Basketball: Gaels' Leger might be capping off career

Friday's Ottawa-Queen's men's matchup features two CIS MVP candidates — Gee-Gees guard Josh Gibson-Bascombe and Golden Gaels power forward Mitch Leger. What you might not know is both are in their final season.

Pat Kennedy of the Kingston Whig-Standard, in a great feature on Leger — the only 20-point, 10-rebound per game man in the country — worked in the revelation this might be it for him. Leger said it was "pretty doubtful" he would play a fifth season:
"Leger's time with the Tricolour is winding down quicker than he or his coaches anticipated.

"The fourth-year player has posted outstanding numbers this season, at times practically carrying his hometown school toward a possible top-three conference playoff berth, which, through the benefit of hindsight, would've been a pipe dream without him.

"Mighty Mitch is averaging 22 points and better than 12 boards a game for the inconsistent Gaels (10-9). He's recorded double-doubles in 15 of his 19 outings and remains the only player in Canada in the top five in both scoring and rebounding. Not surprisingly, such eye-popping statistics have generated talk of national MVP laurels."
There are several players staking a claim for the Moser Award. Leger has been force for Queen's, which would be who knows where without him.

The OUA East nod will be tough enough. Gibson-Bascombe, as previously elucidated, is averaging 20.9 points for No. 6 Ottawa while leading the country in assists (6.6) and the OUA in steals (48, 2.5 per game).

Basically, you have the top assist man in the country playing for a ranked team and the most prolific rebounder helping a good team keep its head above water. Some PER calculations are definitely needed!

Related:
Leger going out on top?; Kingston-born star of the Queen's Golden Gaels a national MVP candidate in what could be his final year (Patrick Kennedy, Kingston Whig-Standard)
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6 comments:

  1. It's a bit of a stretch to call Queen's a "good" team.
    They are a very average team even with Leger.
    Without him, though, they would be down around York in the standings.
    The Gaels are comparatively challenged offensively, ranking 7th in the OUA East in scoring.
    Queen's is prone to prolonged scoring droughts as evidenced by their game in Ottawa,
    when the Gee Gees broke open a close game with a 19-0 run.
    And of course there was that debacle against Ryerson where the Gaels managed 7 second half points.
    Imagine how bleak things would be without Leger?
    But I don't think he'll get the POY nod for the OUA East.
    After all, if Kevin Dulude wasn't nominated after carrying RMC on his back to a 14 win season,
    there's little chance Leger will get the nod for what is essentially a .500 team.
    Josh Gibson-bascombe has almost single handedly kept Ottawa in the top 10.
    Playing at least 35 minutes and often going the full 40, JGB has taken
    a team with a very thin bench to an impressive 17-3 record.
    For the Gee Gees to win most nights it is imperative JGB score, create and most of all, stay in the game.
    Against Carleton, Ravens defensive specialist Cole Hobin did a masterful job on JGB.
    Even so, he did manage to lead the Gee Gees almost all the way back before
    Carleton's depth swung the game their way.
    Without a whole heck of a lot beyond the starting five, Gibson-bascombe has kept Ottawa within striking distance of Carleton.
    At the start of the year, few would have thought that would have been possible.

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  2. Well-said. Maybe I should have gone with "good, at best." The Olympics are on and I'm working 2 media jobs full-time until Monday.

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  3. Cantankerous2/14/2010 8:14 am

    Drove down from Ottawa with a couple of friends to take in the Carleton-Queen's game Saturday.
    The ARC is a nice facility.
    I wish the Raven's Alumni Hall was more like this.
    The game itself was very interesting, at least, until halftime.
    Carleton led 48-40 at the break.
    Queen's couldn't stop McCleery inside...he had over 20 points by halftime.
    But Gaels kept themselves in it with their perimeter shooting.
    The game changed only two minutes into the second half.
    Leger took his third foul on a dubious call when it looked like he
    made a clean play on Ravens forward Tyson Hinz.
    Angered by the call, Leger displayed his displeasure with the call by slamming the ball
    down hard on the floor but catching it in his hands.
    He was immediately T'd up, giving him 4 fouls.
    Rob Smart had no choice but to pull him.
    From that point on, the Ravens quickly put the game out of reach as they outscored
    Queen's 60-25 in the second half.
    The ref who called the original foul and the T was from Kingston, apparently.
    In what possibly could be his final home game pending final standings,
    it was a lousy way for Mitch Leger to go out before the home crowd.
    Perhaps Carleton would have pulled away eventually, but those
    calls effectively ended the game as a competitive contest.
    BTW, in the first two minutes of the third quarter Queen's were called for 5 fouls and Carleton four!
    Leger didn't foul out but he was never put back in as the game got out of hand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. no mention of boris bakovic...where would ryerson be without boris? Im sure they wouldn't have beat York or Laurentian this year...remember he single handidly won Ryerson's game @ Laurentian in overtime including what was the most incredible shot of the year, a turn around, fade away 3, with 2 players in his face, at the buzzer, to win the game

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cantankerous2/15/2010 11:57 am

    Anon 12:52...
    You're right, of course.
    No discussion of the POY award would not include Boris.
    There is no doubt Bakovic has had many amazing performances
    throughout his career and Ryerson would have been so much the poorer without him.
    Unfortunately, the history of this award shows that outstanding players
    on average or below average teams get the shaft when it comes to awarding the silverware.
    Right or wrong, players tend to be judged by the team they play for as much as their actual performance.
    Both Leger and Bakovic play on average teams that would be well
    below average if these two players were absent from the lineup.
    What sets Gibson-bascombe apart from the other two is that he plays
    on a team that, despite its perceived lack of depth, is still
    chasing Carleton for first in the division on the last day of the season.
    For that reason mainly, I think JGB will get the nod.
    It may seem unfair to the other two, Bakovic especially, but all things
    being equal, it is the team performance that will likely swing the vote.
    Also, because of that reasoning JGB might have the best shot of winning the CIS POY.

    ReplyDelete
  6. CIS POY candidates include Josh Whyte UBC, Showron Glover Saskatchewan, Keenan Jeppesen Mac, Andy Wedemire Western, Boris Bakovic Ryerson, Josh Gibson-Bascombe Ottawa, Matt Thornhill McGill, Christian Upshaw St. FX, Simon Farine Dal. Whyte and Gibson-Bascombe appear to be the top 2 overall candidates all things considered.

    ReplyDelete