The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

AFTER the first two weeks of the season, Shamar Burrows and the Dalhousie Tigers are nationally ranked at no.10 in Canada’s U Sports men’s basketball power rankings.

The Tigers improved to 3-1 on the season after they split a pair with the St. Mary’s Huskies last weekend and Burrows recorded his first double double of the season.

In game one, Burrows finished with 14 points on 6-11 shooting from the field and added seven rebounds, but the Tigers suffered their first loss of the season 95-87.

In game two, he finished with 10 points and a game high 11 rebounds in a dominant 94-60 win.

The Tigers began the game on a 12-2 run, but the Huskies responded on a 12-3 run of their own and eventually led 19-17 at the end of the first.

Dalhousie dominated over the course of the next two quarters when they outscored the Huskies 29-17 and 32-12 to take control for good.

Burrows is averaging 11.5 points and a team-leading eight rebounds per game thus far this season.

The 2021-22 defending champion Carleton Ravens open the season at No. 1 in the poll.

The Tigers concluded their 2021-22 season with a fifth place finish overall at the U Sports Men’s Basketball Final 8. In three Final Eight games, Burrows averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

The Dalhousie Gazette profiled Burrows’ emergence in a leadership role with the programme following the departure of its two leading scorers from last season.

He credited head coach Rick Plato’s free flowing offence for a breakout junior season.

“Coach Plato [gave] me more leeway to play the game that I like to play,” Burrows said. “Being a veteran and coming to understanding the plays more, understanding how systems work, the defensive scheme, it gave me the opportunity to actually blossom.”

Plato said Burrows has the tools to step into that leadership role as the team seeks another AUS title.

“With the loss of our key seniors [Keevan Veinot and Alex Carson], he’s [Burrows] going to have to step up,” Plato said. “Shamar is not small. He’s built like a brick shed house and he’s one of the strongest guys on the team. He’s one of our better rebounders and there’s not a stronger guard in the league than him. As a fifth-year experienced guard, he can post guys up, he can take guys to the basket.”