Fifth-year uOttawa Gee-Gees point guard Mike L’Africain was named recipient of the Moser. The 6-1 social sciences student from Oakville delivered knockout blow after knockout blow to opponents. His exceptional ballhandling, playmaking, shooting and decision-making skills led the Gee-Gees to a 17-2 record and a first-place finish in the OUA’s North Division regular season standings. He averaged a career-high 20.4 points per game (5th in the OUA), a career-high 5.3 assists (101 assists, second in the OUA) per game, 1.9 steals per game and 3.6 rebounds per game, while shooting .477 from the floor, .418 from the arc and .859 in league play. Typical of his heroics was a dynamite performance down the stretch in the Gee-Gees 73-72 win over the Queen’s in the OUA postseason quarterfinals, including the winning layup on a penetration-dribble drive with 1.1 seconds to play. He was the OUA’s player of the year and a first-team league all-star. The OUA player of the year and first-team league all-star also led the Gee-Gees in minutes (31.4 per game), three-pointers made (51 – 41.8%) and free throws made (67 – 85.9%), and added 36 steals. L’Africain was the OUA East rookie of the year and was named to the CIS all-rookie team in 2011-12. “A coach will always tell a point guard that he is responsible for one thing only and that’s the team winning. Mike has made that happen for his whole career and it is a testament to his work ethic and his love for the game,” said Gee-Gees coach James Derouin. “Players love to play with Mike and he’s always been a team-first guy, so to see him get this recognition is really special.” The other nominees were guards Javon Masters of New Brunswick, Kewyn Blain of the University of Quebec @ Montreal, and Thomas Cooper of Calgary.
Ottawa guard Caleb Agada became the first Gee-Gees to be named recipient of the defensive player of the year award. Agada, despite missing five games due to an ankle injury suffered late during uOttawa’s 78-72 win over Carleton in the 10th-annual Capital Hoops Classic at Canadian Tire Place, becomes the second Gee-Gee to win the OUA’s defensive stopper award. The 6-4 guard and economics student averaged 15.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg (third in the OUA) and 2.7 spg (third in the OUA and fifth in the CIS) in league play, while often shutting down the opponent’s primary scoring threat. He played a key role in the Gee-Gees ranking among the top five in the nation in a number of defensive categories, including points allowed (66.5), rebounding (34.7) and rebound margin (+ 6.1) per game, as well as opponents’ field goal percentage (36.6). He was a first-team OUA all-star for the second consecutive campaign, Agada also hit 15.8 ppg, while shooting .523 from the floor. n. “The Burlington Skyway” was a human highlight reel, hooking up with L’Africain on more than one occasion for some show stopping dunks. He was named the OUA’s defensive player of the year. Agada was a member of Canada’s development national team at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangu, South Korea. “Caleb has built a lot of respect as a defender over his career,” said Gee-Gees coach James Derouin. “He’s an on-the-ball defender, shoots gaps extremely well, and in particular his defensive rebounding as a guard is incredible. He’s always guarding the best perimeter player and he’s a game-changing defender when he’s on the floor.” The other nominees were forward Meshack Lufile of Cape Breton, guard Dele Ogundokun of McGill and guard Kevin Parchment of Fraser Valley.
Windsor Lancers forward Isiah Osborne was named recipient of the Mullins trophy as rookie of the year. A starter in 19 of 20 league games, the 6-5 human kinetics student was second on the team in minutes played (32.5 per game) and scoring (15.0), while also contributing 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per contest to help the Lancers finish first in the OUA West division with a 14-6 record and their fourth consecutive trip to the OUA Final Four. “Isiah has exceeded our expectations as coaches, and continues to improve every day in practice and games. His hard work and competitiveness has propelled him into a top player at the CIS level, in only his first year,” said head coach Ryan Steer. “He was asked to step into a major role for us and is always up to the challenge. With team success come individual awards, and this recognition as CIS rookie of the year proves that as his game has elevated throughout the season, so has our team’s play and success. I am proud of Isiah as a basketball player, student-athlete and an all-around great person.” The other nominees were guard Jordan Aquino-Serjue of Dalhousie, forward Abdul Kamane of Bishop’s and forward Brody Clarke of Alberta.
Interim rookie Ryerson coach Patrick Tatham was named recipient of the Aberdeen. After spending five campaigns as an assistant to Roy Rana, he assumed head coaching duties on an interim basis this year when Rana took a sabbatical. The Rams had the country’s third best offence (89.3 points per game) and the OUA’s sixth stingiest defence (73.8), tied their program best 17-win plateau with a second straight 17-2 regular season and finished atop the OUA overall standings for the first time, tied with Ottawa. Tatham and his troops went on to capture the program’s first OUA title thanks to a 73-68 defeat of reigning five-time CIS champion Carleton in the Wilson Cup final. “I am so pleased for Patrick and his team,” said Ryerson athletic director Ivan Joseph. “Patrick has always been about relationships. His players are inspired to play for him because they care about him and believe in the vision of the program. This is a great tribute to be recognized by his peers for the work he has accomplished this year.” The other nominees were Rick Plato of Dalhousie, David DeAveiro of McGill and Scott Clark of Thompson Rivers.
Joining L’Africain on the all-Canadian first team were: Thomas Cooper (Calgary); Javon Masters (New Brunswick); Kewyn Blain (U.Q.A.M.); and Dani Elgadi (Brock). …………………………………………………… Cooper, a fourth-year guard and social sciences student from Chattanooga, Tennessee, averaged 25.8 ppg in Canada West play. His 515 points led the conference by 135, while his 25.8 points-per-game was the best in Canada West since the 2010 season – and both were second-best in the nation. He finished in the top three nationally in both field goals (170, second) and free throws (133, third), and he also cracked the top 10 in the conference in both assists (62) and rebounds (149). He led the Dinos to their best winning percentage since 1976 with a 17-3 season. “Thomas is our ‘everything’ guy,” said Dinos coach Dan Vanhooren. “He can score out of offence, or on his own when we need a tough hoop. He hits big shots when we need them, he defends, he’s a great team guy. He’s a student of the game: he watches film on his own, and he comes in every Monday to talk about who we’re playing, what his match-up is going to be. He’s a great kid, we’re very lucky to have him, and we are looking forward to having him for another year yet.” …………………………………………………… Masters, a 3rd-year guard and arts student from Kitchener, Ontario, captured the CIS scoring title for the third consecutive season after averaging 28.0 ppg in AUA play. He was named a first-team all-Canadian for the second consecutive season and the AUS player of the year for the second consecutive season. The first-team AUS all-star led the country in free throws made with 165 and finished second in the country in field goals made with 185. He averaged 34.7 mpg and posted the highest free throw percentage in the AUS (87.8). “Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in sport and for Javon to produce as he does on a nightly basis is truly remarkable in itself,” said Varsity Reds coach Brent Baker. “His offseason work is what truly differentiates him from other players.” …………………………………………………… Blain, a 3rd-year guard and physical education student from Saint-Léonard, Que, averaged 17.5 ppg in RSEQ play. He was named the league’s player of the year, a first-team RSEQ all-star and hit .480 from the floor for the Citadins. He was also the league’s top passer finishing with 5.6 assists per game in addition to topping the RSEQ in steals with 2.7 per game. He also chipped in with 6.8 rebounds per game. …………………………………………………… Elgadi, a 3rd-year forward and undeclared arts student from Waterloo, averaged 19.9 ppg and 11.7 rpg in OUA play. He was named a first-team OUA all-star. Elgadi nabbed 223 boards in 19 league games, including a league-leading 162 defensive boards. He also finished second in the OUA in blocks (38) and steals (41).
The second-team featured Aaron Best (Ryerson); Tyler Scott (UPEI); Kevon Parchment (Fraser Valley); Kaza Kajami-Keane (Carleton); and Jordan Jensen-Whyte (University of British Columbia). …………………………………………………… Best, a 5th-year guard and business management student from Scarborough, averaged 17.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg. He was named a first-team OUA all-star for the third time. He finished fourth in OUA with a 43.5 three-point field goal percentage. Best recorded three double-doubles in conference play and had a game-high 21 points in a 73-68 win over Carleton in the OUA Wilson Cup title bout. ………………………………………………… Scott, a 4th-year guard and arts student from Halifax, was a 2nd-team selection for the second consecutive campaign. He finished third in the CIS in scoring after averaging 23.9 ppg. He also averaged 7.4 rpg and 3.4 apg, while shooting .436 from the floor, .361 from the arc and .840 from the line. …………………………………………………… Parchment, a 5th-year guard and kinesiology & phys ed student from Scarborough, led the Cascades and finished 10th in Canada West in scoring with 17.5 ppg. He also ranked among the Canada West leaders in assists (5.2 apg, second), rebounds (9.1 rpg, sixth), blocks (1.2 bpg, 10th) and steals (1.6 spg, 17th) and was named the league’s defensive player of the year. He was also a first-team league all-star. “I think it’s very well-deserved. He’s been a tremendous defensive player who can guard a multitude of defensive positions, and he often covers for our mistakes in the course of the game,” said Cascades coach Adam Friesen. “Physically, he’s quick, fast and long. But what separates him are his instincts and his tenacity to want to stop people. He competes on that end of the floor from the first minute of the game all the way to the 40th, and that level of competitiveness is rare. … It can make defensive game-planning pretty easy. We have faith that he can do a really good job on whoever he’s asked to guard. And it’s not just his on-ball defence – he often finishes defensive possessions by grabbing the rebound.” …………………………………………………… Kajami-Keane, a 4th-year guard and communications student from Ajax, averaged 14.1 ppg, a league-leading 6.6 apg, 4.1 rpg and a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd in the league). The Cleveland State University transfer was named a first-team OUA all-star. “There was a bit of an adjustment period (to start the season), but the guys on the team helped me persevere,” said Kajami-Keane. “Gavin, Connor, Guillaume – those guys helped me get settled; they are All-Canadians in my eyes.” …………………………………………………… Jensen-Whyte, a 4th-year guard and arts student from Calgary Western Canada High, averaged 15.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 3.1 apg, while hitting .481 from the floor, .267 from the arc and .844 from the line.
Joining Osborne on the all-rookie team were Jordan Aquino-Serjue (Dalhousie); Chan De Ciman (Saskatchewan); Brody Clarke (Alberta); and Abdul Kamane (Bishop’s). …………………………………………………… Clarke, a forward and engineering student from Toronto, had sat out a year while recovering from double knee surgery. He played for the Canadian junior national team in the summer of 2015, and as a freshman, started 19 games for the Golden Bears, averaging 12 ppg, 25-8 mpg and 6.3 rpg. He hit .492 from the floor, .260 from the arc, while garnering 10 blocks, 21 assists and 15 steals. “Brody’s path from rehab to winning this prestigious award (Canada West rookie of the year) is a remarkable story. This is a true testament to his strong work ethic as well as his basketball talent. We are very excited to see Brody’s continued progression in upcoming seasons,” said Golden Bears coach Barnaby Craddock. …………………………………………………… Kamane, a forward and sociology student from Montreal, was named RSEQ rookie of the year. The Vanier College product led the Gaiters in scoring with 13.3 ppg (6th in the conference). He also averaged 7.3 rpg (third in the league), 1.5 spg and 30.9 mpg. …………………………………………………… Aquino-Serjue, a guard and kinesiology student from Montreal, averaged 7.1 ppg, 2-9 rpg and 2.0 apg, while garnering 20 steals. The 5-11 guard “has provided an excellent alternative when Ritchie Kanza Mata was out with a concussion, said Tigers coach Rick Plato. “He provides stability and a scoring presence when required as well as buying into the defensive philosophy of the team. I believe that he will become one of the top two-way guard performers, for many years to come in the AUS.” …………………………………………………… De Ciman, a 6-2 guard and engineering students from Regina Dr. Martin LeBoldus, averaged 12.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 2.6 apg, while hitting .395 from the floor, .345 from the arc and .773 from the line.