Vancouver, B.C. - Ahead of the start of the U SPORTS Final 8 tournament at the University of British Columbia, three members of the University of Victoria men's basketball program were recognized at the annual men's basketball awards banquet, March 12. Renoldo Robinson was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian, while Sam Maillet earned U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year honours and Murphy Burnatowski was named the Fox 40 U SPORTS Coach of the Year.

Robinson's First Team All-Canadian honour is the second national honour for the third-year, who was selected to the U SPORTS All-Rookie team in 2022-23. A Canada West First Team All-Star this season and Canada West Player of the Week (Jan. 21), Robinson has held one of the top scoring averages for the Vikes all season, currently sitting at a team-high 15.6 points per game. He's averaging 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and a team-high 2.2 steals per game.  

Maillet becomes the first player in Victoria men's basketball program history to earn national Defensive Player of the Year honours since the award was introduced by the national office in 2004-05. The award marks the first national recognition for Maillet, who had previously won the 2024-25 Canada West and 2021-22 AUS Defensive Player of the Year titles. The fifth-year averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 Canada West season and ranked eighth in the league with 4.0 assists per game. His 2.1 assist/turnover ratio tied for third-best in Canada West for the year.

Burnatowski, in his first season as the head coach of the Vikes men's basketball program, earns national Coach of the Year honours following the fourth undefeated Canada West season in program history (20-0) and becoming the first coach in U SPORTS since 1975-76 to lead their team to an unbeaten conference season in their first year with the program. Burnatowski's squad was ranked No. 1 in the U SPORTS Top 10 poll all season, while his team ranked second in the league in scoring (89.5 points per game) and third in points allowed (70.2 points per game). The Vikes captured the Canada West bronze medal against Manitoba to earn their berth to the U SPORTS Final 8.

The fourth-seeded Vikes face fifth seed Bishop's University in the quarterfinal round of the U SPORTS Final 8 tomorrow, March 13 at 11 a.m. PT. Catch the game on CBC Sports.