Kevon Parchment of the University of the Fraser Valley men’s basketball team has been voted the Canada West defensive player of the year.
The 6’3” fifth-year guard from Scarborough, Ont. becomes the first Canada West defensive player of the year in the history of the Cascades men’s basketball program, and the second player to earn a major conference award since UFV joined Canada West in 2006. Sam Freeman was rookie of the year in 2008-09.
Parchment finished his Canada West career with back-to-back all-star campaigns – he was a third-teamer in 2014-15, and a first team all-star this season.
Cascades head coach Adam Friesen noted that Parchment, night in and night out, drew the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s top perimeter player.
“I think the award is very well-deserved,” Friesen said. “He’s been a tremendous defensive player who can guard a multitude of defensive positions, and he often covers for our mistakes in the course of the game.
“Physically, he’s quick, fast and long. But what separates him are his instincts and his tenacity to want to stop people. He competes on that end of the floor from the first minute of the game all the way to the 40th, and that level of competitiveness is rare.”
Parchment’s sparkling senior season saw him finish among the Canada West leaders in scoring (17.5 points per game, 10th in the conference), assists (5.2 apg, second), rebounds (9.1 rpg, sixth), blocks (1.2 bpg, 10th) and steals (1.6 spg, 17th).
Parchment’s 127 defensive rebounds were fourth-most in the conference, and his blocks and steals numbers also hint at his impact on the defensive end.
UFV finished fifth in Canada West in points allowed per game (73.2) and opponents’ field goal percentage (40.6).
“Kevon can make defensive game-planning pretty easy,” Friesen noted with a chuckle. “We have faith that he can do a really good job on whoever he’s asked to guard. And it’s not just his on-ball defence – he often finishes defensive possessions by grabbing the rebound.”
Other Canada West men’s basketball award recipients announced Wednesday were Thomas Cooper of the Calgary Dinos (MVP), Brody Clarke of the Alberta Golden Bears (rookie of the year), Jared Baker of the Lethbridge Pronghorns (student-athlete community service award) and Scott Clark of the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (coach of the year).
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