The unrecognized men

Posted by admin on Feb 17, 2009 in Sports | 0 comments

Throughout the 2008-2009 Spartan Men’s basketball season, players and fans have been a part of a major turnaround that has seen them become the 10th-ranked team in Canada. However, with the new breath of life within the Spartan community, there are three men that have gone widely unrecognized. These three men are not in uniform; they wear suits on game days. You may see them regularly training in the gym. You may see their faces everyday; some of us sit beside them in our classes, while others ask “who?” Their names are Tonner Jackson, Morgan Hayduk and Calvin Westbrook.

While red shirts are common in all CIS divisions, they one day become players, and if the Trinity Western University basketball program is to continue its record and winning season, these three men will be front and centre for the next three to four years.

Tonner Jackson, whose major is undecided, played high school basketball at White Rock Christian Academy. As a dominating force in his elementary and high school programs, Jackson was looking for a university where he could receive an education and still be a part of high-level basketball.

Enter TWU coach Scott Allen. Throughout Jackson’s final year in high school, Allen kept in close contact with Jackson, who received several basketball opportunities in the southern U.S., as well as others in Canada.

“Scott scouted and talked to me a lot more than other coaches across North America; I felt a strong feeling that he believed in me,” Jackson noted.

Allen was right. After entering TWU last fall, Jackson has already developed into a dynamic red-shirt that promises TWU’s strong presence down low for years to come.

Jackson wants five national championships – one ring for each finger – and also hopes to be the CIS Rookie of the Year next season.

Jackson has also developed a strong relationship with fellow red shirt Morgan Hayduk.

Hayduk played his high school basketball at Pitt Meadows High. He fell in love with the game in grade seven playing with a coach under whom Hayduk excelled. Entering into his freshman season at TWU, Hayduk was not scouted to play at Trinity Western.

“I literally showed up and spent a lot of time at the gym. I wanted to get noticed,” he said.

And noticed he was. Allen heard about Hayduk’s talent around the gym and asked him to join the team.
Hayduk has developed an excellent training work ethic while with the Spartans. He also loves practice. “I learn a lot from the guys on the team while trying to push them to become better players and not allow them to get lazy. It’s a give-take relationship, and I am taking a lot.”

Hayduk is a political science major, who one day would like to go to law school. While he has no interest in playing professionally, Hayduk badly wants a national championship. Hayduk’s main goal this season is to contribute on or off the court and has his eyes set on a starting guard position in the near future as a Spartan.

Both of these men, along with Westbrook, who was unreachable for comment, but will be featured in the next Mars’ Hill issue, will ensure that TWU’s basketball program remains strong for years to come. After all, after a season like this for the Spartans, both players have developed great habits and have the passion to win. These men will soon be recognized.