MBB: Top four power CW all-star and all-rookie squads

From left to right: Conor Morgan (UBC), Dejon Burdeaux (LET), Brody Clarke (ALB), and Justus Alleyn (MAN).
From left to right: Conor Morgan (UBC), Dejon Burdeaux (LET), Brody Clarke (ALB), and Justus Alleyn (MAN).
Posted: Feb 22, 2018

Evan Daum, Canada West Communications

Highlights:

  • Canada West's 2017-18 men's basketball all-stars and all-rookies were announced Thursday ahead of this weekend's conference semifinals
  • The Alberta Golden Bears, Calgary Dinos, UBC Thunderbirds, and Lethbridge Pronghorns combined to claim 13 of the 20 all-star and all-rookie positions
  • All four teams advanced to this weekend's semifinals, which get underway Thursday
  • The conference's major award winners will be announced Thursday, March 1 

EDMONTON –  Canada West's top four men's basketball teams from the regular season all had multiple players honoured Thursday, as the conference unveiled the 2017-18 basketball all-star and all-rookie teams. 

Of the 20 combined players who cracked one of three all-star teams, or the one all-rookie squad, 13 were from the conference's top four squads. The No. 3 seed UBC Thunderbirds, who are coming off a sweep of the Manitoba Bisons in the conference quarters, lead the charge with four players honoured.

Among UBC's all-stars is fifth-year Conor Morgan, who is a first teamer after averaging just shy of a double-double this season with 23.9 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game. Last year's CW Outstanding Player, Morgan is looking to repeat as the conference's top player when the award winners are announced Thursday, March 1. 

Along with UBC, the No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears (three all-stars), No. 2 Calgary Dinos (two all-stars and an all-rookie), and No. 4 Lethbridge Pronghorns (two all-stars and an all-rookie) all had multiple players singled out for successful seasons. The conference frontrunners from the regular season collide this weekend, as the top four seeds all advanced through the quarter-finals into the CW best-of-three semis. 

Outside of the big four, seven other teams landed either an all-star or all-rookie. Headlining the rest of the all-star class is Manitoba's Justus Alleyn, who is a first team all-star. The fifth-year guard became the first CW scoring champion in Manitoba history by averaging 24.1 points per game this season – just 0.1 more than Saskatchewan's Lawrence Moore.

The other schools with players honoured Thursday were: Brandon (G – Tyvon Cooper, second team), Mount Royal (F – Josh Ross, second team), Winnipeg (G – Narcisse Ambanza, third team), Regina (F – Brian Ofori, third team), and Thompson Rivers (G – Tyus De Vries, all-rookie).

The conference men's basketball playoffs resume this weekend when the No. 1 Golden Bears and first team all-star Brody Clarke host the No. 4 Pronghorns in Edmonton beginning Friday, while the No. 2 Dinos welcome the No. 3 T-Birds to the Stampede City starting Thursday.

You can catch all the action by tuning into the official streaming home of every conference basketball game, Canada West TV. 

For a complete look at the conference semifinal schedule, click here.

NOTE: The CW all-stars and all-rookies are selected by the conference's 17 men's basketball head coaches.

 

2017-18 CW MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-STARS & ALL-ROOKIES

Name / Position / University / Year / Hometown

Justus Alleyn / G / Manitoba / 5 / Winnipeg, Man.

Dejon Burdeaux / G / Lethbridge / 5 / Oakland, Calif.

Brody Clarke / F / Alberta / 3 / Toronto, Ont.

Mambi Diawara / G / Calgary / 4 / Montreal, Que.

Conor Morgan / G, F / UBC / 5 / Victoria, B.C.

Name / Position / University / Year / Hometown

Tyvon Cooper / G / Brandon / 4 / Middletown, N.Y.

Mamadou Gueye / F / Alberta / 5 / Quebec, Que.

Phil Jalalpoor / G / UBC / 5 / Schifferstadt, Germany

Lawrence Moore / PG / Saskatchewan / 4 / Chicago, Ili.

Josh Ross / F / Mount Royal / 5 / Burlington, Iowa

 

Name / Position / University / Year / Hometown

Narcissse Ambanza / G / Winnipeg / 2 / Toronto, Ont.

David Kapinga / G / Calgary / 4 / Calgary, Alta.

Brian Ofori / F / Regina / 5 / Montreal, Que.

Zac Overwater / G / Lethbridge / 4 / Didsbury, Alta.

Austin Waddoups / G / Alberta / 4 / Highland, Utah

Name / Position / University / Hometown

Mason Bourcier / G / UBC / Kelowna, B.C.

Tyus De Vries / G / Thompson Rivers / Chilliwack, B.C.

Mason Foreman / F / Calgary / East Selkirk, Man.

Awak Piom / G / Lethbridge / Edmonton, Alta.

Grant Shephard / F / UBC / Kelowna, B.C.