HALIFAX - Kadre Gray was named U SPORTS Basketball Male Player of the Year on Thursday night.

The third-year guard for the Laurentian Voyageurs is no stranger to the honour as this is the second consecutive year he has won the award.

The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 30.1 points per game to lead all U SPORTS players and his assists and rebounds totals were very similar to those from his 2018 Player of the Year campaign.

A key to his success is never taking anything for granted. Last season was a career year for Gray, when night in and night out he filled up the box score and led the Voyageurs to a home playoff game.

Then, just one week before the postseason started, Gray suffered a broken foot that ended his 2017-18 season.

As he accepted his award on Thursday he said to the players, coaches and team representatives on hand at the ceremony, “This might be the end, you never know when you’re playing your last game. As you’re out there play for the people behind you, and the love of the game."

That mentality helped him get back on the court for the 2018-19 season where he continued to shine and shatter his points per game numbers from the previous year.

During Gray’s two stellar seasons he has made his mark known around basketball circles, both in Ontario and at a national level.

McMaster Marauders head coach Patrick Tatham observed that, “he’s put the entire league on notice.”

The success of Gray is making the other schools work harder as well. “What he brings to the table is great, because he forces other programs to go out and recruit better.” Tatham added. “He’s shown us that if we do a little more work and find the right kid we could potentially find the next player of the year.”

At the national level Gray has had the opportunity to represent Canada and most recently wore the red and white at the FIBA World Cup 2019 Qualifiers on Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 when Canada took on Venezuela and Brazil.

“Seeing Kadre do what he’s been able to do at the U SPORTS level but also represent our senior team at the national level, the highest level of basketball in our country is also spectacular,” Tatham said. “Some future kids that want to go south may want to reconsider. Because staying home and playing in front of your people, you may have Canada basketball calling you.”

One person who has worked with Gray his entire time in the OUA has been his head coach Shawn Swords.

Swords recruited the two-time U SPORTS Player of the Year when Kadre was in high school and said Laurentian was a little lucky when they landed him. “We were recruiting one of his high school teammates and Kadre wanted to come up for a visit with him.”

Swords added, “I honestly thought that he was going to the [United] States.”

Getting players to stay in Ontario is something that OUA teams struggle with. “Everyone has to make their own decision,” added Sword. “One thing we can offer players is year-round coaching. I would hope that more athletes look at it and say ‘I can develop to the best of my ability by staying in Canada.’”

One avenue of exposure that U SPORTS now has to offer is the Canadian Elite Basketball League, an upstart outfit that is expected to begin play this spring.

In early February, it was announced that the CEBL and U SPORTS had a partnership. When the league has its first entry draft on Mar. 16, the final two rounds will be dedicated strictly to U SPORTS players.

Victor Raso is the head coach and general manager of the Niagara River Lions, one of the six teams in the CEBL. Before the draft lottery was known he told the Muted Madness Podcast, “absolutely I’m taking Kadre.”

Based on the draft order Raso and the River Lions will have the chance to do so with the first overall pick of the U SPORTS draft portion.

Gray spoke about the possibility of being drafted to the CEBL. “It’s an honour. To have the chance to be the first pick is something I never would have thought of.”

He also is doing his part to avoid distractions and grow as a player.

“I don’t want to get caught up in [the draft order], the first pick is the first pick but you still have to go out there and play and that’s what’s most important.”