The Carleton men’s basketball team won their 18th consecutive House-Laughton tournament on Oct. 14. However, concerns about work ethic and leadership remain.
Despite beating the University of Guelph Gryphons, the University of Victoria Vikes and the Concordia University Stingers, head coach Dave Smart said his team made “a lot of mistakes” defensively but got better by the third game against Concordia.
In their opening 92-66 win against Guelph, Smart said his team was outworked for “80 per cent” of the game.
“It’s a little frustrating because we’ve been through this with this group for over a year,” he said. “We’re talented. We don’t practice like the teams we’ve had in the past and on nights like that, it shows.”
Carleton’s performance wasn’t any better as they beat the Vikes the following night 72-55 after Victoria outscored them by two in the second half.
“I’m glad we got the win but as a team, we didn’t bring it up to the standard we’re held to and that’s why the game was closer than we wanted it to be,” tournament MVP Munis Tutu said. He also noted the team hasn’t played well for a full game since August.
The Ravens beat the Stingers 92-62 after a close first half but the players and Smart reiterated the focus on improving work ethic in practice.
“I think it comes within the team room,” Smart said. “When we had [former Raptors 905 and Ravens guard Kaza Kajami-Keane], our practices were something.”
Fifth-year forward Mitch Wood said it’s up to him and the veterans to ramp up the intensity. Tutu added while they’re competing against some of the top players in the country in practice, “some of the guys aren’t being as competitive and it translates into games.”
The players said finding leadership and accountability is the key to changing that.
“As the leaders of the team, we got to demand it from our teammates and coach Dave can’t be the one every practice demanding it from us,” Tutu said. “We have to demand it from each other and that’s where it’s going to start.”
“Everyone has a voice right now and I think we need to have some core leaders and core seniors to do what the team needs,” Wood added.
Third-year forward Eddie Ekiyor said the followers are responsible as well.
“I think we’re growing as a team, we’re trying to build relationships and our leaders are doing the best they can [but] we got to be there with them, work hard as a team and build better relationships,” he added.
Smart stressed while the changes are a long-term thing, players can also take initiative in the short term. He pointed out how fourth-year point guard Yasiin Joseph reached out to him, unprompted, after the Victoria game to talk about what he could do better.
“So, when you tell him stuff, he responds and you see the result,” Smart said. “The big thing is, you got to decide you need to make changes.”
Smart also highlighted that leadership means “you got to lead to win and not lead to be liked”—which some players still have to learn.
“These guys like to talk about leadership with guys they know well,” he said. “Good leaders—people don’t always like them. Those guys are super nice to us, but they’re not leaders. Kaza Keane, he’s a leader.”
When asked about who could develop into that leader in the future, Smart pointed to tournament all-star and fourth-year forward, Marcus Anderson.
“I think Marcus has a shot because he doesn’t care if he’s liked,” he said.
Photo by Lauren Hicks
