The men’s Basketball Mounties went from fifth place in 2016 to the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) final this year and earned their first-ever trip to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championships in March. The team finished second in the regular season with an impressive 17-4 record and hosted the ACAA Championships on campus.

Steve Chapman (’82) coached the Mounties from 1992-2000. He returned this year as head coach and considered it a rebuilding year.

“We came into this year with several goals in mind,” says Chapman. “One was to be more competitive and to improve our league standing from a year ago. We accomplished that. Another was to increase our fan base within the Mount A community, including both student and local support.”

Increased financial support from alumni and a boosted following on social media saw the team lead the league in home attendance.

Rookie sensation Thomas LeGallais from Cornwall, ON contributed significantly to the team’s unprecedented success. He was named the Conference Rookie of the Year, a 1st team all-star, and Mount Allison’s overall Rookie of the Year.

Brad Fuller was recognized as a 2nd team all-star and graduated as an Academic All-Canadian. Jesse Balser was named the team’s MVP and was awarded the University’s sportsmanship award. Alex Chisholm also completed another strong season to cap off his four-year ACAA basketball career at Mount Allison.

“We had a great bunch of guys who were true ambassadors of Mount Allison and a pleasure to coach,” says Chapman.