Scott Hastie
The Silhouette
When the buzzer sounded at the end of the McMaster-Carleton Final Four matchup, something bigger than a basketball game had ended. Cam Michaud, team captain and veteran forward from Grimsby, Ontario had played his final game as a Marauder.
After four years as a member of the basketball program at McMaster, Michaud hangs it up, retiring after what he called his favourite year playing basketball for the university.
“It was different than before, we were more of a family,” said Michaud of his most recent season. The rookies coming in were great. They made me have a good time for my last year.”
A second team OUA all-star last season, Michaud had a major impact whenever he stepped on the Burridge Gym hardwood, averaging 12.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. His consistency is something the team relied upon heavily, and his leadership, especially with such a young team, was a key to this year’s OUA Final Four run.
Michaud’s durability – highlighted by playing in 22 games and starting in 21 – aided the team in keeping that consistency. He also gave praise to current teammates and expects them to fill his shoes in terms of leadership in the coming years.
When asked about the future of this team, the veteran forward was very optimistic, pointing to both the recruits coming in and the current first-years the team has as evidence of the Marauders’ ability to build off the success of the 2011-2012 campaign.
“The goal was Final Four this year,” said Michaud. “I’m hoping that next year they win the Wilson Cup and then compete for the National Championship.”
With CIS Rookie of the Year Adam Presutti and other stand out young players, the ceiling is high for this team and Michaud spoke about what the squad needs to do to take that next step.
“We’ve got to bring intensity,” said the captain. “We have to play 40 minutes of basketball and we will do really well if we can.”
The future is bright and it’s unfortunate for the fans, teammates, and the coaching staff to see one of the vital pieces walk away.
Michaud was quick to answer when asked about coming back to watch his teammates in action next year and said he will certainly be back in the Burridge Gym stands to take in Marauder basketball.
“I’ll definitely be around,” exclaimed Michaud. “I can’t fully cut myself off right away. It’s going to be tough for sure. That was four years of my life.”
Through even a brief conversation with the forward, his passion for the sport and the school is obvious and admirable.
As he walks away from the Marauders, it was important to find out what McMaster’s no. 22 will miss the most. Michaud spoke about the importance of being a member of McMaster athletics and what it meant to be a part of that community.
“This was pretty much my second family,” said Michaud of his fellow Marauder athletes. “For four years I spent everyday with these guys. I lived with a couple of them, and I’m going to miss hanging out with them in the change rooms all the time.”
Michaud also gave compliments to the coaches for their support of the players and thanked them for always being there to have their back.
For parting words, Michaud emphasized his gratitude towards the coaches he played under and the teammates who played with him during his career in the Maroon and Grey. McMaster is losing one of its finest players, who could always be counted on the bring his utmost effort on every game night. Michaud was a player who brought his teammates up and lead by example, and his leadership brought the team an eight-game winning streak at the end of the season.
The forward will be sorely missed by the Marauders, and McMaster faithful can only hope that a leader of Michaud’s stature can be moulded from the returning line up of the Maroon and Grey.
It wasn't the prettiest day on court for Aaron Redpath, but the rookie guard scrapped his way to 21 points and led the Marauders past the Windsor Lancers on Feb. 25. With the 77-67 victory on home court, Mac moves into the OUA Final Four hosted at Waterloo and will play a conference semifinal on Mar. 2.
The 10-point margin of victory in the Saturday afternoon quarterfinal flatters McMaster, after what was a hotly-contested playoff match which came down to the wire. High percentage shooting for the Marauders was the order of the day, and allowed the home side to stay one step ahead of a Lancer team that was dominating the glass for much of the contest.
Hitting for over 50% in the opening quarter, Mac led 15-12 despite strong play from the Lancers' Lien Phillip. That trend continued in the second frame, as the Marauders used the fast break effectively to find easy looks, and were consistently finding the net with the short range jumper.
The hosts suffered a spate of turnovers in the second quarter which threatened to overturn their lead, but when rookie point guard Adam Presutti notched a gutsy pull-up jumper to end the opening half, the Marauders clung to a 37-34 lead.
McMaster's young backcourt duo of Redpath and Presutti were pacing the Maroon and Grey's attack at the break, with the former leading the way with 10 points, while the latter had yet to miss a shot of any kind and had nine points of his own.
An uninspired offensive start to the second half and a dominant rebounding effort from the Lancers saw McMaster slip behind in the third quarter, but the hosts would level the match at 51 by the end of the period when Joe Rocca drained a textbook triple off of a Presutti bounce pass.
A 7-0 run from the Marauders put them back into the driver's seat to open the fourth frame, but once again, Windsor would claw back to within striking distance. Five consecutive points from the Lancers' Rotimi Osuntola Jr. brought the visitors within a point at 63-62, with 4:15 remaining in the quarterfinal match.
Despite a technical foul, the Lancers would take a 67-66 with two minutes remaining, but would not score another point in the dying stages. Rocca retook the lead for the Marauders with a miraculous dribble drive and lay-in, before Cam Michaud added two of his own on a finger roll to make it a three point game with 1:14 remaining.
With the game still in reach, the Lancers put the final nail in their own coffin, succumbing to the Marauders' pressure defense. Managing a steal at half court, the hosts found Redpath on the break and the rookie found the lay-up and a foul on the play. After the rookie drained the extra point, the Marauders led 73-67 with only a minute on the clock. It was a purely academic exercise from there.
Redpath was easily the man of the match with 21 points, 13 of those coming from the charity stripe. The rookie guard consistently caused havoc on the drive, and his 15 attempts from the line speak to his effectiveness in challenging Windsor's defenders. Cam Michaud and Joe Rocca each added 15 points of their own in the win, while first-year point guard Adam Presutti had nine points and a team-high six assists.
Converting 26 of their 55 attempts from the field, the Marauders shot an impressive 47.3% over the course of four quarters.
With the win, McMaster awaits the outcomes of tonight's other OUA quarterfinals to determine their opponent on Mar. 2 in Waterloo.
