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MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Jeff Kovalik-Plouffe at the Lord Roberts Community Centre outdoor courts where he spent a lot of time during his youth. U of W assistant basketball coach Jeff Kovalik-Plouffe is a walking medical miracle. Since 2003, the 41-year-old Winnipeg has endured ulcerative colitis, a bout of encephalitis , a liver transplant and most recently, a diagnosis of stage 3 colon cancer, just as the Wesmen were preparing for their first game at the national men’s championship tournament. Currently undergoing post-operative chemotherapy, he vows he will be back on the bench when the Wesmen start the 2024-25 season. 240530 - Thursday, May 30, 2024.