, was selected AUAA MVP after averaging 18.6 ppg, shooting .608 from the floor (5th in the nation), .500 from the arc (2nd in the nation), and .785 from the line. “It’s my last year, so this is going to have some sentimental value,” said Perry. “But the real reason I’m here this weekend is to try to win the national championship. Last year’s success came so fast …before you know it, you have a ring on your finger. Our storybook season this year is almost complete.”
…………………………………………………… Nohr, a 6-0 point guard from Abbotsford, B.C., led the CIAU in assists and ranked fourth in the country with a .637 shooting percentage from the floor. He was selected a first-team AUAA all-star after the X-Men finished 20-0 in the regular season play. He was chosen MVP of the national tournament in 2000. The Aldergrove native won back to back titles in both the high school ranks and at the community college level. He scored the final two buckets in X’s win over Brandon in the 2000 final. On the year, he dished out a CIAU-record 168 assists (8.4 per game) and averaged 11.9 ppg. …………………………………………………… Maglisceau, a 6-8 forward and 5th-year science student from Edmonton, was MVP of Canada West. He led the nation in field goal shooting with a .637 average, registered a 16.7 ppg average and helped the Bears to a second play finish in league play with a 17-5 mark. …………………………………………………… Bell, a 6-6 forward and 5th-year education student from Louisville, Kentucky, led the Bobcats to a regular season GPAC title and an 18-4 record. He was chosen league MVP after averaging 18.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg and shooting .590 from the field.
The 2nd team selections were: Jonah Taussig (St. Mary’s); Andy Kwiatkowski (Western); Rob Smart (Carleton); Ali Wilmott (Victoria) and Charles Fortier (Laval). …………………………………………………… Kwiatkowski, a 3rd-year forward and computer science student from Cambridge, Ont., led the country in scoring with a 21.9 ppg. He notched 8.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.7 spg and hit .513 from the floor and .360 from the arc. He was chosen an OUA West first-team all-star. …………………………………………………… Smart, a Napanee native who’d transferred from Simon Fraser when Uncle Dave became the head coach at Carleton, steered the Ravens to the OUA East title. He was named OUA East player of the year and led the country in free throw percentage. He notched 11.6 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.4 rpg and 1.4 spg and hit .380 from the floor and .410 from the arc. …………………………………………………… Taussig, a 5th-year marketing student from Halifax was chosen an Atlantic first team all-star after finishing second in the country in assists (7.1 apg). He notched 16.3 ppg, 3-4 spg, hit .564 from the floor and .382 from the arc. …………………………………………………… Wilmott, a 5th-year forward and social services from Victoria, was named a Canada West first-team all-star. He noted 16.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.5 spg and hit .439 from the floor and .372 from the arc.
Honorable Mention was awarded to: Real Kiteau (Concordia); Jimmy Grozelle (Western); Ryan Dudley (Brock); Jafeth Maseruka (Carleton); and Jordan Mason (Simon Fraser). …………………………………………………… Kiteau, from the Cameroon. …………………………………………………… Grozelle, from Ridgetown, Ont. …………………………………………………… Dudley, from Guelph. …………………………………………………… Maseruka, from Ottawa. …………………………………………………… Mason, from Vancouver.