U SPORTS men's basketball awards and all-Canadians announced

Dalhousie's Rick Plato named U SPORTS Coach of the Year

(OTTAWA, ONT.) Dalhousie Tigers head coach Rick Plato has become the first Atlantic conference coach to be named U SPORTS coach of the year since the 2000-01 season. The national award winners were announced Wednesday night at the joint All-Canadian Gala.

AUS MVP Keevan Veinot from the Dalhousie Tigers was named a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian, while StFX X-Men Azaro Roker and Avan Nava earned a place on the second team all-Canadian list and all-rookie team, respectively. 

For the complete U SPORTS release, click here. 

STUART W. ABERDEEN MEMORIAL TROPHY (Men's Fox 40 Coach of the Year): Rick Plato, Dalhousie

In his seventh season at the helm of the Dalhousie program, Rick Plato has been selected by his peers as the U SPORTS Coach of the Year for the first time in his career, and the first in the history of the Tigers program.

This season, Coach Plato's Tigers finished with a 19-1 regular season record, a first-place finish in the conference standings, and earned the bye through to the semifinals of the AUS championship.

The Tigers allowed the fewest points against in77 the AUS this season (65.8) and were second nationally in the same category.

They led the conference in points per game (89.3), assists per game (17.8), offensive rebounds per game (12.5) and steals per game (12.1).

Dalhousie boasted a U SPORTS-best free throw percentage of 77.7 and a conference-best field goal percentage (47.7) and three-point percentage (35.5).

Under Coach Plato's leadership, the Tigers have taken home four of the last five AUS championship titles and a national bronze medal.

Nominees

CW: Barnaby Craddock, Alberta
OUA: Taffe Charles, Carleton
RSEQ:  David DeAveiro, McGill
AUS: Rick Plato, Dalhousie (Winner)

All Canadian Teams
(*Atlantic conference recipients in bold)

All-Rookie Team