How did you get started in basketball?
My soccer buddy started a basketball team in Grade 5 and that’s initially what got me into [it] … My parents focused on me trying every single sport so when I was growing up, I did baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, track … [Soccer] was my favourite sport all the way up until Grade 11/12.
Why did you pursue basketball over soccer?
I got a good opportunity with Camosun [College] … I always figured I could go back to playing soccer … My parents told me ‘do what you please,’ … Soccer helped me a ton with basketball, basketball helped me a ton with soccer; it gives you the ability to think [how] the game works and [with] your footwork.
What is your favourite part about the sport?
The IQ … different strategies and little nuances of knowing how the opposition plays and knowing how your teammates play … Another one is the pace of basketball, I like how fast up and down it is. Soccer is fast paced too, but there’s also a lot of slow, low moments in the game. But basketball is quite constantly fast-paced, which I do really enjoy.
What have you learned from your coaches as a player that you take with you when you coach younger kids?
Teaching core principles, whether that is work ethic or being a team leader or whatever it is I think Joe [Enevoldson], Grant [Campbell], Noah [Nickel], Sly [Sylvester Appiah], Matt [Guynup], all those guys really preach core principles and it is something I think about a lot and something I try and pass on … We always talk about [that], at the university level, it shouldn’t be a skill for someone to work hard, that’s the bare minimum right?
Speed round! Would you rather fight one bear-sized duck or ten duck-sized bears?
I would probably go with one bear-sized duck because apart from the beak, [there’s] nothing else [to worry about] really.
Sunrises or sunsets?
Sunsets, I don’t like waking up early.
What does it mean for you to be a Cascade?
Being bought in for the overall success of the group and wanting each of your teammates to strive and succeed, I think that would be the one pinnacle thing that comes up in my head.
Would you rather have one slug chase you for the rest of your life or suffer through one month of 100,000 slugs chasing you? Importantly, if the slug touches you, you turn into a slug for the rest of your life.
One month of 100,000 slugs … if I lock in for one month, it can’t be as bad as every single day for the rest of my life thinking about this one slug.
If you could teleport, where would you go first?
I’d probably go to Japan … get a big bowl of ramen, that’s like my go-to, and it’s so good over there.
What is your pre- and post-game ritual?
[Pre-game] I usually always nap for sure … I do my own stretching, get myself ready, but not a ton of superstitious stuff … I don’t want to put headphones in because then I feel like no one can talk to me … [Post-game,] especially when my parents were here, we would go to Browns. I get the same thing every time, a burger and caesar salad. And then I’ll always watch the game we just played and I’ll watch either Camosun’s game, because they play at the same time, and watch all my buddies on that team, or I’ll watch the game [of] the next team we play.
And finally, what’s next for you after UFV?
I’m gonna coach U16 and U18 [basketball]. We have a few good club teams [in Victoria] and I’ll be coaching one of them, I’m really excited … I picked up running just as a competitive thing to do and it keeps me busy, so I’ve been running a lot. I don’t really enjoy it … but I’m doing [a] 10K in Victoria at the end of the month, and then probably a half marathon in May.
Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
