Basketball X-Men primed for AUS title run this weekend

White and Blue shooting for first conference banner since 2006

By Corey LeBlanc

It would be easy to understand why Justin Andrew doubted he would ever take to the hardwood at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax again, at least while wearing his beloved White and Blue.

In the now more than two-year period since the COVID-19 global pandemic started to put its vice grip on this part of the world, it not only shelved the 2020-2021 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) men's basketball season, but also left this one – highlighted by cancellations and abbreviated schedules – equally as uncertain.

"It is a blessing – one that I want our team to take advantage of," the fifth-year guard says of playing in the 2022 Subway AUS Men's Basketball Championships this weekend.

Andrew wants to add to his many memorable moments at that venue, including his first year-end tournament for conference supremacy, one in which the then freshman sharpshooter burst onto the scene with a stellar scoring effort.

"I am going to enjoy every moment," Andrew – one of the X-Men leaders, on and off court – adds.

The Hamilton native is encouraging his teammates to do the same.

"It goes by really fast, and you never know when – and if – you will get back there," Andrew offers of the opportunity to capture an AUS banner.

As for what he is telling the X-Men, when it comes to handling such a "crazy atmosphere," one with thousands of fans and supporters – not to mention plenty of noise, Andrew shares advice he received from his former head coach – the legendary Steve Konchalski.

"Don't look in the stands," the veteran student-athlete remembers, explaining that lessens the possibility of being distracted from the task at hand – winning a basketball game.

Considering several of the X-Men have limited or no experience on the AUS championship stage, head coach Tyrell Vernon says having Andrews' background to lean on is "huge for us."

"Justin will be able to help us calm down – show everyone the ropes," he adds.

Starting to click

Andrew has not only led by example in his final varsity season, but also served as a key contributor on the stat sheet.

With 16.5 points per game – tops on the team and seventh in the conference – the Bachelor of Arts student led a quartet of X-Men scorers in double digits on the regular season. His 264 points, including a conference-best 42 three-pointers, placed him fourth in the AUS. Andrew finished in the same top-10 spot in free-throw percentage (85.7).  

Andrew also dished out 56 assists, which tied for fourth in the AUS with teammate – and another Hamilton product – Antoine Vernon, along with 3.4 rebounds per game, while he tied for second place in steals (28).

His effort helped key a second-place finish in the regular season – at 10-6 – only trailing the defending champion Dalhousie Tigers (12-2).

"I think we were able to click as a unit, even with the delays," Andrew offers, when asked about the X-Men's performance.

Vernon says, "All in all, I think it has been successful."

Considering the upheaval over the past two years or so – challenges faced by every program amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic – he adds, "We knew it was going to take a while to get where we wanted to be, and we know that we still have work to do."

Vernon explains that the X-Men have focussed on "playing defense at a high level," which has fed their goal of "getting into transition."

"When we do that, we have been able get into a fast place and play downhill basketball," he says.

An approach that is also conducive for "sharing the basketball," which Vernon notes is a key to success for the X-Men.

Andrew adds, "We are playing at our best, when we are locked in defensively," which feeds their dangerous offense.

When the second-seeded White and Blue take the court on Thursday – at 8:30 p.m. – versus the UNB Reds (#7), the focus will continue to be on doing well what has fostered – as Vernon describes – "growing at a steady incline" this season.

As part of a team effort, he says they will need strong play from their "bigger minutes" players.

The X head coach expects Andrew and Antoine Vernon – his younger brother, who has played on big stages with the Division 1 Oregon State Beavers of the NCAA – to provide leadership, along with their statistical contributions.

"We need him to be all over the place," he says of athletic first-year forward David Muenkat (Brampton, ON), who finished third in the AUS, with 9.6 rebounds per game, while chipping in 13.8 points.

Antigonish native Dondre Reddick, who averaged 13.4 points and seven rebounds (fifth in the AUS), has "really come into his own," according to Vernon.

Rounding out the important quintet is sophomore guard Avan Nava (Mississauga, ON) – the AUS top rookie in 2020 – who averaged 14.6 points per game.

"We need them to come up big for us," Vernon says.

Noting the importance of tuning out the distractions found at the AUS championship tournament, Vernon – who also has first-hand experience, as an X-Men guard – stresses how key it is to be "locked in mentally."

He adds that the White and Blue will have to be ready to compete physically and "give it our all."

"It is all about focusing on the task and getting the job done," Vernon says.

The last X-Men conference championship came in 2006, which put the bow on the second of two three-peats over a seven-year period, an era of dominance that included back-to-back national – the CIS – championship victories (2000 and 2001).

"We have to come in with the mindset that we are going to win an AUS championship," Andrew says.

-30-