College basketball fans are in limbo, stuck between the end of the regular season and the thrill of March Madness.

In the interim, with conference tournaments underway and Selection Sunday quickly approaching, we take a look at the Canadian players who earned top honours during the regular season. Thirteen players from north of the border received All-Star team awards across 10 different conferences — including the America East conference, which recognized three outstanding players from Canada.

Trae Bell-Haynes, University of Vermont (Toronto, Ont.)

For the second straight year, Trae Bell-Haynes has earned the honour of America East Conference player of the year — only the eighth player in conference history to earn the POY award on more than one occasion. The senior guard averaged 16.6 points per game in conference play, and 14.9 points throughout the season (good enough for eighth in the conference in scoring). He was also fourth in the league in assists after averaging 3.9 assists per game.

The six-foot-two, 180-pound Toronto native was also assigned to the all-conference team for the second year in a row.





Stef Smith, University of Vermont (Ajax, Ont.)

Smith made an immediate impact on the Catamount roster and earned a spot on the All-Rookie team. The freshman averaged 4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1 assist per game to lead his team to the top of the standings in the America East Conference with a 26-6 overall record.

He recorded a season-high against Marquette on Dec. 5 when he scored 20 points, including going six-for-six from beyond the arc. He also added four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Drew Urquhart, University of Vermont (Vancouver, B.C.)

The senior big man for Vermont averaged 10.7 points per game, more than doubling his totals from last season. He also pulled down an average of 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting over 60 percent from the field throughout the regular season.

The West Coast native was named to the America East Conference’s second team for the first time in his career.

Joseph Chartouny, Fordham University (Montreal, Que.)

Montreal native Joseph Chartouny has had a great career at Fordham University in his first two seasons. His junior year was no different, being named to the Atlantic-10 All-Defensive team after leading the NCAA with 93 steals (3.32 per game).

Chartouny started 27 of his 28 games this season and averaged 12 points, 5.6 rebounds, and was just one steal shy of tying the Fordham University single-season record that he set last season. The guard ended the regular season seventh in the A-10 conference in assists and 21st in rebounding, making him one of three A-10 players to rank in the top 25 in assists, steals and rebounds.

Congrats to @FordhamMBB's Joseph Chartouny (All-Defensive Team & Academic All-Conference) and Prokop Slanina (Academic All-Conference), who were honored today by the @atlantic10 https://t.co/J16rZviOau pic.twitter.com/MIyzg8r7Ir — Fordham Athletics (@FordhamRams) March 6, 2018





Oshae Brissett, Syracuse University (Mississauga, Ont.)

When Oshae Brissett posted a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) in his collegiate debut earlier this season, Syracuse fans knew he was going to have a fantastic year — and they weren’t wrong.

After earning two Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week honours during the season, Brissett was named to the ACC All-Rookie team. He averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and recorded 10 double-doubles throughout the year. He scored his season-high 25 points in three games, including in a 86-79 victory over Georgetown, when he also grabbed 14 rebounds.

Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State University (Dartmouth, N.S.)

The six-foot-two Nova Scotia native earned Newcomer of the Week honours in the Big-12 Conference three times this year before eventually being named to the All-Newcomer Team. After posting one of the best rookie seasons in the school’s history, he also received an All Big-12 honourable mention.

Wigginton recorded an ISU freshman record of 12 20-point games, including eight in conference play, and averaged 16.6 points during the regular season. He became the Big 12’s eighth freshman, joining an elite club which includes Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley, to score more than 300 points in conference games. He also set the ISU freshman record for three-point field goals made, with 67 on the year. (He also put up this massive dunk against Oklahoma, a candidate for Dunk of the Year).

Story continues