Three people affiliated with the two U of S basketball teams received Canada West Conference awards honours Wednesday.
Saskatchewan women’s team head coach Lisa Thomaidis (pictured) is the Canada West Coach-of-the-Year. On the men’s side, Easton Thimm is the conference’s Rookie-of-the-Year and Huskies’ team-mate Alexander Dewar is the Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service award winner. Thomaidis is the Canada West Women’s Basketball Conference Coach-of-the-Year for a sixth time. She guided the U of S to a 19-1 record this season, entering this week’s playoff tournament as the top seed and ranked 2nd in U Sports. Thomaidis will be seeking her ninth conference championship with the Huskies, with the team’s most recent conference title coming in 2022. She was previously Canada West women’s basketball coach-of-the-year in 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2016. Following are the news releases from the Canada West Conference…..
WBB: Belmore named CW Player of the Year
Conference unveils WBB major award winners
Feb. 21, 2024 – Regina’s Jade Belmore has been named the 2024 Canada West Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.
The hometown Regina product took her game to another level throughout a stellar regular season campaign that saw her lead the conference in scoring with 18.3 points-per-game.
Student-athletes from six schools were represented among this year’s major award winners, including a second straight Defensive Player of the Year nod for Alberta’s Claire Signatovich. Lisa Thomaidis was named Canada West Coach of the Year for the sixth time, while Victoria’s Makena Anderson was recognized as Rookie of the Year.
- Player of the Year: Jade Belmore, Regina Cougars
- Defensive Player of the Year: ClConference unveils WBB major award winners aire Signatovich, Alberta Pandas
- Rookie of the Year: Makena Anderson, Victoria Vikes
- Courage Overcoming Adversity Award: Lauren Bartlett, Manitoba Bisons
- Student-Athlete Community Service Award Winner: Nikki Cabuco, Fraser Valley
- Coach of the Year: Lisa Thomaidis, Saskatchewan Huskies
COACH OF THE YEAR: Lisa Thomaidis, Saskatchewan Huskies
- 25th Season
Thomaidis adds another accolade to her long and impressive resume at the helm of the Huskies. The honour is her sixth Canada West Coach of the Year award, having also won the award in 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2016.
Her Huskies were nearly unstoppable this season, compiling a 19-1 record while boasting the conference’s most prolific offence. The team enters the 2024 Canada West women’s basketball championships as the number one seed and are currently ranked No. 2 in U SPORTS.
Thomaidis will be seeking her ninth conference championship with the Huskies, with the team’s most recent conference title coming in 2022.
The revered coach also experienced success on the national stage this season, guiding Germany’s women’s national program to their first-ever Olympic berth less than one year after being named head coach of the program. Thomaidis will be making her fourth Olympic appearance in Paris later this summer, with previous appearances coming as an assistant coach with Team Canada in 2012 and as head coach with Team Canada at the 2016 and 2020 Games.
MBB: Maffia earns back-to-back CW Player of the Year nods
Conference unveils MBB major award winners
Feb. 21, 2024 – Victoria’s Diego Maffia has been named the 2024 Canada West Men’s Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The recognition comes after another dominant regular season campaign for Maffia, who led the conference in scoring by a wide margin with 26.7 points-per-game. He led a trio of Vikes recognized with major awards, including teammate Aaron Tesfagiorgis who was named Defensive Player of the Year as well as Craig Beaucamp who was honoured as Coach of the Year.
A pair of Saskatchewan Huskies were also recognized, with Easton Thimm being named Rookie of the Year and Alexander Dewar being honoured with the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.
- Player of the Year: Diego Maffia, Victoria Vikes
- Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Tesfagiorgis, Victoria Vikes
- Rookie of the Year: Easton Thimm, Saskatchewan Huskies
- Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Alexander Dewar, Saskatchewan Huskies
- Coach of the Year: Craig Beaucamp, Victoria Vikes
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Easton Thimm, Saskatchewan Huskies
- Position: Forward
- First Year
- Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.
It isn’t easy for student-athletes to make a big impact while coming right out of high school, but the six-foot-nine hometown Saskatoon product did just that. Thimm made a seamless transition to the university game, exceeding expectations and earning a prominent role on the Huskies roster.
Thimm’s size advantage gave opposing defences fits all season, as he led the conference in offensive rebounds with 68 and ranked sixth in total rebounds with 169. He earned quality minutes and transformed into a key driver for the Huskies offence, becoming unstoppable in the paint while shooting 54.5% from the field, the third highest mark in the conference. He was consistently able to impact the game in ways beyond the scoresheet, giving the Huskies vital depth that led to a 11-9 record throughout the regular season.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Alexander Dewar, Saskatchewan Huskies
- Position: Guard
- Fifth Year
- Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.
Dewar has made his impact felt on the court throughout his university career, placing in the top 10 in Canada West scoring three times and currently sitting third in all-time career points in Huskies program history. However, it’s his commitment to volunteering and giving back that will leave the most lasting impact on the Saskatoon community.
Throughout his time at U of S, Dewar has been a dedicated member of the Huskie Athletics Council, where he focuses on community engagement and volunteerism. He has volunteered for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Radiothon Day, Huskie Homeroom, Salvation Army Christmas Hamper, and the Immigration Partnership Saskatoon, among other initiatives.
He has also worked full-time as a support worker for individuals with intellectual disabilities and has volunteered at the White Buffalo Youth Basketball Tournament, the Saskatchewan Marathon, and the Learn to Ride Safe program. In addition, he coaches high school basketball and the SMBA Developmental League, where he has a chance to be a mentor and teach valuable life lessons to young athletes.
“Alexander is the ultimate example of a student athlete. His ability to give his best at whatever task is in front of him is second to none. His work on athletics is easy to see, his work in the classroom has made him an academic All-Canadian every season and he is currently also working on studying for the MCAT’s on top of his studies and he is also a tremendous leader in our community the first to volunteer for any community initiatives that we have along with being involved in others that are important to him and his family.” -Jamie Campbell, Head Coach, Saskatchewan Huskies
