When Justin Shaver was in Grade 8, he wanted to quit playing basketball. Although he had played the game since he was six years old, Shaver said he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue with it.
“It got to a point where it was too much and it wasn’t something I really wanted to do,” he said.
Now, nearly five years later, Shaver has committed to join the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team next season. Shaver said Ravens head coach Dave Smart played a key role in keeping him on the court.
“[Smart] was amazing,” said the 6’6”, 230-pound power forward, who committed to the Ravens in December. “He convinced me to stay and just play, not even for his club team or anything, but just to play in general. Basketball started again and then I went with it even more.”
Shaver said Smart, who is the president of the Ottawa Guardsmen basketball club that Shaver has played for since the end of Grade 8, showed interest in recruiting him after that point.
“It was very professional, very straightforward and very supportive,” Shaver said of the recruiting process.
While the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks, the Ryerson University Rams and the St. Francis Xavier X-men were also interested in recruiting him, Shaver said choosing Carleton afforded him a number of benefits.
“It’s close to home,” said Shaver, who attended Nepean High School for four years before transferring to John McCrae Secondary School last fall. “It’s always nice to stay close to family.”
“I knew the guys a lot,” he added. “I kind of grew up with them. I’ve been playing with [fourth-year guards] Elliot [Thompson] and Cole [Hobin] since I was in Grade 9. It was like I was already in the system without being in the system.”
Despite being ranked the 10th best Canadian high school recruit by Flagrant Fouls, a scouting website, in January, Smart said Shaver still has to refine some skills.
“He’s got a lot of things that he’s got to keep working on,” Smart said. “But he’s tough, he handles the ball pretty well, he passes it pretty well, [and] he shoots it okay. He doesn’t have a whole lot of major weaknesses, but he’s got to refine some of his skills.”
“Short-term, his abilities to cover the post position and rebound will be the biggest impacts he has,” Smart added.
Shaver said he is looking to “make an impact right away” on the team, but he needs to work on his physical strength and mental toughness in order to be an effective player.
“[I want] to come in and work hard and set a tempo for some of the other first-year guys,” he said.
That shouldn’t be a problem, according to Corey Chaplin, Shaver’s head coach at John McCrae. He said Shaver has been a leader for the John McCrae Bulldogs all season.
“He has really stepped in and tried to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible and helps other players reach their potential and beyond,” Chaplin said. “He is always willing to do the dirty work, the hustle, the diving, and just tries to lead by example.”
Shaver said he is averaging roughly 25 points and over 10 rebounds per game this season.
“Talent-wise, he’s going to be able to run with anyone,” Chaplin added.
Shaver will finish out his fifth year of high school basketball with the Bulldogs before joining what he said will be his “home away from home,” the Ravens.
“Basketball is just something I fell in love with,” said Shaver. “The look of the game, the style of the game… it just drew me in and I took off with it.”
And now, according to Smart, “he’s got a chance to be special.”
