HIGDON HEADLINES OCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

TORONTO - Redeemer University College's Rayvon Higdon (Rochester, N.Y.) was named the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men's Basketball Player of the Year in a ceremony held in Toronto on Thursday evening as part of the 2017 belairdirect OCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

Higdon was the OCAA League and West Division Scoring Champion, averaging 26.3 points in 16 games. The fourth-year player led all West Division players with 421 total points. He was also among the league leaders with 80 assists and 52 steals. Higdon is now a two-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian (earning the honour last season) and headlines the OCAA West Division First-Team All-Stars.

Ajahmo Clarke (Ajax) George Brown is also an All-Canadian. The fifth-year guard was the East Division Scoring Champion averaging 23.0 points per game. Clarke is the all-time OCAA leader in points establishing the new record of 1,922. Clarke is also an OCAA East Division First-Team All-Star.

Seneca's Khalil Miller (Toronto) is the OCAA Rookie of the Year. The forward led the OCAA with 220 total rebounds, while leading his team offensively averaging 15.2 points per game. Miller also led the OCAA with 66 blocks. Also named the OCAA East Division Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, Miller is an OCAA East Division First-Team All-Star and headlines the OCAA All-Rookie Team.

Jonathan Smith of George Brown is the OCAA East Division Coach of the Year and is the OCAA nominee for CCAA Coach of the Year. George Brown has traditionally been a playoff team under Smith's tutelage, but the team raised the bar with a 19-1 record and an East Division title, earning a bye into provincials.

Mohawk's Matt Elcock (St. Marys) is the OCAA West Rookie of the Year. Elcock was Mohawk's second-leading scorer averaging 15.8 points per game, 13th among all OCAA players. He is also a member of the OCAA All-Rookie Team.

Tyrone Dickson (Scarborough) of Humber is the OCAA West Division Defensive Player of the Year. The fifth-year forward led the OCAA averaging 11.1 rebounds per game. Dickson was third among all OCAA players with 178 total rebounds, and fourth with 33 blocks. Dickson is an OCAA West Division First-Team All-Star.

Jim Flack of Sheridan is the OCAA West Division Coach of the Year. Sheridan won the West Division title with an unblemished 16-0 record, averaging a league-best 95.5 points per game offensively.

Joining Higdon and Dickson as OCAA West Division First-Team All-Stars are Niagara's Van Hutchinson Jr. (Bahamas) and Sheridan teammates Ostap Choliy (Oakville) and Brian Owusu (Mississauga). Along with Clarke and Miller, OCAA East Division First-Team All-Stars include Centennial's Marko Curic (Georgetown); St. Lawrence-Kingston's Jaz Bains (United Kingdom); and Seneca's Yusuf Ali (Toronto).

The OCAA West Division Second-Team All-Stars are Humber's Ancil Martin (Scarborough); Branden Padgett (Detroit, Mich.) of Lambton; Mohawk's Lamar Barr (St. Thomas); Lequan Hylton (Mississauga) of Niagara; and Sheridan's Dylan Periana (Brampton).

Those named OCAA East Division Second-Team All-Stars include Tarez Hepburn (Bahamas) of Canadore; Centennial's Josh McFarlene (Pickering); Durham's Funsho Dimeji (Malton); Tyler Vanessen (Whitby) of Georgian; and Loyalist's Tigh Chapman (Kingston).

In addition to Miller and Elcock, Malcolm Jackson (Montreal, Que.) of Centennial; Durham's Brandon Halliburton (Brampton); Deandre Austin (Toronto) of Fanshawe; and Redeemer's Foster Brown (Stoney Creek) make up the OCAA All-Rookie Team.

2016-17 OCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL MAJOR AWARDS

OCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer

OCAA Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year
Khalil Miller, Seneca

CCAA All-Canadians
Ajahmo Clarke, George Brown
Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer

OCAA Men's Basketball CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Jonathan Smith, George Brown

OCAA Men's Basketball League Scoring Champion
Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Khalil Miller, Seneca

OCAA Men's Basketball West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Tyrone Dickson, Humber

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division Rookie of the Year
Khalil Miller, Seneca

OCAA Men's Basketball West Division Rookie of the Year
Matt Elcock, Mohawk

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division Coach of the Year
Jonathan Smith, George Brown

OCAA Men's Basketball West Division Coach of the Year
Jim Flack, Sheridan Bruins

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division Scoring Champion
Ajahmo Clarke, George Brown

OCAA Men's Basketball West Division Scoring Champion
Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division Champions
George Brown Huskies

OCAA Men's Basketball West Division Champions
Sheridan Bruins

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division First-Team All-Stars
Yusuf Ali, Seneca
Jaz Bains, St. Lawrence-K
Ajahmo Clarke, George Brown
Marko Curic, Centennial
Khalil Miller, Seneca

OCAA Men's Basketball West Division First-Team All-Stars
Ostap Choliy, Sheridan
Tyrone Dickson, Humber
Rayvon Higdon, Redeemer
Van Hutchinson Jr, Niagara
Brian Owusu, Sheridan

OCAA Men's Basketball East Division Second-Team All-Stars
Tigh Chapman, Loyalist
Funsho Dimeji, Durham
Tarez Hepburn, Canadore
Josh McFarlene, Centennial
Tyler Vanessen, Georgian


OCAA Men's Basketball West Division Second-Team All-Stars
Lamar Barr, Mohawk
Lequan Hylton, Niagara
Ancil Martin, Humber
Branden Padgett, Lambton
Dylan Periana, Sheridan

OCAA Men's Basketball All-Rookie Team
Deandre Austin, Fanshawe
Foster Brown, Redeemer
Matt Elcock, Mohawk
Brandon Halliburton, Durham
Malcolm Jackson, Centennial
Khalil Miller, Seneca

- OCAA -

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