CIS: Carleton's Philip Scrubb repeats as player of the year
OTTAWA (CIS) – Philip Scrubb, a third-year guard from Carleton University, was named most outstanding player in CIS men’s basketball for the second straight season, Wednesday.
The 20-year-old from Richmond, B.C., became the seventh player in history to claim a second Mike Moser Memorial Trophy, including five back-to-back winners. He also keeps the trophy in the Ravens’ family for the third year in a row and for the sixth time in the last eight campaigns.
Remarkably, Scrubb, who kicked off his university career in 2010-11 with rookie-of-the-year honours, was one of four repeat winners announced Wednesday.
Lakehead point guard Greg Carter was once again named the nation’s top defensive player. Guelph forward Daniel McCarthy merited a second Ken Shields Award in recognition of his excellence in basketball, academics and community involvement. Carleton’s Dave Smart became the first head coach to receive three straight Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophies.
Rounding out the CIS award winners for 2012-13 is UPEI guard Deontay Smith, who was presented with the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy as rookie of the year.
The 51st CIS men’s basketball championship gets underway Friday at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa and culminates Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time with the national final, live on The Score Television Network and www.CIS-SIC.tv.
NOTE: The CIS award winners and all-Canadians will be honoured at centre court Saturday evening between the national semifinals, at Scotiabank Place.
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mbkb/index
MIKE MOSER MEMORIAL TROPHY (player of the year): Philip Scrubb, Carleton
Scrubb is the first back-to-back recipient of the Moser Trophy since Carleton great Osvaldo Jeanty in 2006 and 2007.
J.D. Jackson of UBC (1991, 1992), Patrick Jebbison of Brandon (1988, 1989) and Karl Tilleman of Calgary (1982, 1983) were the other consecutive winners, while Victoria’s Eric Hinrichsen (1997, 1999) and York’s David Coulthard (1979, 1981) were both honoured twice over a three-year period.
Simply put, Scrubb was the best player on the best team in the country during the regular season. The 6-foot-3 guard finished sixth in OUA scoring with a team-high 18.6 points per game, was deadly from three-point range as he connected on 42.6 per cent of his attempts, and made opponents pay 86 per cent of the time from the free throw line - the fourth best success rate in the Ontario conference. As the Ravens’ main ball handler, the commerce student had a team-best 3.4 assists per contest while maintaining a solid assist-to-turnover ratio of two-to-one. He also chipped in defensively and under the basket with 1.5 steals and 3.2 rebounds per outing.
Scrubb’s stellar play helped the Ravens to another first-place finish in the OUA East with a sparkling 19-1 record. He largely contributed to making Carleton the top scoring (91.0 points per game) and top defensive team (61.6) in the nation in league play.
“Phil has had another solid year and has adjusted well to all of the attention he gets from the opposing defences,” said Carleton bench boss Dave Smart, who coached Scrubb at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico. “It is always a work in progress but he continues to make strides in his overall game.”
The other finalists for the Moser Trophy were Cape Breton guard Jimmy Dorsey, Bishop’s centre Mike Andrews and Saskatchewan guard Stephon Lamar.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Greg Carter, Lakehead
Carter, who has been honoured each of the past four years at the OUA West level, becomes only the second multiple winner of the CIS defensive MVP award since its inception in 2005. Garry Gallimore of StFX was the inaugural recipient and repeated in 2006.
The 5-foot-10 point guard was the anchor of a defensive unit that ranked sixth in the country in points allowed per game (68.5) and fifth in opponents’ field goal percentage (38.3). The business administration student finished second in the OUA in steals (2.1 per contest) and showcased his exceptional all-around game by also contributing 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest.
A native of Ottawa, the four-year co-captain led the Thunderwolves to second place in the OUA West standings with a 14-7 record.
“We’re pleased that the CIS coaches have recognized once again what we at Lakehead have known for five seasons - that Greg Carter is the elite defensive player in the country,” said Lakehead head coach Scott Morrison. “Many players have the ability to change a game with a big defensive play but few, if any in recent memory, have the impact on an opponent’s offensive game plan that Greg does on a weekly basis. Greg has been a hard worker, a leader and a winner at every level he has played and it is nice to see his CIS career draw to a close with this outstanding honour being bestowed a second time.”
Acadia forward Owen Klassen, Bishop’s centre Mike Andrews and Saskatchewan guard Ben Baker were also in the running for defensive-MVP honours.
DR. PETER MULLINS TROPHY (rookie of the year): Deontay Smith, UPEI
Smith, who hails from North Preston, N.S., is the first UPEI winner of the Mullins Trophy and only the second from the AUS conference. Dalhousie’s Shawn Plancke was honoured back in 1993.
The 6-foot guard started in every league game for the Panthers in his university debut and went on to lead the team in scoring with 17.3 points per contest, good for fifth in the Maritimes. The 19-year-old arts student scored in double figured in 18 of 20 matches, including eight 20-plus-point efforts. He also finished second in the conference in assists (4.4) and seventh in rebounding (7.0) en route to a selection as a first-team AUS all-star.
“We are very proud of D.J. here at UPEI,” said head coach Tim Kendrick. “We knew we were getting a very good basketball player and an even better young man. He has done everything that has been asked of him, and more.”
Laval’s Karl Demers-Bélanger, McMaster’s Rohan Boney and Alberta’s Youssef Ouahrig, all of them guards, were the other nominees.
STUART W. ABERDEEN MEMORIAL TROPHY (coach of the year): Dave Smart, Carleton
With six CIS coach-of-the-year awards in only 14 campaigns, Smart now has two more Aberdeen Trophies than legendary sideline bosses Ken Shields and Bruce Enns.
This season, despite the loss to graduation of three fifth-year seniors, Carleton racked up 19 straight wins in league play after dropping its opener at Windsor (71-67) on November 9, en route to a 13th consecutive first-place finish in the OUA East. The Ravens ranked first in the country in numerous statistical categories, including points scored (91.0) and allowed (61.6) per game, best field goal (46.8) and free throw (76.7) percentage, lowest opponents’ field goal percentage (34.9), highest rebound margin (12.8) and fewer turnovers (11.2). Not surprisingly, they topped 13 of 14 weekly national coaches’ polls.
Going into this week’s CIS championship, Smart has guided the Ravens to 365 victories in 396 regular and post-season games since 1999-2000, for a mindboggling winning percentage of .922. Under his leadership, Carleton has claimed eight OUA banners and as many CIS titles, tied for most all time.
“We are very proud of what Dave has done with the team,” said Jennifer Brenning, director of athletics at Carleton. “It has not been an easy season after losing three fifth-year players following last year’s championship run but to his credit as a coach and thanks to the team’s effort they are having another successful year.”
The other finalists were Cape Breton’s Matt Skinn, Bishop’s Rod Gilpin and Victoria’s Craig Beaucamp.
KEN SHIELDS AWARD (basketball, academics & community service): Daniel McCarthy, Guelph
McCarthy is only the second multiple winner of the Ken Shields Award since its inception in 1994. Laval’s Jérôme Turcotte-Routhier was the recipient in 2009 and 2011.
On the court, the Gryphon captain played only half of the season after returning from knee surgery in January. Despite the late start that limited him to 14 games, the 6-foot-3 forward led the team in scoring (13.8 points per contest), rebounding (6.1), assists (2.9) and steals (1.4). He will graduate this year as the second leading scorer in program history with 1,322 career points.
In the classroom, the biomedical science student has achieved Academic All-Canadian status each of his four years at Guelph and was named the University’s Presidents award winner in 2011 for his outstanding excellence in his academic program.
Outside of his basketball and academics, McCarthy serves his community with pride. He is the regional coordinator for ‘Brain Day’, an organization that educates youth on brain safety. He will spend over 30 hours this semester organizing this event for Guelph schools. He also volunteers with ‘Boys, Books and Basketball’ at Mitchell Woods Elementary school in Guelph, which includes announcements, readings and clinics in visits to the school once every two weeks throughout the school year.
McCarthy is a SAM program mentor (Student Athlete Mentor), spending four hours a week mentoring and tutoring other student-athletes at the University of Guelph. He has volunteered with Believe to Achieve, an athletic department program that has student-athletes speak and read to elementary schools kids. This summer, he will act as the director of ‘Gryphon Camps’, managing the staffing and training of councillors, and organizing the weekly camp-run activities. He also volunteers at Owen Sound General Hospital, assisting in patient transfers in the imaging department.
“Dan McCarthy epitomizes the CIS student-athlete as he excels in the classroom, on the court and in the community,” said Guelph head coach Chris O’Rourke. “He is a great leader, teammate, citizen and scholar. Dan is the hardest working athlete I have ever had the pleasure of coaching, he strives for excellence in everything he takes on. His ability to balance a full course load, lead our basketball team, never miss a practice, workout and maintain a presence in the community is a testament of how special this young man is.”
Saint Mary’s Harry Ezenibe, Bishop’s Tim Hunter and Alberta’s Todd Bergen-Henengouwen were also nominated.
ALL-CANADIAN TEAMS
The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.
Joining Scrubb on the first squad were fellow conference MVPs Dorsey and Lamar, as well as forwards Tyson Hinz from Carleton and Owen Klassen of Acadia.
Hinz, the 2010-11 CIS player of the year, was voted to the top unit for the third straight season, while Dorsey merited the honour for the second consecutive campaign. Klassen was a second-team member a year ago.
The second dream team is comprised of a quintet of first-time all-Canadians, including RSEQ MVP Andrews, Windsor forward Lien Phillip, and guards Doug Plumb of UBC, Maxwell Allin of Wilfrid Laurier and Warren Ward of Ottawa.
In addition to Smith, the all-rookie squad is made up of Demers-Bélanger, Boney and Ouahrig, already honoured in their league, as well as Cape Breton guard Shaquille Keith.
2012-2013 CIS MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS
Mike Moser Memorial Trophy (player of the year): Philip Scrubb, Carleton
Defensive player of the year: Greg Carter, Lakehead
Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy (rookie of the year): Deontay Smith, UPEI
Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy (coach of the year): Dave Smart, Carleton
Ken Shields Award (basketball, academics & community service): Daniel McCarthy, Guelph
First Team
Pos. Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty
G Philip Scrubb Carleton 3 Richmond, B.C. Commerce
G James Dorsey Cape Breton 5 Baltimore, Md. Community Studies
G Stephon Lamar Saskatchewan 3 San Diego, Calif. Arts & Science
F Tyson Hinz Carleton 4 Ottawa, Ont. Commerce
F Owen Klassen Acadia 4 Kingston, Ont. Kinesiology
Second Team
F Lien Phillip Windsor 4 St. Marks, Grenada Business
G Doug Plumb UBC 5 Pitt Meadows, B.C. Arts
G Maxwell Allin Laurier 4 Chatham, Ont. Arts
G Warren Ward Ottawa 5 London, Ont. Arts
C Mike Andrews Bishop’s 3 Oakville, Ont. Education
All-Rookie Team
G Deontay Smith UPEI 1 North Preston, N.S. Arts
G Rohan Boney McMaster 1 Oakville, Ont. Social Science
G Shaquille Keith Cape Breton 1 Brampton, Ont. Community Studies
G Youssef Ouahrig Alberta 1 Montreal, Que. Native Studies
G Karl Demers-Bélanger Laval 1 Quebec City, Que. Actuarial Studies
