Sammy Egedi (left) and Brenton Toussaint (right) are the new men’s JBU basketball players. Both are versatile and can play multiple positions.
The John Brown University men’s basketball team is off to an impressive start this year. They are currently 7-3 and coming off a 93-67 win over Philander Smith, a team they had lost to just nine days prior.
The Eagles are gearing up for the start of conference play against Oklahoma City on December first. Despite losing multiple starters and key rotation pieces from last year, the Eagles have been able to adapt.
The rotation throughout the year has been fluid, with different players stepping up game-in and game-out to find what it takes to win. To be effective, JBU has shown it has the talent to play multiple different ways, scoring over 100 points in two wins and scoring 65 in another.
This team is diverse and capable–every player on the roster is ready every night to contribute.
Two key pieces to the Eagles team this year are newcomers Brenton Toussaint and Sammy Egedi. Toussaint is a freshman from Louisiana and Egedi is a junior transfer from England.
Both play pivotal roles and allow the team to play a very explosive style of play when they are on the floor.
Toussaint is an athletic 6’5” forward who can run the floor and score at the basket. Toussaint is a tough defender and a high-energy guy who has contributed in the starting lineup as well as off the bench this season.
When he comes into the game he provides athleticism on both ends of the floor and is an excellent rebounder. According to many of his teammates, Toussaint has a great attitude .
“One of my roles is just to pick up my teammates when I see them down,” Toussaint said. “If a joke I throw in can get them in a good mindset I’m all about it.”
Egedi is a versatile player who can play either the guard or the forward position. He has the ability to create really good matchups for his team, taking bigger defenders off the dribble and bullying smaller matchups inside.
Egedi is another high-energy player the Eagles benefit from. Every play Egedi is involved in can easily turn into a highlight reel, such as the impressive block he had in the toilet paper game. Egedi’s athleticism adds another dimension to JBU’s style of play.
The combination of Egedi and Toussaint allows JBU to overwhelm opponents with an explosive attack.
“His athleticism really adds a lot to our team,” Brandon Joseph, point guard for the Eagles, said about Egedi. “He is a great finisher at the rim and plays great defense. He gives us the ability to space other teams out because he can take opposing forwards off the dribble.”
If JBU is going to continue their winning streak as they enter conference play, Toussaint and Egedi will no doubt be key pieces. JBU has home games Dec. 1 against Oklahoma City and Dec. 8 against Ecclesia.