Victor Raso is setting out to be a different kind of leader. It is all part of his plan to carve out a niche for himself on the Ravens basketball team, full of seasoned veterans and leaders.
“You have to lead in different ways. My way of leading and the way I plan to carve out my niche is to support the vets—the leaders on this team who have been leaders for a while,” Raso said.
He is a former team captain, and had the uncommon perspective of playing against his current team when he was a member of the McMaster Marauders, an experience he said was “no fun.”
It is an experience that came with him to Raven’s training camp.
“My first couple weeks here, it felt like I was playing against Carleton every single day of practice,” he said.
Raso credited his father and previous head coach of the Marauders, Joe Raso, for developing in him a mentality of discipline and hard work.
“I grew up watching my dad coach and he coaches the same way I play basketball—always prepare as hard as you possibly can, competing all the time . . . so that’s what I plan on bringing to this team,” he said.
Raso has already asserted himself and let his eagerness show in pre-season action.
Against the Syracuse University Orange, a perennial National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I contender, Raso banked 27 minutes on the court and was good for six points.
Ravens assistant coach Rob Smart said Raso is adapting to the team.
“Quickness wise he’s got a bit of work to do but strength wise and toughness wise, you can see, he’s battling guys probably 50 pounds heavier [and] he holds his own,” Smart said.
Raso’s efforts to work with the team have not gone unnoticed.
“He has definitely fit in well. He’s one of the hardest workers, he never has off days, [and] it seems he’s always bringing maximum effort. He’s the type of player Carleton usually [finds] so it has been a good fit,” Raso’s teammate Thomas Scrubb said.
So far Raso said he has been impressed with his new home.
“You play with talented guys all the time but you never play with talented guys who play team basketball this much. I can’t say enough about them,” he said.
Smart said he is confident that this will be a healthy relationship from here on out.
“Once he gets comfortable, he’s going to do a lot for us,” Smart said.
