Steve Pound, a 1972 graduate of Acadia University, starred as a basketball Axeman for four seasons being the recipient of many individual honors as well as being an outstanding performer on the ’70-’71 Canadian Intercollegiate championship team. A native of Millinocket, Maine, and a graduate of Steams High School, the 5’9″ court general was a unanimous Eastern Maine and All-State performer during his senior high school year while leading the USA in scoring at 40 points per game as a High School All-American.
As a freshman during the fall of 1968, he became a starter for the Gib Chapman and Jim Logue-coached basketball Axemen, being quickly acknowledged for his outstanding ballhandling skills and ability to score 20 plus points per game. During the ’68-’69 season and in the midst of such talent as future Axemen Hall of Famers Brian Heaney and Rick Eaton, he starred offensively. In the Loyola Basketball Tournament, for example, he shared accolades with Eaton and Heaney as the Axemen whipped the host squad 94- 77. This dynamic trio again were the top scorers in an 85-82 victory over Loyola at the University of Waterloo championship game. Emerging as Conference champions, the Axemen were defeated in national championship play, 79- 76, by the host Windsor squad.
Steve’s sophomore season was an excellent one, culminating in his being named top male athlete at Acadia’s annual Major Fred G. Kelly Awards Night. The Axemen, winning 22 games while losing only four, captured the Annual Tip Off Tournament and the University of Waterloo Invitational with Pound being named MVP in both events. In the Bluenose Classic as the Axemen defeated MIT, 82-65, he was also selected as an all-star. Leading the Atlantic Intercollegiate Basketball Conference in scoring with a total of 262 points in twelve games for a 21.8 per game average and establishing an Acadia record of assists for one game with nineteen assists, he was named the Conference’s Most Valuable Player. To cap off a tremendous season, Steve was selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches of Canada as the only unanimous choice for All-Canadian honors.
Coming off such an outstanding season and being readily recognized as one of the nation’s top basketballers, Pound was given special attention during the ’10-’71 campaign, being double-teamed. He still shot an excellent 48.7 percent and averaged 17.4 points a game. Individual honors during his junior year included selection to all-tournament teams at such invitational tournaments hosted by Waterloo, Winnipeg and Acadia. He was named an all-star at the popular Bluenose Classic and ultimately was chosen as an all- conference performer. Concluding the season with a most impressive 30-2 record, the Axemen won the C.I.A.U. National Championship by defeating Loyola, 59-42; the University of Windsor, 84-55; and the University of Manitoba, 72-48. Chapman’s Axemen allowed an average of 48.3 points per game and one of the keys to this fine defensive effort was Steve Pound.
In his senior year as an Axeman, Steve combined with such talented performers as Gary Folker, Jon Beausang, Joey Wells, Paul Talbot and others to lead Acadia to the nationals. On February 9, 1972, the prolific scorer was accorded a standing ovation as he surpassed Brian Heaney’s career point total of 1,917. In subsequent weeks he went on to pass the 2,000 point mark.
In the opening game of the national championship round, Acadia defeated McGill, 84-67 as Pound scored 28 points. In suffering an 87-80 loss to the University of British Columbia, the Axemen received yeomen service from such as Talbot, Folker, Beausang, George Beattie and Pound, the latter scoring twenty-nine points. As a fitting tribute to a storied career, Steve concluded his final season as a basketball Axeman by being named All-Canadian and Acadia’s male athlete of the year for the second time in three years.
A science and education graduate of Acadia, Steve, following a decade as both teacher and principal in Quebec City, returned, of course, to his alma mater in 1986, being named Executive Director of the Associated Alumni. In 1995, he received his PhD from the University of Laval. For outstanding contributions to his profession, Steve was recognized by his peers in June of 1995, being the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education.
What an honor it is to present for induction to Acadia’s Sports Hall of Fame, Dr. Steve Pound, twice an intercollegiate basketball All-Canadian.
