MBB: Calgary's Nate Petrone named CW Player of the Year

March 6, 2025 - Calgary's Nate Petrone has been named the 2025 Canada West Men's Basketball Player of the Year.

The hometown Calgary product put together one of the most impressive seasons in Dinos program history, leading the nation in scoring with an incredible 484 points in 20 games, averaging a conference-best 24.2 points per game.

The conference announced its complete list of 2024-25 major award winners on Thursday. The Victoria Vikes were represented with a pair of recipients after their perfect 20-0 regular season, with fifth-year guard Sam Maillet taking home Defensive Player of the Year and first year head coach Murphy Burnatowski earning Coach of the Year honours. Alberta's Kyle Varner was named Rookie of the Year after a dynamic debut season for the Golden Bears, while Thompson Rivers forward Asher Mayan was the Student-Athlete Community Service Award recipient.

The conference is preparing for an exciting championship weekend, with Calgary visiting UBC in the Canada West Final on Friday night (7:30 p.m. MT). The bronze medal game is also scheduled for Friday evening, with Manitoba visiting Victoria with a nationals berth on the line (7 p.m. MT).

Fans can catch all the action streaming live on Canada West TV - Presented by BioSteel.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nate Petrone, Calgary Dinos

The special season continues for Calgary’s magic man, as Nate Petrone becomes the fourth Dino to be named the Canada West Player of the Year in the last decade. In all, it marks the 10th time in program history a Calgary player has won the award.

The recognition should come as zero surprise to Dinos supporters after Petrone led the nation in scoring, racking up an incredible 484 points in 20 games, averaging a conference-best 24.2 points per game.

Petrone did all this while shooting 57 percent from the floor, 43% from beyond the arc, and 89% from the free-throw line.

The Calgary product also finished the regular season ranked third in the conference in assists with 99, to go along with 78 rebounds, 14 steals and three blocks.

"This could not happen to a player more deserving. Nate gets the job done with intellect and high efficiency from three levels – his numbers are extraordinary from the field, from 3 and from the foul line. He not only scores, but he leads us in assists. He is an exceptional competitor that finds a way to consistently contribute in big moments. We are very lucky to have him lead our team." - Calgary Head Coach Dan Vanhooren

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sam Maillet, Victoria Vikes

The Victoria Vikes have the Canada West Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season, with guard Sam Maillet earning the honour for 2024-25.

The ultimate selfless player, Maillet has showcased his versatility and ability to defend every position on the court, helping the Vikes to a perfect 20-0 Canada West regular season and the third-lowest opponent scoring average in the conference (70.2 points per game).

Individually, Maillet averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for Victoria, while his 4.0 assists-per-game led the team and ranked eighth in the conference. His 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio also tied for third-best in Canada West.

This is the second Defensive Player of the Year award Maillet has earned at the U SPORTS level, as he was previously named the 2022 AUS Defensive Player of the Year while with Dalhousie.

​ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kyle Varner, Alberta Golden Bears

Finishing second on the upstart Golden Bears in scoring, first-year stretch forward Kyle Varner was named the 2025 Canada West Rookie of the Year.

A product of Munich, Germany, Varner averaged 11.1 points per game for the 10-10 Golden Bears, second only to conference All-Star Isaac Simon’s 19.2. Varner made 42% of his shots as a freshman, showing off his shooting range with 41 threes, the eighth most in Canada West.

Along with a 35.7% clip from long range, Varner added 5.1 rebounds per game, 31 assists, and 21 steals, playing just under 26 minutes per contest.

Varner is the eighth Golden Bear to win Canada West Rookie of the Year honours, and first since Adam Paige in 2019.

“Kyle’s composed play made us better right from the first game of the season. He defended, shot the ball well, and rebounded it at a high level as a rookie. We are excited to watch his continued development going forward.” - Alberta Head Coach Barnaby Craddock

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Asher Mayan, Thompson Rivers WolfPack

Throughout his time with the WolfPack men's basketball program, Mayan has made a significant impact through his dedication to community service and leadership both on-and-off the court.

In the community, Mayan has been passionately involved in coaching at the grassroots level in his hometown of Langley, B.C., supporting both Fraser Valley Elite and Impact Hoops youth basketball programs. He began coaching during his time as a high school student-athlete and has continued giving back to the basketball community during his six years as a member of the WolfPack. His dedication and passion for coaching followed him to Kamloops, where he has been a volunteer coach with Kamloops Alliance Church summer camps for elementary school children.

On campus, Asher plays a vital role in supporting fellow student-athletes as a three-year PACE (Pack Academic Edge) program leader. He's supported first year student-athletes by leading study hall sessions and providing mentorship that assists with the transition to university life. Beyond academics, Asher serves as a student leader for the Alpha program at TRU, a space designed for student-athletes to gather and share a weekly meal and fellowship to discuss faith and their own unique life experiences.

“Throughout his career as a member of the WolfPack men’s basketball program, Asher has demonstrated what it truly means to be a student-athlete. On the court, in the classroom, and in the community, Asher has not only strived for excellence but has impacted all those around him in a long lasting and positive way. I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished and how he has represented not only our program, but WolfPack Athletics and Thompson Rivers University. Being named the Canada West Student Athlete Community Service Award winner is an incredible and well-deserved honour.” - Thompson Rivers Head Coach Chad Jacobson

COACH OF THE YEAR: Murphy Burnatowski, Victoria Vikes

Murphy Burnatowski guided the Vikes to a perfect 20-0 regular season record in his first year at the helm of the University of Victoria men’s basketball program, marking the fourth undefeated conference season in program history and first since 1983-84.

Additionally, Burnatowski becomes the first coach in U SPORTS men’s basketball since 1975-76 to guide their program to an undefeated conference season in their first season. Burnatowski’s team was ranked No. 1 in the U SPORTS Top 10 poll all season and earned the top seed in the Canada West playoffs. ​

His team’s 89.5 points-per-game average was the second-best in the league, while defensively the Vikes’ 70.2 points-per-game against was third-best in the conference.

It's the second straight Coach of the Year award for the Vikes program, as Burnatowski follows in the footsteps of Craig Beaucamp, who received the recognition last season.