2026 ACAC Men's Basketball Players of the Year
Edmonton, AB (March 4, 2026) –
NORTH MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, TALEH WADE:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Taleh Wade of the Lakeland Rustlers has been selected as the 2026 ACAC Men’s Basketball North Division Player of the Year.
In his first season with the program, the fourth year point guard has made an immediate mark. He was among the league leaders in points per game all season, finishing third with 20.5, while also averaging roughly 2 assists and 4 rebounds per game. Six times Wade scored 24 points or more and three times he scored 27 points or more, while also playing just as hard on the defensive end.
“He’s an impact player that can score in bunches,” Head Coach Sheray Thomas said. “He’s meant a lot to the team with his smart game play and he’s a game changer when he gets going.”
Taleh Wade hails from North Little Rock, Arkansas and is in his fourth year of eligibility, Enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program at Lakeland College.
This prestigious award was recognized at the 2026 ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship hosted by Lakeland College in Lloydminster, AB.
SOUTH MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, MARCUS MASTERS:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Marcus Masters of the SAIT Trojans has been selected as the 2026 ACAC South Division Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.
Masters, who led the ACAC South Division with 428 points (20.4 points per game), becomes the first player from the South to win the award twice since its inception in 2005, first taking home the honour back in 2023. The fifth-year guard finished his final season by becoming the ACAC’s new leader in three-point shots made (278), surpassing the previous record of 258. He also becomes just the third player in ACAC history to reach 1,800 career points - finishing with exactly that amount in just 83 ACAC regular season games dating back to the 2021-22 season.
The product of Kitchener, Ont., led his Trojans to a perfect 21-0 regular season record, which also sets a new ACAC record for most wins in an undefeated season.
“Marcus has always been a lead-by-example type of player who has let his actions speak louder than his words, but that changed this year. His vocal leadership this season has played a large part in our team finishing the regular season unbeaten,” said Trojans assistant coach, Pat Troy. “While he has shown time and again he is an elite offensive player, Marcus has also shown a willingness to sacrifice his body on the defensive side of the ball - leading our team in charges taken this year. That commitment to do what it takes to win is why he has the respect of his coaches and teammates.”
Masters, who was also named an ACAC South Division First Team All-Conference selection for the fourth time, is studying Marketing at SAIT.
As the No. 1 seed in the South, SAIT will open the ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship on Thursday against the North Division’s fourth-ranked Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder in a 3pm quarter-final matchup at host Lakeland College.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2026 ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship hosted by Lakeland College in Lloydminster, Alta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Emily Peterson, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
emilyp@acac.ab.ca