Completing unfinished business on the court

Two Newfoundland Growlers who became ‘brothers’ on the court offer up veteran presence

Inside the old Memorial University in St. John’s, old is new again.

It’s training camp for the Newfoundland Growlers, one of the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s newest franchises, and there are two players taking part who have been here before.

‘Here,’ in this case, is playing basketball in St. John’s.

Veterans Junior Cadougan and Shaquille Keith were both in St. John’s with the Edge for the 2018-2019 season of the National Basketball League of Canada.

Cadougan suited up for 45 games that season, while Keith came on late and got into 16 before an injury derailed his playoffs with the club.

During that time, the pair became friends, and prior to the start of this CEBL season they had decided to play together somewhere this summer.

“I mean, Cadougan is a brother to me. He’s been a veteran to me, since I was younger, and obviously he’s been around the game,” said Keith. “That’s all we kept talking about: that St. John’s season when we were here back in 2019 together.”

When the news broke that St. John’s was getting a Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) franchise, the stars aligned for the former teammates.

“Once the CBEL announced that St. John was having a team, it was a no-brainer,” said Cadougan. “I kept it to myself, but the whole time, in my heart, I knew I was coming back.”

Cadougan signed first, and shortly after, Keith put his name on the dotted line. They were running it back.

While they were eager to return to St. John’s, basketball fans in the city were just as excited to have them back.

Keith has been getting messages from fans on his social media platforms showing him love and letting him know how much they’re looking forward to watching them play, which only made his decision easier.

“I think once we finally get out there and get this thing moving, I think it’s going to be great for the community. And for myself, I can’t wait to get back out there and play in front of fans,” said Keith.

The fan support helped make St. John’s special for both Cadougan and Keith. It was a passionate fanbase, and they’re excited to show them an exciting brand of basketball. The team, they say, is going to give it everything they have on the court.

“We’re just going to come and work hard and hopefully get better every day,” said Cadougan.

While basketball is at the top of every player’s list this season, it isn’t everything.

The last time Cadougan played in St. John’s, it was during the winter. He’s looking forward to seeing more of the city and surrounding area this summer, and may even play tour guide a little bit for his teammates who haven’t been here yet.

“It’s summertime, so I’m going to go do a lot of stuff. Before, it was too cold,” said Cadougan.

“I think once we finally get out there and get this thing moving, I think it’s going to be great for the community. And for myself, I can’t wait to get back out there and play in front of fans.” Shaquille Keith

‘VETERAN MENTALITY’

Both Cadougan and Keith have been around the block when it comes to basketball in Canada.

In the CEBL, Cadougan has played with the Ottawa Blackjacks and the Fraser Valley Bandits, while Keith has suited up with the Bandits, the Blackjacks, the Saskatchewan Rattlers and the Hamilton Honey Badgers.

They’re bringing that experience to St. John’s.

“It’s just bringing that veteran mentality to the game,” says Keith, noting that the Growlers are a younger team.

“It’s just installing that mentality of just grit and getting to business. That’s the biggest thing about it. It’s just keeping the mindframe sharp.”

Their former St. John’s Edge team was painstakingly close to winning it all in the 2019 playoffs, falling to the Moncton Magic in the finals.

For Keith, getting the chance to finish something that started back with his time with the Edge was another big factor.

“This is my chance to kind of give myself another opportunity to get back to that place and finish the job,” he said.