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AUS 2007-08 Men's Basketball All-Stars and All-Rookie Team Announced March 5, 2008 (HALIFAX, NS) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2007-08 men's basketball all-star teams and all-rookie team as selected by the conference's head coaches. The #2-ranked Acadia Axemen (18-2, first place) had two players named to this year's first team, including forward Leonel Saintil (pictured left), the top rebounder in the nation this season and 5th year guard Shawn Berry. Saintil had an outstanding season for the Axemen, breaking the single season rebounding record with 277 total rebounds (13.9 per game) while averaging 18.5 points per contest. Leonel, who posted two 20-plus rebound games this year, led the conference in double-doubles with 13 and finished fifth in field goal percentage (55.1 per cent). Berry finished fifth in conference scoring (16.6 ppg), second in free-throw percentage (81.7 per cent) and seventh in both field goal percentage (53.8 per cent) and steals (1.85 per game). This marks the first time since 1987-88 that the Axemen had two players selected as first team all-stars. Peter Morris and Kevin Veinot cracked the first squad for Acadia that year. Fourth year guard Tyler Richards of the StFX X-Men (15-5, second place) is a first team all-star for the third consecutive season after posting career highs in scoring (19.7 ppg - 1st in AUS), rebounding (3.8 per game) and assists (5.10 per game). Rounding out the first team selections are Eric Breland of the Cape Breton Capers and Mark McLaughlin of the Saint Mary's Huskies. Breland, a fifth year forward, also posted career highs in scoring (17.6 ppg - 4th in AUS) and rebounding (9.2 per game - 2nd in AUS) for the Capers. Eric, a second team all-Canadian last year, has been a conference all-star four years in a row. McLaughlin, a third year guard from Dartmouth, NS, finished second in scoring this season (19.1 ppg) and led the conference in free throw percentage, hitting on 100 of 109 attempts (91.7 per cent). Mark also led the conference in minutes played, averaging just under 37 minutes of floor time per game (36.9 min/game).

First team all-stars:
Tyler Richards, StFX (4th year - Halifax, NS)
Leonel Saintil, Acadia (3rd year - Ottawa, ON)
Eric Breland, Cape Breton (5th year - Cooksville, MD)
Mark McLaughlin, Saint Mary's (3rd year - Dartmouth, NS)
Shawn Berry, Acadia (5th year - Toronto, ON)

Four of the five spots on the 2007-08 second all-star team were awarded to players from Toronto, ON, including Dalhousie's Simon Farine, Cape Breton's Paul Blake, UPEI's Andrew Black and Shane Morrison of the Saint Mary's Huskies. StFX freshman Islam Luiz de Toledo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was also selected. Farine, who returned to Canada after one season at Wisconsin-Green Bay (NCAA), led the Tigers to a 10-10 record this season, their best record in conference play since the 1998-99 season when they finished at 13-7. In his first season with the Dalhousie program, he led the team in scoring (15.9 ppg), assists (5.00 per game), steals (2.19 per game) and minutes played (35.81 per game). Cape Breton's Paul Blake, a fifth year player who has now been a conference all-star in each of the past three seasons, finishes his career as the Cape Breton leader in 3-point field goals made with 138. Earlier this year he passed current Athletic Director John Ryan on the all-time list, who netted 134 from beyond the arc in his five-year career with the Capers. Blake averaged 16.6 ppg this season and added 6.6 rebounds per game. Black, in his first season with the Panthers after playing previously for Seneca College, led UPEI in scoring (15.6 ppg - 8th in AUS), rebounding (8.5 per game), field goal percentage (52.4 per cent) and free throw percentage (71.2 per cent). Andrew finished with nine double-doubles this season, second only to Saintil. Morrison, also in his first season in the conference, averaged 15.4 ppg (9th in AUS), finished fourth in field goal percentage (55.2 per cent) and added 5.9 rebounds per game for the Huskies. StFX's Islam Luiz de Toledo appeared in all 20 games for the X-Men this season, leading the squad in rebounding (7.8 per game - 6th in AUS) and blocked shots (0.85 per game - 6th in AUS). He also led all freshman in minutes played (29.55 per game) and scoring (13.6 points per game).

Second team all-stars:
Simon Farine, Dalhousie (2nd year - Toronto, ON)
Paul Blake, Cape Breton (5th year - Toronto, ON)
Andrew Black, UPEI (4th year - Toronto, ON)
Shane Morrison, Saint Mary's (1st year - Toronto, ON)
Islam Luiz de Toledo, StFX (1st year - Sao Paulo, Brazil)

This year marks the first time for the selection of an all-rookie team in men's basketball. Among the first year players selected to the team are StFX's Islam Luiz de Toledo, CBU's Tremaine Fraser, UPEI's Manock Lual, Memorial's Jason Sheppard and Yannick Walcott of the Dalhousie Tigers.

All-rookie team:
Tremaine Fraser, Cape Breton (North Preston, NS)
Islam Luiz de Toledo, StFX (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Manock Lual, UPEI (Ottawa, ON)
Jason Sheppard, Memorial (Waterville, NS)
Yannick Walcott, Dalhousie (Toronto, ON)

The 2008 Atlantic University Sport Final 6 men's basketball championship is being held this weekend at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, NS. All tickets for the 2007 championship are available through the Ticket Atlantic box office at 902-451-1221 or online at www.ticketatlantic.com. The championship schedule is as follows:

Friday, March 7th
Quarter-final #1: Cape Breton (4) vs. Dalhousie (5), 6:00pm
Quarter-final #2: Saint Mary's (3) vs. UPEI (6), 8:15pm

Saturday, March 8th
Semi-final #1: Acadia (1) vs. lowest remaining seed, 6:00pm
Semi-final #2: StFX (2) vs. highest remaining seed, 8:15pm

Sunday, March 9th
Championship Game: Semifinal Winners, 2:00pm

The men's basketball major award winners will be released Thursday, March 6th.

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For further information, please visit www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/final6