Division's top teams collect highest individual honours as well with respective MVP selections
March 24, 2022
Burlington, Ont. - Not only did the Carleton Ravens and Brock Badgers take home team success during the 2021-22 campaign, but to go along with regular season division crowns, they also saw two of their talented team members garner individual recognition, en route to taking home most valuable player honours atop the list of Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's basketball award winners and all-stars.
After producing a rookie of the year campaign in 2019-20, Carleton's Lloyd Pandi made sure there was no sophomore slump in his OUA encore, taking home his second major award in as many seasons for the Ravens.
The East Division MVP was the complete package for the black birds. A versatile ball handler, Pandi displayed his depth of talent by finishing in the top-10 in field goal percentage (54.7), free throw percentage (83.3), defensive rebounds (84), and rebounds (114). In addition to his widespread skillset, the Ottawa, Ont. native also recorded 24 steals and shot 50% from beyond the arc.
With double digit points in all but one of the Ravens' 12 games this season, including 25 and 24, respectively, in back-to-back games this past November, Pandi's impressive offensive contributions included five double-doubles and a stretch of eight straight games of 10+ points to open the season.
With key injuries to Ravens starters, the second-year commerce major and reigning national rookie of the year demonstrated his leadership and professionalism in his sophomore season.
Despite calling the West home this season, Pandi's fellow divisional MVP also has ties to the Ravens. Tajinder Lall, who transferred from Carleton ahead of the season, made the most of his first year with the Brock Badgers, proving to be a leading figure for both the team and amongst the entire conference.
The Cambridge, Ont. native finished third in the OUA in scoring with 22.9 points per game, thanks in large part to posting two career-high games of 34 points along the way. He registered four double-double performances, including two separate meetings with Windsor wherein he picked up career-best marks of 14 rebounds and seven assists. The lofty game totals led to Lall being the team leader in rebounds per game (8.1) and steals per game (1.6), finishing inside the top-10 league-wide for the former and top-20 for the latter.
Despite suiting up for a different school this season, Lall was able find a familiar place atop the divisional standings, serving as a lynchpin on a Badgers team that finished atop the West with just one loss to their name on the year.
Joining the two most valuable players, meanwhile, are their respective coaches, with Taffe Charles and Willy Manigat taking home the OUA's top coaching awards for their efforts on the sidelines.
In just his second season with the Carleton men's team, the former recorded his first undefeated campaign, thanks in large part to league-leading shooting and rebounding, as well as an OUA-low 60.0 points allowed per game. Despite having only four players in their fourth year of eligibility, Charles was able to help his team manage the uncertainties of the season to get the most out of his players. The former OUA all-star on the court maximized the country's No. 1 team's depth to maintain a high level of play regardless of who took the court.
Charles, who wins the award for the second time in as many seasons after collecting the same honour in 2019-20, pushes his regular season record to a sparkling 35-1, and joins former Carleton bench boss Dave Smart as the lone coaches in program history to be repeat winners. Having previously gone 23-0 as the head coach of the women's team in 2017-18, meanwhile, the Ottawa, Ont. native continues to build his legacy within the Ravens basketball program.
Manigat also led his team atop the divisional standings, and with only one loss on the year, he helped the Badgers finish with the best regular season winning percentage in program history (.933). Contributing significantly to that success was the fact that the Brock coach had his time firing on all cylinders offensively, leading all of U SPORTS in scoring with 93.1 points per game. In addition, the Badgers topped the terrific conference talent in total points (1,396), field goals made per game (34.5), and assists per game (17.3), while ranking third in fewest points allowed (74.0 per game).
The Montreal, Que. born coach becomes the third recipient of the honour in program history.
Also earning a pair of major award winners on the heels of the 2021-22 season are the Western Mustangs, thanks to an impressive newcomer and a well-rounded veteran.
Tyson Dunn played in 12 games in his rookie campaign, starting nine, and was able to contribute in a multitude of ways for the purple and white. The West Division rookie of the year averaged just under nine points per contest (8.8 PPG) on 45.5% shooting from the field. He was also sharp from distance, as he connected on over 30% of his three-point attempts. The product of Newmarket, Ont. studying kinesiology also chipped in with 4.0 rebounds per game, 3.8 assists per outing, and finished just outside the conference's top-10 with 26 steals on the year.
The dynamic guard got out of the gates quick during his university career with a personal-best 17-point performance in just his third game, marking one of five double-digit scoring efforts on the season.
Dunn becomes the fourth Mustang to earn the first-year honour, while his teammate, Aaron Tennant takes home the program's sixth Ken Shields award. Combining on-court skill with excellence in the classroom and the community, Tennant was as accomplished as they come this season in his endeavors as a student-athlete.
On the court, the veteran forward from London, Ont. has been an active contributor for his hometown team. In 15 games played, Tennant averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, with much of his damage in the latter coming on the offensive glass. He ranked sixth in the conference therein with 38 offensive rebounds on the year.
The two-time academic all-Canadian, who is on track for his third such season in 2021-22, has also shone in the classroom, and has been accepted to several law schools in Canada for the fall of 2022. Within the community, meanwhile, Tennant has been involved with initiatives such as Gender Based Violence Prevention on Campus, where he was the men's basketball representative addressing the topic on campus through proactive prevention education and discussion; the Student-Athlete Mentorship Program, providing both academic and social support to incoming first-year student-athletes; and Adopt-a-Mustang, a program whose goal is to free student athletes from financial pressures and barriers so they can excel in their sport and in the classroom.
In the broader community, finally, Tennant provides support to adults with developmental disabilities and special needs as part of the Victorian Order of Nurses Host Respite Care Program.
Another student-athlete going beyond the hardwood to make his mark on the university scene is Nipissing's Taijon Eccleston-Graham, who has demonstrated excellence in the classroom, in the community, and as a teammate.
Eccleston-Graham is the co-founder of NUBASE, the Nipissing University Black Association for Student Expression, a group that aims to promote diversity and inclusion on campus and within the North Bay community. He created a high school mentorship program in North Bay and capped off the season by creating and organizing the inaugural Shoot for Change anti-racism basketball games between the Lakers and Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. The groundbreaking events served as a means to generate anti-racism awareness, bring schools together, and raise funds for BIPOC bursaries.
The third-year forward, who has been the co-host of the Lakes Locker Room podcast for the last two years, is also the founder and director of the Athletes for Change Alliance, the first BIPOC student-athlete liaison working group formed in Canada offering a community of support for BIPOC student-athletes across U SPORTS.
While student-athletes have made their mark in many ways throughout the 2021-22 campaign, two in particular shone brightest on the defensive side of the ball.
Staying up north, Lakehead's Dylan Morrison is one of the defensive player of the year recipients, and the senior wing player made life difficult for his West Division opponents.
Morrison anchored the Lakehead defence that was one of the peskiest in the league, ranking among the league leaders in blocks and steals per game. A significant contributor in the former, the Toronto, Ont. native led the OUA with his 35 blocks (2.2 per game). He also ranked in the top-20 in terms of rebounding, collecting 78 on the defensive end (14th in OUA) and an average of 6.4 per contest (19th in OUA). The dynamic defender also chipped in with 11 steals for the Thunderwolves.
This marks the second straight season that Lakehead has earned the honour and the seventh time in program history.
It also wasn't long ago that the Ottawa Gee-Gees boasted the league's top defensive player (Caleb Agada, 2016-17), but thanks to the point-prevention prowess of Maxime Boursiquot this season, the Garnet and Grey add the fourth such award to their record books.
The fourth-year player from Ottawa, Ont., who made his OUA debut this season after playing three seasons at Northeastern (NCAA D1) and another as a medical redshirt, is seemingly everywhere on the court. He covers an incredible amount of space with his quickness and vision. A lock-down defender one-on-one, Boursiquot also provides essential support on hustle plays and constantly creates pressure in rotations.
The Gee-Gees forward is not a primary rim protector, but is equally at home playing defence in the paint and on the perimeter, an all-around presence that led to him a sixth-place conference rank with 35 steals (2.1 SPG). To round out his statistical efforts, he also chipped in with over five rebounds per game.
The year's final student-athlete award recipient also played his first season of OUA basketball this year, making an immediate impact with the Rams as a freshman. With several top-10 statistical ranks in tow, Aaron Rhooms has claimed the division's rookie of the year nod, marking the first such recognition for the program in eight years.
Among the categories that Rhooms stood out among his conference competitors were points per game (19.3), rebounds per game (7.9), and field goal percentage (52.7), with his impressive first-year totals therein putting him 10th in each regard. As strong as his season was, he brought his best offensive performance in the team's penultimate regular season game. His career-best 28-point outing against Laurentian, a game in which he shot 61.1% from the field, was his last of seven 20+ point games on the year and capped off a season in which he never scored fewer than 12 points.
The first team all-star and the program's fourth rookie of the year also helped the Rams remain competitive in the talent-laden East Division, finishing fourth therein and earning the right to host a playoff game as a result.
Christine Vuong rounds out the year's award selections by receiving the officials award of merit.
Vuong as been officiating in the OUA since 2012, which included efforts in both the 2017 Critelli Cup and U SPORTS Championship. Her experience, however, also includes work on the international stage, having refereed at events such as the Universiade Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and more. She also spends time volunteering within the sport, most notably as event direction with the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association.
The complete list of 2021-22 OUA men's basketball award winners and all-stars is as follows:
Award Winners
East Division
Most Valuable Player - Lloyd Pandi, Carleton
Rookie of the Year - Aaron Rhooms, Rams
Coach of the Year - Taffe Charles, Carleton
Defensive Player of the Year - Maxime Boursiquot, Ottawa
Ken Shields Award - Taijon Eccleston-Graham, Nipissing
West Division
Most Valuable Player - Tajinder Lall, Brock
Rookie of the Year - Tyson Dunn, Western
Coach of the Year - Willy Manigat, Brock
Defensive Player of the Year - Dylan Morrison, Lakehead
Ken Shields Award - Aaron Tennant, Western
Officials Award of Merit - Christine Vuong
All-Stars
East Division
First Team
Lloyd Pandi, Carleton
Guillaume Pépin, Ottawa
Biniam Ghebrekidan, Carleton
Cole Syllas, Queen's
Aaron Rhooms, Rams
Second Team
Maxime Boursiquot, Ottawa
Alain Louis, Carleton
Haroun Mohamed, Laurentian
Prince Kamunga, York
Quinton Gray, Queen's
All-Rookies
Aaron Rhooms, Rams
Quincy Louis-Jeune, Ottawa
Kalyem Liburd-Mullings, Toronto
Wazir Latiff, Carleton
Cole Newton, Ottawa
West Division
First Team
Tajinder Lall, Brock
Ali Sow, Wilfrid Laurier
Omar Shiddo, Western
Jordan Henry, McMaster
Thomas Kennedy, Windsor
Second Team
Michael Okafor, Lakehead
Malcolm Glanville, Guelph
Romello Taylor, Wilfrid Laurier
Mike Demagus, McMaster
Kascius Small-Martin, Brock
All-Rookies
Tyson Dunn, Western
Chris Sagl, Lakehead
Ares Culley-Bremner, McMaster
Raf Llorin, Waterloo
Lorenzo Barbieri, Windsor
After producing a rookie of the year campaign in 2019-20, Carleton's Lloyd Pandi made sure there was no sophomore slump in his OUA encore, taking home his second major award in as many seasons for the Ravens.
The East Division MVP was the complete package for the black birds. A versatile ball handler, Pandi displayed his depth of talent by finishing in the top-10 in field goal percentage (54.7), free throw percentage (83.3), defensive rebounds (84), and rebounds (114). In addition to his widespread skillset, the Ottawa, Ont. native also recorded 24 steals and shot 50% from beyond the arc.
With double digit points in all but one of the Ravens' 12 games this season, including 25 and 24, respectively, in back-to-back games this past November, Pandi's impressive offensive contributions included five double-doubles and a stretch of eight straight games of 10+ points to open the season.
With key injuries to Ravens starters, the second-year commerce major and reigning national rookie of the year demonstrated his leadership and professionalism in his sophomore season.
Despite calling the West home this season, Pandi's fellow divisional MVP also has ties to the Ravens. Tajinder Lall, who transferred from Carleton ahead of the season, made the most of his first year with the Brock Badgers, proving to be a leading figure for both the team and amongst the entire conference.
The Cambridge, Ont. native finished third in the OUA in scoring with 22.9 points per game, thanks in large part to posting two career-high games of 34 points along the way. He registered four double-double performances, including two separate meetings with Windsor wherein he picked up career-best marks of 14 rebounds and seven assists. The lofty game totals led to Lall being the team leader in rebounds per game (8.1) and steals per game (1.6), finishing inside the top-10 league-wide for the former and top-20 for the latter.
Despite suiting up for a different school this season, Lall was able find a familiar place atop the divisional standings, serving as a lynchpin on a Badgers team that finished atop the West with just one loss to their name on the year.
Joining the two most valuable players, meanwhile, are their respective coaches, with Taffe Charles and Willy Manigat taking home the OUA's top coaching awards for their efforts on the sidelines.
In just his second season with the Carleton men's team, the former recorded his first undefeated campaign, thanks in large part to league-leading shooting and rebounding, as well as an OUA-low 60.0 points allowed per game. Despite having only four players in their fourth year of eligibility, Charles was able to help his team manage the uncertainties of the season to get the most out of his players. The former OUA all-star on the court maximized the country's No. 1 team's depth to maintain a high level of play regardless of who took the court.
Charles, who wins the award for the second time in as many seasons after collecting the same honour in 2019-20, pushes his regular season record to a sparkling 35-1, and joins former Carleton bench boss Dave Smart as the lone coaches in program history to be repeat winners. Having previously gone 23-0 as the head coach of the women's team in 2017-18, meanwhile, the Ottawa, Ont. native continues to build his legacy within the Ravens basketball program.
Manigat also led his team atop the divisional standings, and with only one loss on the year, he helped the Badgers finish with the best regular season winning percentage in program history (.933). Contributing significantly to that success was the fact that the Brock coach had his time firing on all cylinders offensively, leading all of U SPORTS in scoring with 93.1 points per game. In addition, the Badgers topped the terrific conference talent in total points (1,396), field goals made per game (34.5), and assists per game (17.3), while ranking third in fewest points allowed (74.0 per game).
The Montreal, Que. born coach becomes the third recipient of the honour in program history.
Also earning a pair of major award winners on the heels of the 2021-22 season are the Western Mustangs, thanks to an impressive newcomer and a well-rounded veteran.
Tyson Dunn played in 12 games in his rookie campaign, starting nine, and was able to contribute in a multitude of ways for the purple and white. The West Division rookie of the year averaged just under nine points per contest (8.8 PPG) on 45.5% shooting from the field. He was also sharp from distance, as he connected on over 30% of his three-point attempts. The product of Newmarket, Ont. studying kinesiology also chipped in with 4.0 rebounds per game, 3.8 assists per outing, and finished just outside the conference's top-10 with 26 steals on the year.
The dynamic guard got out of the gates quick during his university career with a personal-best 17-point performance in just his third game, marking one of five double-digit scoring efforts on the season.
Dunn becomes the fourth Mustang to earn the first-year honour, while his teammate, Aaron Tennant takes home the program's sixth Ken Shields award. Combining on-court skill with excellence in the classroom and the community, Tennant was as accomplished as they come this season in his endeavors as a student-athlete.
On the court, the veteran forward from London, Ont. has been an active contributor for his hometown team. In 15 games played, Tennant averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, with much of his damage in the latter coming on the offensive glass. He ranked sixth in the conference therein with 38 offensive rebounds on the year.
The two-time academic all-Canadian, who is on track for his third such season in 2021-22, has also shone in the classroom, and has been accepted to several law schools in Canada for the fall of 2022. Within the community, meanwhile, Tennant has been involved with initiatives such as Gender Based Violence Prevention on Campus, where he was the men's basketball representative addressing the topic on campus through proactive prevention education and discussion; the Student-Athlete Mentorship Program, providing both academic and social support to incoming first-year student-athletes; and Adopt-a-Mustang, a program whose goal is to free student athletes from financial pressures and barriers so they can excel in their sport and in the classroom.
In the broader community, finally, Tennant provides support to adults with developmental disabilities and special needs as part of the Victorian Order of Nurses Host Respite Care Program.
Another student-athlete going beyond the hardwood to make his mark on the university scene is Nipissing's Taijon Eccleston-Graham, who has demonstrated excellence in the classroom, in the community, and as a teammate.
Eccleston-Graham is the co-founder of NUBASE, the Nipissing University Black Association for Student Expression, a group that aims to promote diversity and inclusion on campus and within the North Bay community. He created a high school mentorship program in North Bay and capped off the season by creating and organizing the inaugural Shoot for Change anti-racism basketball games between the Lakers and Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. The groundbreaking events served as a means to generate anti-racism awareness, bring schools together, and raise funds for BIPOC bursaries.
The third-year forward, who has been the co-host of the Lakes Locker Room podcast for the last two years, is also the founder and director of the Athletes for Change Alliance, the first BIPOC student-athlete liaison working group formed in Canada offering a community of support for BIPOC student-athletes across U SPORTS.
While student-athletes have made their mark in many ways throughout the 2021-22 campaign, two in particular shone brightest on the defensive side of the ball.
Staying up north, Lakehead's Dylan Morrison is one of the defensive player of the year recipients, and the senior wing player made life difficult for his West Division opponents.
Morrison anchored the Lakehead defence that was one of the peskiest in the league, ranking among the league leaders in blocks and steals per game. A significant contributor in the former, the Toronto, Ont. native led the OUA with his 35 blocks (2.2 per game). He also ranked in the top-20 in terms of rebounding, collecting 78 on the defensive end (14th in OUA) and an average of 6.4 per contest (19th in OUA). The dynamic defender also chipped in with 11 steals for the Thunderwolves.
This marks the second straight season that Lakehead has earned the honour and the seventh time in program history.
It also wasn't long ago that the Ottawa Gee-Gees boasted the league's top defensive player (Caleb Agada, 2016-17), but thanks to the point-prevention prowess of Maxime Boursiquot this season, the Garnet and Grey add the fourth such award to their record books.
The fourth-year player from Ottawa, Ont., who made his OUA debut this season after playing three seasons at Northeastern (NCAA D1) and another as a medical redshirt, is seemingly everywhere on the court. He covers an incredible amount of space with his quickness and vision. A lock-down defender one-on-one, Boursiquot also provides essential support on hustle plays and constantly creates pressure in rotations.
The Gee-Gees forward is not a primary rim protector, but is equally at home playing defence in the paint and on the perimeter, an all-around presence that led to him a sixth-place conference rank with 35 steals (2.1 SPG). To round out his statistical efforts, he also chipped in with over five rebounds per game.
The year's final student-athlete award recipient also played his first season of OUA basketball this year, making an immediate impact with the Rams as a freshman. With several top-10 statistical ranks in tow, Aaron Rhooms has claimed the division's rookie of the year nod, marking the first such recognition for the program in eight years.
Among the categories that Rhooms stood out among his conference competitors were points per game (19.3), rebounds per game (7.9), and field goal percentage (52.7), with his impressive first-year totals therein putting him 10th in each regard. As strong as his season was, he brought his best offensive performance in the team's penultimate regular season game. His career-best 28-point outing against Laurentian, a game in which he shot 61.1% from the field, was his last of seven 20+ point games on the year and capped off a season in which he never scored fewer than 12 points.
The first team all-star and the program's fourth rookie of the year also helped the Rams remain competitive in the talent-laden East Division, finishing fourth therein and earning the right to host a playoff game as a result.
Christine Vuong rounds out the year's award selections by receiving the officials award of merit.
Vuong as been officiating in the OUA since 2012, which included efforts in both the 2017 Critelli Cup and U SPORTS Championship. Her experience, however, also includes work on the international stage, having refereed at events such as the Universiade Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and more. She also spends time volunteering within the sport, most notably as event direction with the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association.
The complete list of 2021-22 OUA men's basketball award winners and all-stars is as follows:
Award Winners
East Division
Most Valuable Player - Lloyd Pandi, Carleton
Rookie of the Year - Aaron Rhooms, Rams
Coach of the Year - Taffe Charles, Carleton
Defensive Player of the Year - Maxime Boursiquot, Ottawa
Ken Shields Award - Taijon Eccleston-Graham, Nipissing
West Division
Most Valuable Player - Tajinder Lall, Brock
Rookie of the Year - Tyson Dunn, Western
Coach of the Year - Willy Manigat, Brock
Defensive Player of the Year - Dylan Morrison, Lakehead
Ken Shields Award - Aaron Tennant, Western
Officials Award of Merit - Christine Vuong
All-Stars
East Division
First Team
Lloyd Pandi, Carleton
Guillaume Pépin, Ottawa
Biniam Ghebrekidan, Carleton
Cole Syllas, Queen's
Aaron Rhooms, Rams
Second Team
Maxime Boursiquot, Ottawa
Alain Louis, Carleton
Haroun Mohamed, Laurentian
Prince Kamunga, York
Quinton Gray, Queen's
All-Rookies
Aaron Rhooms, Rams
Quincy Louis-Jeune, Ottawa
Kalyem Liburd-Mullings, Toronto
Wazir Latiff, Carleton
Cole Newton, Ottawa
West Division
First Team
Tajinder Lall, Brock
Ali Sow, Wilfrid Laurier
Omar Shiddo, Western
Jordan Henry, McMaster
Thomas Kennedy, Windsor
Second Team
Michael Okafor, Lakehead
Malcolm Glanville, Guelph
Romello Taylor, Wilfrid Laurier
Mike Demagus, McMaster
Kascius Small-Martin, Brock
All-Rookies
Tyson Dunn, Western
Chris Sagl, Lakehead
Ares Culley-Bremner, McMaster
Raf Llorin, Waterloo
Lorenzo Barbieri, Windsor