Beyond the Scoreboard

Leadership does not always begin with a blank page.

Sometimes you inherit history, expectations, relationships, standards, and even success that somebody else helped build before you arrived.

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I begin with 1 Corinthians 3:10–11, where Paul writes that one person may lay a foundation and another may build on it — but each person must be careful how they build, because the true foundation is Jesus Christ.

From there, I explore leadership as stewardship before turning to U SPORTS basketball. Calgary raised last season’s Canada West championship banner before facing Saskatchewan, creating a powerful picture of what it means to inherit success and then become responsible for what comes next. Saskatchewan won 66–59, while Calgary’s effort, rebounding, shooting, and turnover problems told a deeper story about the difference between competing hard and controlling a game.

On the men’s side, Queen’s survived Ottawa 77–76 while Carleton dominated Algoma 82–44, setting up an intriguing matchup between two teams arriving through very different experiences.

Respect what came before you. Understand what you inherited. Add something meaningful. And be careful how you build.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

What does wise leadership actually look like when responsibility becomes real?

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I begin with Proverbs 24:3–4 and the idea that strong things are not built by accident. Whether we are talking about relationships, families, classrooms, organizations, or basketball teams, wisdom, understanding, trust, and responsibility all matter.

From there, I connect that leadership principle to last night’s U SPORTS basketball. On the women’s side, I break down Trinity Western’s 76–67 win over UBC and the contrast I saw in preparation, substitutions, timeout management, and in-game decision-making. On the men’s side, UBC escaped with a 79–76 win, but I still came away with concerns about their offensive structure, defensive purpose, and reliance on individual creation.

I also look ahead briefly to today’s U SPORTS schedule, including Calgary–Saskatchewan, Queen’s–Ottawa, Carleton–Algoma, and the games setting up tomorrow’s key matchups.

Talent gives you pieces. Wisdom determines what you build with them.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

Culture is one of the most common words in coaching, but eventually it has to become more than something we say.

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I begin with 1 John 3:18: “Let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.” From there, I look at what culture really means in a basketball program, why its foundation can be established immediately, and why the years that follow should be about proving, reinforcing, and living those values.

Culture is not something a coach should have to keep selling every day. The mission, standards, and expectations should be clear. What matters is whether they become visible through accountability, player development, leadership, recruiting, relationships, and daily behavior.

I also briefly touch on the latest U SPORTS results and upcoming games before asking a larger coaching question:

Are we building culture, or are we sometimes using the language of culture to avoid examining our own work?

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

Not every great player changes a game in the same way.

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I begin with 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 and the reminder that there are different gifts, different forms of service, and different ways people contribute. That message carries directly into coaching, where one of our responsibilities is recognizing what each player does well and helping those strengths serve the team.

From there, we turn to U SPORTS basketball and several individual performances connected to the games we are already watching this weekend.

On the women’s side, the focus includes Myriam Kone vs. Tayler Scott, with Hailey Franco-DeRyck as a major rebounding factor; Katrina Renon vs. Abany Deng; and Maya Flindall vs. Kourtney Oss.

On the men’s side, Augustas Brazdeikis vs. Jakub Dobiech gives us physical production against elite efficiency, while Aubrey Dorey-Havens and Deng Majak show two completely different ways of controlling possessions.

The question is not simply who scores the most.

Which player’s particular gift changes the game the most?

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

Some games do more than add another win or loss to the schedule. They reveal who a team really is when comfort disappears.

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I preview four matchups that can tell us something meaningful about the teams involved. On the women’s side, McMaster and TMU meet in a battle between two of the strongest teams in the country, Carleton gets a major test against No. 1 Queen’s, and Calgary hosts Saskatchewan for a two-game series that could become as much about coaching adjustments as talent.

On the men’s side, the focus is Carleton against Queen’s, where Queen’s offensive efficiency will be tested against Carleton’s size, physicality, and ability to disrupt rhythm.

The episode is built around Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Strong competition does not simply threaten your record. It exposes habits, decision-making, discipline, and whether your identity still holds when the game becomes uncomfortable.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

Rankings can look simple until you start asking better questions.

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I reveal my latest women’s and men’s U SPORTS Top 8 rankings, but the conversation goes far beyond wins and losses. I look at the basketball itself: rosters, experience, style of play, offensive and defensive identity, quality of competition, recent results, and most importantly, which teams I trust most right now.

On the women’s side, Queen’s remains at No. 1, while McMaster, TMU, Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to build very different cases near the top. On the men’s side, UBC moves to No. 1, with Queen’s, Dalhousie, Victoria and StFX all close behind.

John 7:24 provides the foundation for the episode: “Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” For coaches, that means learning to look beyond the obvious—whether we are evaluating a player, a team, a result, or even ourselves.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

What is leadership actually for?

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I begin with Mark 10:43–45, where Jesus says that whoever wants to become great should become a servant.

That idea becomes the foundation for a broader conversation about coaching, ambition, responsibility, character, and what it means to lead people well.

I also break down the opening weekend of U SPORTS basketball.

On the women’s side, UNB showed consistency, Saint Mary’s strengthened its case with a strong defensive result, Carleton responded well after a difficult Friday, and StFX now has an offensive question to solve. Queen’s and Alberta both produced dominant results, but the bigger question is what teams are actually developing once the competitive gap becomes obvious.

On the men’s side, StFX gave us the strongest confirmation of its preseason profile, Winnipeg strengthened its position, Carleton handled its opening weekend professionally, and Calgary showed concerns on both ends of the floor. Dalhousie and TMU remain teams that need more evidence before stronger conclusions can be made.

The larger question throughout the episode is simple:

Leadership is not only about where you are going. It is about what you do with the responsibility you already have.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

Opening night did exactly what competition is supposed to do: it challenged assumptions.

Some teams confirmed what their preseason suggested. Others immediately exposed weaknesses that had already been visible. And several large-margin wins raised a different coaching question: what is the responsibility of a team once the competitive outcome is no longer really in doubt?

In this episode, I keep the women’s and men’s competitions separate and focus on the stories that actually matter.

On the women’s side, TMU and McMaster both opened with dominant wins, Alberta continued its strong exhibition form, Carleton was pushed much harder than expected, and Saint Mary’s enters an important early AUS test.

On the men’s side, Acadia’s win over Dalhousie changes the conversation immediately, Laurier exposes the same offensive concerns we identified with TMU, Winnipeg strengthens its early national case, and Calgary continues to show serious defensive warning signs.

The episode is framed by Philippians 2:3–4 and the idea that humility matters in both winning and losing.

Losing tests how you respond to reality. Dominating tests what you do with control.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

What makes a player truly valuable?

Is it points per game? Efficiency? Rebounding? Playmaking? Defense? Winning? Or some combination of all of them?

In this episode of Beyond the Scoreboard, I look at the early U SPORTS MVP conversation by selecting one player to watch from each conference on both the women’s and men’s sides. The goal is not to declare an MVP in October. It is to identify the early cases, the questions behind them, and what these players may tell us about the conference races ahead.

The women’s discussion features Maya Flindall of Saskatchewan, Katrina Renon of Queen’s, Amy Roy of Laval and Kylee Speedy of UNB. On the men’s side, the focus turns to Kato Jaro of Winnipeg, Jakub Dobiech of Queen’s, Ba-Amara Djame of Concordia and Glen Cox of Dalhousie.

The episode also begins with a personal question my son asked me: Why do you love basketball so much?

That leads into 1 Corinthians 16:14:

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

For me, basketball has become more than a game. It has become one of the places where I understand calling, service, generosity and the opportunity to love people through coaching and teaching.

And maybe value in basketball works the same way.

The most valuable player is not always the player who receives the most attention. Sometimes value is found in what a player gives to everyone around them.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.

The preseason is over. Tomorrow, the regular season begins.

This episode looks ahead to opening weekend in U SPORTS basketball, with the women’s and men’s competitions discussed separately. The focus is not on pretending every matchup is evenly balanced. Most of the nationally relevant teams are playing opponents they should beat.

The real question is what those wins should look like.

On the women’s side, TMU, McMaster, UNB and Carleton all enter opening weekend with different expectations. TMU needs greater offensive efficiency, McMaster has a chance to validate its outstanding preseason shooting, while UNB and Carleton begin the year carrying significant national-ranking expectations.

On the men’s side, Dalhousie gets its first chance to answer being left outside the official Top 10, StFX begins league play with one of the strongest statistical profiles in the country, TMU faces a potentially competitive road test at Laurier, and No. 2 Carleton begins with two games it should control.

The episode is framed by James 1:22:
“But be doers of the word, and not only hearers.”

Preseason was preparation. Now preparation has to become execution.

Faith. Coaching. Basketball.