JEANTY EARNS EAST MVP

HAMILTON - The Carleton Ravens men's basketball team has overwhelmed the competition en route to three straight Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship banners. And one of the constants throughout the amazing run has been the inspired play of All-Canadian guard Osvaldo Jeanty. The fourth-year Gloucester, ON native has continued his brilliance this year, capping off the 2005/06 season as the East recipient of the E.C. LeBel Plaque for Player of the Year. Jeanty has been the unquestioned leader of the Ravens, leading the No. 2 ranked team in the country to a 20-2 record and a sixth straight division title. The Commerce major finished eighth in league scoring with an average of 14.68 points per game and 10th in assists with 3.32 apg, while his OUA-best 85.88 free throw percentage proves his mental toughness is equal to his talent. Jeanty, MVP of the 2005 Wilson Cup, is also one of the most accurate long-range threats in the country, leading the conference in three-pointers made with 62 (second in the country) and shooting a sizzling 44.93 per cent from outside the arc (62-for-138, fifth overall in the OUA).

Jeanty's impact isn't limited to the court, however. The 22-year-old is also the East nominee for the prestigious Ken Shields Award, presented annually to the CIS student-athlete who best exhibits outstanding achievement in basketball, academics and community involvement. As a floor leader, Jeanty has demonstrated a natural ability to teach the game, volunteering his time to work at elementary and high school clinics, while also coaching a girl's juvenile team in the Ottawa area with teammate Jean Emmanuel Jean Marie and at an Easter Seals camp last summer. He has been a recipient of the Raven Fund scholarship for the past two years and was also named the Athletic Personality of the Year by Le Droit newspaper and Radio-Canada for his commitment to the team and community. Jeanty is the first Francophone at an Anglophone university to take the honour.

The Ottawa Gee-Gees got off to a torrid start this season and one of the big contributors to the veteran team was first-year guard Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Toronto, ON), the East Rookie of the Year. Gibson-Bascombe made a fantastic transition from high school ball, averaging 26.20 minutes, 10.50 points, 3.90 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.7 steals through 10 contests before breaking his right arm in the Gee-Gees OT-loss to Guelph in January. The Social Science major has been practicing with a cast and may return to the lineup in time for Ottawa's opening playoff game.

Gibson-Bascombe's presence in the lineup would be welcome to Gee-Gees' head coach Dave Deaveiro. Deaveiro was recognized by his peers as the top bench boss in the East as he won his first Coach of the Year award. Ottawa was 18-4 in the regular season, following a 12-10 campaign in 2004/05. Deaveiro led his team to a school record win total (currently 29, counting non-conference games) and a weekly appearance in the CIS Top 10, including a No. 2 ranking at one point. The Gee-Gees, who pulled off one of the biggest wins of the year beating rival Carleton 63-62 in the Ravens' Nest in January, are currently No. 6 in the country.

Toronto Varsity Blues forward Mike Williams (Brampton, ON) was named the East Defensive Player of the Year following an outstanding campaign. Toronto was one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing just 61.64 ppg (fourth in the CIS) and Williams was a catalyst in his own end of the court. The 6'6" Phys Ed major ranked eighth in OUA rebounding with an average of 7.32 rpg, with 85 of his 161 total boards coming on the defensive glass. Williams also cracked the top 20 in scoring, finishing 19th in the league at 12.55 ppg. He shot an impressive 56.41 per cent from the floor, the third-best average in the OUA.

Williams also makes his first appearance on the OUA all-star first-team this season after being named to the second team in 2005. Jeanty represents Carleton for the second straight year, while the remaining three members of the first-team are all making their debuts as all-stars. Last season's Rookie of the Year Tut Ruach (Toronto, ON) showed tremendous leadership and ability manning the point for the 14-8 York Lions. The silky-smooth guard wasn't shy about putting the ball up, averaging 17.27 ppg, third in the OUA and 16th in the CIS. Ruach is a great ball distributor, as well, ranking sixth in the league with 4.18 apg. He tied for seventh in OUA steals with 1.77 per game and knocked down 40 three-pointers on the year. A pair of Ottawa-based players round out the first team. Fifth-year Gee-Gees guard Marko Jovic (Gatineau, QC) has evolved into one of the most versatile backcourt players in the league, averaging 12.41 ppg (20th in the OUA) and 1.73 steals per game (tied for ninth in the conference). Jovic finished the season as the second all-time leading scorer in Ottawa history behind Gee-Gees legend Bill Shane. Carleton post player Aaron Doornekamp (Odessa, ON) gave the defending champion Ravens an imposing presence in the paint as he averaged 14.10 ppg (11th in the OUA) and hauled down 6.35 rpg (13th in the league) in just his second year of play. Doornekamp has also demonstrated a great touch for a big man, hitting 27 of 76 three-point attempts and 85 of 102 free throws, while also finishing 19th in league assists at 2.65 per game.


PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Osvaldo Jeanty - Carleton

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Williams - Toronto

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Josh Gibson-Bascombe - Ottawa

KEN SHIELDS AWARD
Osvaldo Jeanty - Carleton

COACH OF THE YEAR
Dave Deaveiro - Ottawa

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
Osvaldo Jeanty - Carleton
Tut Ruach - York
Aaron Doornekamp - Carleton
Mike Williams - Toronto
Marko Jovic - Ottawa

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
Ryan Bell - Carleton
Ben Palmer - Laurentian
Simon Mitchell - Queen's
Dan Eves - York
Alex McLeod - Ottawa

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Josh Gibson-Bascombe - Ottawa
Nick Magalas - Toronto
Nick Snow - Toronto
Joseph Imbrogno - Ryerson
Kevin McCleery - Carleton

24 teams, 6 CIS berths, 2 OUA champions - the OUA basketball playoffs, presented by Investors Group.

- O U A -

(Photo: Carleton forward Aaron Doornekamp drives left. Doornekamp joins teammate and East Player of the Year Osvaldo Jeanty as a first-team OUA all-star.)

Enquires can be addressed to:

David DiCenzo
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Ontario University Athletics
Phone: 905-540-5156
Fax: 905-540-5149
Email: david.dicenzo@oua.ca
Web: www.oua.ca