1977-78 Men's Basketball Team
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015
For the third time in recent history, the Acadia basketball Axemen that gathered in the fall of 1977 did so as the defending national champions and looked from the start like a team that had a good chance to defend their title.
Gone were Ed Shannon, Doug Roberts, Robert Upshaw (who would serve as an assistant coach) and Al Oliver, but head coach Dick Hunt had added post player Victor Soares and guard Michael Hazard.
Ted Upshaw would be promoted to the starting lineup which, along with Soares and Hazard, would also include veterans Alvin Jessamy, a former all-Canadian, and 'court general' Gordie West.
The rest of the 'top-12' included Tony Aker, John Archibald, John Grimmer, Bruce Hunt, Steve Johnson, Ray Mapp and Eric Skinner.
The Axemen romped through the regular season with an 18-2 record, with both losses coming at the hands of the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax. In two meetings with the Huskies in Wolfville, Acadia won by scores of 81-72 and 99-69.
Soares and Hazard both made the first all-conference team and West was named to the second team. While Acadia received contributions from the entire roster, what made the team so impressive was the starting five.
By virtue of their first-place finish in the regular season, Acadia hosted the conference playoffs. The Axemen faced UPEI in the semifinals, and scored a fairly easy 83-60 win. Acadia moved on to face St. F.X. for the conference title. Led by 34 points from Hazard and a 38-18 edge in rebounding, the Axemen claimed a 93-81 victory and a second-straight conference crown.
Hunt had told his players prior to the season that a 15-5 record would likely win the conference. The win over St. F.X. improved Acadia's season record to 20-2.
The 1978 nationals were played in Halifax, but this time the venue was different – the brand-new, 10,000-seat Metro Centre, which would host its first major sporting event.
Acadia opened against Laurentian, coached by another former Axemen player, Richie Spears, and scored a 71-65 victory thanks to a strong second half.
In semifinal action, Acadia, led by 24 points and 15 rebounds from Soares, topped the York Yeomen 82-71. When Saint Mary's edged Victoria 82-79 in the other semifinal, it provided local fans with their 'dream match-up' of an all-Atlantic national final.
In front of a packed house at the Metro Centre, the Axemen gave it their best shot, but ended up on the short end of a 99-91 decision.
Jessamy, in his final Acadia game, and Hazard finished with 25 points apiece. Soares added 23 and Upshaw 16. Hunt said after the game that his team had “done everything but win.” Ted Upshaw, who played on both teams, believes the 1977-1978 Axemen “were a better team than the one that had won nationals the year before,” and just might be the best men's basketball team ever to wear Acadia colours.