Cassidy becomes a role player for basketball Kings
Andrew Cassidy has the perfect mentality to play the role of a role player with the RDC Kings.
Cassidy started several games during the Alberta Colleges Men’s Basketball League season, but also was more than willing to come in off the bench.
“It doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m playing, helping the team and having fun,” said the 20-year-old second-year guard from Moose Jaw.
Kings head coach Craig Behan feels comfortable moving the six-foot-three Cassidy around.
“You’re always concerned how guys will handle starting and then coming in off the bench, but Andrew has the perfect mind set to do that. He’s good at recognizing how he’s playing and what role he fits into.”
For the most part Cassidy fits into a defensive role.
“That’s my strength,” he said.
“He’s a defensive guy who can run forever,” added Behan.
“He’s a guy who works his butt off and is getting better and better.”
Cassidy isn’t expected to lead the team in scoring, but averages 5.19 points per game along with 2.75 rebounds.
He does lead the team in three-point shooting with a 47.8 percent average.
“It’s always nice to score, I think everyone enjoys that, but personally I don’t mind if I’m not one of the top scorers,” he said.
“My role is defence first and I’m just happy to be on the floor.”
Cassidy, who plays most on the wing, will need to be counted on this weekend as the Kings host the Lethbridge College Kodiaks in a doubleheader.
The Kings sit second in the ACAC’s South Division with a 12-4 record with Lethbridge at 11-5.
“It is a big weekend no matter how you cut it,” said Behan. “We both want to finish second and get home court advantage (in the playoffs).”
The team finishing second will likely host Lakeland in a best-of-three quarter-final series while the third place finisher will meet either MacEwan or Concordia.
“It would definitely be nice to host the playoffs, so this weekend is big, but the main thing for us is to continue to get better as a team,” said Cassidy, who felt comfortable coming onto camp this season.
“Being my second year I knew what to expect and had a lot more confidence than last year,” he said.
Cassidy, who is taking kinesiology, will be back next season, but first things first, and that’s looking at making a long run in the playoffs.
Last season the Kings ran into a string of injuries late in the season and lost to Concordia in the quarter-finals.
“That was disappointing, but you can’t do much about injuries,” said Cassidy.
“But this year we want to turn the page and make sure we’re playing our best.”
The Kings go into the weekend healthy for the first time in two weeks as Billy McNutt has recovered from a hip injury and Randy Davis is over a bout of the ‘flu.
The Queens tip off action both Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. with the men to follow.
• If the hockey Queens hope to finish third in the standings this week is big for them.
The fourth-place RDC squad faces the last-place Mount Royal College Cougars in a home-and-home series while the MacEwan Griffins, who are one point up on the Queens, take on the league-leading University of Calgary in a twin bill.
The Queens, 8-8-2, host the Cougars, 4-13-1, Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Arena with the teams meeting Friday in Calgary.
Both teams have four games remaining.
• The volleyball squads finish off their regular schedule with a doubleheader in Lethbridge Friday and Saturday.
The Queens have clinched first place in the South Division with a 17-1 record while the Kings will wrap up third place ahead of SAIT with at least a split.
• Volleyball dominated the Booster Juice RDC athlete of the week voting.
Right side hitter Mitch Irvine, who had 34 kills, two blocks, eight aces and 19 digs as the Kings split a doubleheader against Briercrest, took the top male award while libero Robyn Brouwer received honours on the women’s side.
Brouwer finished with 25 digs as the Queens swept the two-match series against Briercrest.
Contact Danny Rode at drode@reddeeradvocate.com
