It was a weekend for unlikely heroes at the annual House-Laughton Hoops Classic men’s basketball tournament Oct. 12-14 at the Ravens’ Nest.
While the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team didn’t exactly need any heroes—they won all three games by over 20 points—many of the most memorable performances came from some lesser-known players.
After a slow start to the Ravens’ third game of the weekend Oct. 12 against the Dalhousie Tigers, third-year forward Thomas Scrubb spent the better part of the third quarter hitting three-pointers, a practice that’s usually seen from his younger brother, Phil.
“I didn’t really play too well in the first half, so I didn’t really have anything to lose in the second,” Scrubb said. “After I made one shot I just started feeling good.”
Scrubb’s performance helped boost the Ravens—who were only up by 16 points at the half—to an eventual 96-62 win, giving the team their 12th straight House-Laughton title.
Of course, the regular Ravens stars made their own contributions. Forward Tyson Hinz led the team in scoring against Laval, and picked up the tournament MVP title for his efforts.
But throughout the weekend, it was the Ravens rookies who also shone on the court.
Kewyn Blain, a transfer from the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association, recorded an 18-point game during the Ravens’ 98-49 thrashing of the Queen’s Gaels, enough to lead all scorers that night. Fellow American transfer Clinton Springer-Williams also enjoyed a consistent weekend.
Blain stood out in all three games, leading the charge against the Laval Rouge et Or Oct. 13 with 11 points in the first half and making his presence known on both ends of the court against the Tigers.
Before transferring to Odessa, Blain played for the Champlain Cavaliers in the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec. He said he transferred to the U.S. in the hopes of gaining more exposure, but that Carleton will provide him with more opportunities to pursue his dream of playing professional basketball.
“Carleton is a great university and I know Dave Smart, he’s a great coach,” the 6-foot-2 guard said. “I know by coming here to Carleton I’m going to have a lot of chances to go to the next level.”
Smart runs a tight ship with his team and the transition into his system can be tough for new players. Blain said playing in the U.S. helped him prepare.
“It’s really mental,” he said. “Smart tries to get us to work on our mental [toughness], learn the plays, and we’ve got a lot of film sessions, so that’s a transition. But in the States we did the same thing so it wasn’t new for me.”
Scrubb said it’s important for the team’s younger players like Blain and Springer-Williams to take advantage of the court time they have in the preseason.
“It’s really important because they’re all really talented, but they need to get more game experience,” Scrubb said.
“Eventually they’ll be able to help us down the road and at the end of the season. They’re all really good, they’re great athletes and they’re doing better than most rookies probably would so it’s nice to see them play well.”
The Ravens have one last chance to polish up their game before the regular season starts. They’ll travel to Victoria, B.C. Oct. 19-21 for the Victoria Invitational, where the team will face the University of Victoria Vikes, the University of Alberta Golden Bears and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
The regular season starts Nov. 9 for the men’s team.
