March 5, 2014

CIS men�??s basketball: Carleton�??s Scrubb becomes first three-time winner of MVP award

OTTAWA (CIS) – Philip Scrubb, a fourth-year guard from the reigning three-time national champion Carleton University Ravens, was named the most outstanding player in CIS men’s basketball for the third straight season, Wednesday.

The 21-year-old from Richmond, B.C., who kicked off his varsity career with CIS rookie-of-the-year honours back in 2010-11, became the first three-time winner of the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy. He also keeps the award in the Carleton family for the fourth consecutive year and for the seventh time in the last nine campaigns.

Scrubb was one of three Ravens announced as major award winners for the past season.

Older brother Thomas, a fourth-year forward, was named the nation’s top defensive player, while head coach Dave Smart added to his record collection of Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophies, claiming the award for the fourth straight year and the seventh time overall.

Rounding out the list of recipients were UNB guard Javon Masters, who received the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy as rookie of the year, as well as Saint Mary’s forward Harry Ezenibe, who merited the Ken Shields Award in recognition of his excellence in basketball, academics and community involvement.

The ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS men’s basketball championship gets under way Friday at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa and culminates Sunday at 2 p.m. with the national final. Sportsnet has live television coverage of both semifinals and the gold-medal match, while all 10 games from the eight-team tournament will be streamed live in HD on www.CIS-SIC.tv.

NOTE: The CIS award winners and all-Canadians will be honoured at centre court Friday evening between the third and fourth quarter-finals.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mbkb/index

MIKE MOSER MEMORIAL TROPHY (player of the year): Philip Scrubb, Carleton

With his third MVP award, Scrubb broke a tie with six players who claimed the Moser Trophy on two occasions. The former CIS rookie of the year also earned a spot on the first all-Canadian team for the third straight campaign.

This season, the 6-foot-3 guard was once again the most consistent player on the top-ranked team in the country. He led the Ravens in points (18.6) and assists (4.9) per game and ranked in the top 10 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7 per game – third), three-point shooting (47.0% - fifth), free-throw percentage (87.4 - eighth), assists, as well as points per 40 minutes (27.0 – seventh).

Thanks in large part to his stellar play, Carleton went a perfect 22-0 in conference action for the third time in four years. The commerce student has helped the Ravens capture the national title in each of his first three campaigns with the team and was named CIS championship MVP in 2012.

A product of Vancouver College, Scrubb was the only active CIS player – and the youngest player overall - invited to Canada’s senior national team camp last summer. A former member of the junior national squad, he has already represented the country at a number of international competitions, including the 2013 Summer Universiade and the 2011 Pan American Games.

“Phil has been the guy we have gone through for four years and without him, there could never have been the success that we have had,” said head coach Dave Smart. “He is an extremely talented player who is a full team guy over everything else.”

The other finalists for the Moser Trophy were Acadia forward Owen Klassen, McGill guard Vincent Dufort and Alberta forward Jordan Baker.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Thomas Scrubb, Carleton

Scrubb, who hails from Richmond, B.C., is named CIS defensive MVP for the first time after claiming the award for the second straight year in the OUA East.

In his fourth season with the Ravens, the 6-foot-6 forward was once again the anchor of a defensive unit that finished first in the OUA and second in the country in league play for fewest points allowed (62.2 per game) and kept its opponents to a 36.0 shooting percentage, also good for second in the nation. The neuroscience student was a force under the baskets with 8.4 total rebounds and 6.2 defensive boards per contest, ranking him seventh in CIS in both categories. He also chipped in offensively with 13.2 points per outing and a CIS-best 91.7 success rate from the free-throw line.

Scrubb saw his efforts from the regular season recognized with his first selection on the top OUA East all-star unit. He had been selected to the second team a year ago, before being named MVP of both the OUA Wilson Cup and the CIS Final 8. He later earned a spot on the Summer Universiade team alongside his brother Philip.

“Tommy has been asked to cover the best player on the other team every game regardless of position for two years,” said coach Dave Smart. “He has deferred other offensive aspects of his game to do that. If not for him I have no idea how we would stop anyone. He doesn’t defend one position, he defends four positions, very few can do that.”

Acadia forward Owen Klassen, Concordia forward Zach Brisebois and Victoria guard Reiner Theil were also in the running for defensive-MVP honours.

DR. PETER MULLINS TROPHY (rookie of the year): Javon Masters, UNB

A native of Kitchener, Ont., Masters is the first UNB player to win the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy and only the third recipient from the AUS conference, after UPEI’s Deontay Smith a year ago and Dalhousie’s Shawn Plancke in 1993.

To say the 6-foot guard had an immediate impact in his university debut would be a major understatement. The arts student accomplished a rare feat by claiming the national scoring title as a freshman thanks to a spectacular average of 27.4 points per game, outscoring Acadia standout Owen Klassen by over seven points per outing in the AUS race. His stellar play earned him a spot on the first AUS all-star team and on the second all-Canadian squad, another rare feat for a first-year player.

Masters, who topped the Atlantic conference in three-point shooting percentage (42.4) and finished second in free-throw accuracy (88.8%), wasted no time making his way into the AUS record books. His 215 free throws made, the highest total in CIS this year, are a new season mark for the league, while his 547 total points rank second all-time. His 20 hits from the charity stripe on Nov. 15 against UPEI also rank second in AUS annals.

The 19-year-old, who was the most utilized player in the Maritimes and the second most in the country during the regular season with an average of 35.4 minutes per contest, helped the Varsity Reds finish with a .500 record (10-10) for the first time since 2003-04 and advance to the playoffs for only the second time in the last eight years.

“We are extremely pleased that Javon has been recognized for the outstanding season he has put together for the Varsity Reds,” said head coach Brent Baker. “He has made a major impact on our program and will continue to do so as he progresses through his career at UNB. Leading the country in scoring as a freshman is a rare and special accomplishment.”

McGill guard Dele Ogundokun, Brock forward Dani Elgadi and Alberta forward Mamadou Gueye were the other nominees.

STUART W. ABERDEEN MEMORIAL TROPHY (coach of the year): Dave Smart, Carleton

With seven CIS coach-of-the-year awards in only 15 campaigns, Smart now has three more Aberdeen Trophies than legendary sideline bosses Ken Shields and Bruce Enns. His four consecutive national awards are also two more than any other coach in history.

This season, he led the Ravens to an unblemished 22-0 conference mark for the third time in four years and the sixth time overall. He improved his all-time record in league play to a mind-boggling 303-23 (.929), with nine of those losses coming in his first year as head coach, which also marked the only time during his tenure that Carleton failed to finish atop the OUA East standings.

The Ravens were once again one of the best teams in the country at both ends of the court in 2013-14, placing second in both points scored (94.2 per game) and fewest points allowed (62.2). On offence, they had the best success rate in CIS in field goals (49.5%), three-point field goals (44.3%) and free throws (77.7%), and were also tops in the nation in rebound margin (+16.1) and fewest turnovers per game (11.0). On defence, they held their opponents to a 36.0 shooting percentage, good for second place nationally. Not surprisingly, Carleton topped all 14 weekly coaches polls published over the course of the schedule.

Going into this week’s CIS championship, Smart has guided his troops to 392 victories in 424 regular and post-season games since 1999-2000, for a spectacular winning percentage of .925. The Ravens have claimed eight OUA banners under his leadership and, a year ago, became the most decorated team in CIS men’s basketball history thanks to their ninth W.P. McGee Trophy triumph, all in the past 11 seasons.

Smart has been an assistant coach with Canada’s senior national team since 2012.

“Dave has done a remarkable job with our men’s basketball program. Not only has he recruited and developed top student-athletes, he has instilled positive values and a strong work ethic which will make them successful well past graduation,” said Jennifer Brenning, director of athletics at Carleton. “Dave is one of the hardest working coaches and we are delighted that he has been recognized for all that he has achieved.”

The other finalists were Acadia’s Stephen Baur, McGill’s David DeAveiro and Victoria’s Craig Beaucamp.

KEN SHIELDS AWARD (basketball, academics & community service): Harry Ezenibe, Saint Mary’s

Ezenibe, a native of Igbo-Ukwu, Nigeria, became the first Saint Mary’s student-athlete to merit the Ken Shields Award. He was the AUS nominee for the second straight year.

On the court, the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 9.0 points per game in his fifth and final campaign. He finished second in the AUS conference in field goal percentage (58.2) and was fourth in rebounding (7.7 per game).

In the classroom, the two-time Academic All-Canadian is completing a double major in sociology and criminology and maintains a 3.6 GPA. He is a 2013 recipient of the Saint Mary’s student leadership award, given to a student who exhibits leadership qualities within the classroom and in the community.

Ezenibe spends a great amount of time volunteering with youth in the community and hopes to eventually establish what he has dubbed the “Harry Cares” project as a means of giving back by empowering and creating opportunities for youth in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Some of the many other activities he volunteers his time with include: Huskies basketball camps and spring leagues; Motionball, an event that raises funds and awareness for Special Olympics Canada; as well as Autism Nova Scotia, the Pathways to Education program, and the Just Believe program.

In November, he was invited by Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri to speak at the opening of the Giants of Africa foundation.

“Harry is completely selfless,” said Huskies head coach Jonah Taussig. “He is always looking out for the greater good whether it be with his teammates or the youth he works with in the community. He is always looking to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around him.”

Bishop’s Scott Ring, Carleton’s Kevin Churchill and Fraser Valley’s Jasper Moedt were also nominated.

ALL-CANADIAN TEAMS

The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.

Joining Philip Scrubb on the first squad was a foursome of forwards, including Owen Klassen of Acadia and Jordan Baker of Alberta, the AUS and Canada West MVPs, as well as Terrell Evans of Victoria and Lien Phillip of Windsor.

Klassen, Baker and Phillip, like Scrubb, are all repeat all-Canadians. Klassen was voted to the top unit a year ago and to the second in 2012. Baker was named to the first squad in 2012, while Phillip improved from his second-team selection last season.

In addition to Masters, the second CIS dream team for 2013-14 is comprised of McGill guard Vincent Dufort, the RSEQ MVP, as well as Ottawa wing Johnny Berhanemeskel, Carleton forward Tyson Hinz and Saskatchewan guard Stephon Lamar.

Hinz, the 2010-11 CIS player of the year, had been voted to the first unit each of the past three campaigns. Lamar was also a first-team member a year ago.

The first-year standouts joining Masters as ’13-14 all-rookies are McGill guard Dele Ogundokun and forwards Andre Arruda of Manitoba, Dani Elgadi of Brock and Mamadou Gueye of Alberta.

2013-2014 CIS MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS

Mike Moser Memorial Trophy (player of the year): Philip Scrubb, Carleton
Defensive player of the year: Thomas Scrubb, Carleton
Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy (rookie of the year): Javon Masters, UNB
Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy (coach of the year): Dave Smart, Carleton
Ken Shields Award (basketball, academics & community service): Harry Ezenibe, Saint Mary’s

First Team

Pos. Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty

F          Jordan Baker               Alberta             5          Edmonton, Alta.          Graduate Studies
F          Terrell Evans               Victoria            5          Las Vegas, Nev.           Social Sciences
F          Owen Klassen              Acadia             5          Kingston, Ont.             Kinesiology
F          Lien Phillip                  Windsor           5          St. Marks, Grenada      Business
G         Philip Scrubb               Carleton           4          Richmond, B.C.           Commerce

Second Team

W         Johnny Berhanemeskel            Ottawa             4          Ottawa, Ont.                Sociology
G         Vincent Dufort            McGill             3          Smiths Falls, Ont.         Physical & Health Education
F          Tyson Hinz                  Carleton           5          Ottawa, Ont.                Commerce
G         Stephon Lamar            Saskatchewan 4          San Diego, Calif.         Arts & Science
G         Javon Masters              UNB                1          Kitchener, Ont.            Arts

All-Rookie Team

F          Andre Arruda              Manitoba         1          Winnipeg, Man.           University 1
F          Dani Elgadi                  Brock               1          Waterloo, Ont.             Visual Arts
F          Mamadou Gueye         Alberta             1          Quebec City, Que.       Campus St. Jean
G         Javon Masters              UNB                1          Kitchener, Ont.            Business Administration
G         Dele Ogundokun         McGill             1          Hamilton, Ont.             Eco. & Accounting

Source: CIS