Kadre Gray, Basketball, Laurentian

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is proud to announce that Laurentian Voyageurs basketball star Kadre Gray (Toronto, Ont.) has been recognized as the conference’s Male Athlete of the Year for the 2017-18 season.

Despite being on the university athletics scene for just a pair of seasons, sophomore sensation Kadre Gray has quickly risen the ranks to stake claim to the 2017-18 OUA Male Athlete of the Year award.

After a debut season to remember – one that say Gray capture Rookie of the Year honours at both the provincial and national levels – the Voyageurs guard was able to find another gear to lead his Laurentian squad this season. Gray led the OUA in scoring, pouring in 24.4 points per game, which also put him second across Canada. Despite his impressive ability to put the ball in the hoop, he also proved to be an incredibly unselfish player, putting his passing prowess on display to the tune of 141 assists on the year (leading OUA and U SPORTS). Rounding out his all-around numbers was a gritty effort on the boards, grabbing eight rebounds per game to also rank in the OUA’s top ten. These totals contributed to a trip of triple-double efforts on the year; an electric feat that is rarely seen even once in the OUA, let alone three times by a single player.

Beyond his personal success, Gray was also a catalyst for Laurentian’s most successful team in years, as the Voyageurs climbed to as high as 5th in the U SPORTS rankings. After helping add three games to the win column in his rookie campaign, Gray took it a step further by spearheading a seven-game improvement and a 16-7 overall record for the Voyageurs, despite missing the final stretch of the season with an injury.

“Kadre's work ethic is second to none,” said Laurentian head coach Shawn Swords. “This offseason, his mindset was to improve in every aspect of the game and encourage the rest of the team to do this as well. The results were amazing to witness. The maturity at which he plays the game is well beyond his years. As dedicated as he is to his team and improving on the court, he is equally dedicated off the court. The community in Sudbury has very much taken to his work ethic and his thoughtfulness. We are proud of his accomplishment and glad to see all the work he has put in get recognized.” 

Some of the shining ways that the OUA First-Team All-Star was recognized this season included a nod as the OUA Player of the Year and the U SPORTS Player of the Year; becoming the first Voyageur to receive the honour in 40 years. Gray was also named a U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadian to further secure his spot among the best basketball players the province – and country – has to offer.