McGill Tribune

Sports

Eleven years ago, Sean Anthony was crouched on a starting block of a well-worn track in Vancouver, waiting for the crack of the starting gun.

"I had tons of energy [as a kid]," Anthony recalled. "My mom had to do something about that, so she made me run."

Fast forward to 2009, and the same energetic kid sits beneath the nameplate of his locker in the McGill Redmen basketball team's changing room, discussing the game-tape compilations he must send to officials from the Philippine Basketball Association in less than a month. Seventh-grade track is a distant memory.

A 6-foot-4, 200-pound forward out of St. George's High School in Vancouver, Anthony has been the face of McGill basketball for about as long as most current McGill students can remember. However, it would have been difficult to predict this type of future success for the lanky adolescent running with a small track club a decade ago.

"Before eighth grade I didn't go to a school that had any sort of sports [program]," said Anthony. "In eighth grade I moved to St. George's-a top athletic school-tried out for the basketball team, made it, and just started playing."

Success came quickly for Anthony who, by his senior year, was being pursued by a wide range of Canadian universities. Matt Davies, an assistant under former Redmen Head Coach Nevio Marzinotto, noticed Anthony at the annual HSBC Basketball Classic and offered him a recruitment package. When Anthony expressed interest, McGill acted quickly to make sure he wouldn't get away.

"Coach Marzinotto flew in from Montreal to do workouts with me and watch me play," said Anthony. "He took my mom out for lunch and dinner because he knew that [it was important] to get her approval."



From coast to coast

But immediately after receiving a commitment from Anthony, McGill's basketball program underwent a complete overhaul. Marzinotto was replaced by Craig Norman, who previously coached at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. In his first year, Anthony benefited under the tutelage of former McGill stars Denburk Reid and Derek Armstrong, but struggled to cope with the rebuilding process over the next two seasons. During the course of his collegiate career, Anthony has seen his fair share of players leave the team after only one year.

"It was a big change coming from a [high school program] where you would lose maybe two or three games all year," recalled Anthony. "There were nine rookies [on the team] during my first year [at McGill]. I'm the only one left."

Bill MacArthur joined McGill's coaching staff as an assistant coach during Anthony's freshman campaign, and has taken note of the star forward's development both on and off the court.

"It's a tough struggle for any kid playing in their first year," MacArthur said. "Sean had to adapt to a new culture [and a new setting]. But [we] could see the changes by his third year. The coaching staff has talked about this many times. We're very proud of the way Sean's matured."

In his fifth and final year of eligibility, Anthony is the unquestioned elder statesman on the team, the only player to have witnessed all of the ups and downs of the Norman era. While the other members of Anthony's recruiting class have disappeared, he believes that the group of athletes who committed to the program after his second year has an opportunity to earn national attention for McGill basketball.

"We've got Matt [Thornhill] for another two years, we've got Mike [White] and Pawel [Herra] for another two years," said Anthony. "Rookies like Greg [Gause] and Nick [Nishikawa], they're just so talented and don't even know their potential yet. People talk about how we're losing me, Moose [El-Zanaty] and [Eric] Galas … but it's just a chance for [other players] to come out of their shells and dominate."

If any McGill player can speak with authority on how to dominate games, it's Anthony. The Vancouver native has showcased his ability as an elite defensive stopper from his first game with the Red 'n' White, but has also made major strides in his offensive game each season. Anthony is currently fifth in the Quebec league in scoring with an average of 15.1 points per game, and his 7.8 rebounds per game is second-best in the conference, and 19th in the nation. He will likely move into sixth place on McGill's all-time scoring list by the end of this year-an amazing feat considering the five points per game Anthony averaged during his first year with the Redmen in 2003-2004.

"Sean has [given] an all-star performance this season," said MacArthur. "He's a captain. He leads [by example] on the court. He's a hell of an athlete."



Breaking through

This year, with marquee wins over then second-ranked Ottawa University, Concordia, and the University of Virginia-McGill's first win against an NCAA Division I opponent in 23 years-Anthony and the Redmen have clearly taken steps in the right direction.

But Anthony knows that the Redmen can't rest on their laurels. He needs to play the best basketball of his career in the coming weeks as the Redmen look to finish the season strong and hone in on a playoff berth. However, his own basketball career won't end with McGill's season. Anthony will pursue a professional career in the Philippines Basketball Association soon after graduation. Luckily for Anthony, whose mother hails from the Philippines, culture shock will not be an issue.

"When I was a kid, I'd spend all my summers in the Philippines," said Anthony. "I also hang out with the Filipinos here, so [adapting to] the culture won't be difficult."

While the culture may be familiar, Anthony understands that playing professionally will take some getting used to. In a league full of high-level local players and NCAA imports, Anthony will have to use everything he's learned in Vancouver and Montreal to succeed.

"It's another step. If I've learned anything, it's that you can never settle," remarked Anthony. "Once you think you're at the top of your game, there's always another level to get to. A lot of it [comes down to] hard work."

Once again, the kid from B.C. finds himself poised at the starting blocks, ready to sprint towards the realization of a dream. This time, though, the finish line isn't even in sight. And that's just fine with him.

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