Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Jesse Trussler is just in his second season with the MacEwan Griffins men's basketball team, but he's already showing the type of veteran poise that has some seeing future coach potential.
Like his own bench boss, Mike Connolly, who made that very observation during a first semester road trip.
"Mike actually came up to me in Langley and said, 'I hope you're planning on being a coach because I can just tell you see the game that way.' " said Trussler, a Psychology major at MacEwan who does have designs on one day stepping behind a U SPORTS bench.
Added Connolly: "The reason why I said he should be a coach is yes, he sees the floor very well, but he also has the character. He's a leader. He leads the team.
"He's just in his second year with us. We've only had a short time since the spring working together but he's improved so much. His work and dedication to the team is unsurpassed. Those are the signs when you put other people before you that you'd make a good coach and good leader."
In a way, a point guard is like a coach on the floor – directing traffic and leading the offensive attack. Trussler is seeing important minutes for the Griffins off the bench in the 2019-20 Canada West season (19.0 per game so far) as he continues his transformation from green freshman to veteran leader.
He leads MacEwan (0-8) into the first action of the second semester this weekend as they host Manitoba (7-1) on Friday (8 p.m.) and Saturday (7 p.m., both games David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV presented by Co-op).
"The game feels a lot slower this year," said Trussler. "I think that's the main thing. That first year at that next level, it's really fast. I think it's a lot slower for me now.
"I lost a bit of weight. I feel a bit quicker and I've just worked on everything … just trying to get a little bit better every day."
So far, he's chipped in 4.8 points, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals a game. Modest but important numbers that point to his importance within a team concept.
"I think what he's doing is he's starting to play better within his limitations," said Connolly. "He's not trying to do too much. He's just doing what he can.
"So, he's playing within himself and therefore making himself that much better."
Trussler grew up playing basketball since age 5 in Regina, helping Campbell Collegiate win a Saskatchewan provincial title with current Griffins teammate Luke Harold.
He also played four years in the Team Saskatchewan provincial program before being recruited to NAIA school William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa where he redshirted for a year before coming to MacEwan.
"I learned how mean you have to play," he said of the American hoops experience. "They get after it down there. It's not about like being nice. You just have to play mean.
"I took a lot," he continued. "I learned how to take criticism. My coach down there just got after guys, especially younger guys. I know some young guys struggle with it here, but I just try to tell them 'just take it, you can't take it personally.' "
Like many others on the Griffins, Trussler has won many games in his basketball career, which gives him hope the wins will eventually come at MacEwan, too. The Griffins are still searching for their first victory of the 2019-20 season but are confident it's only a matter of time.
"We just have to stick with it," said Trussler. "I think we all believe there's just going to be a turning point and eventually all the tough times are going to be worth it. We're going to get there."
To prepare for the second semester lid-lifter against the Bisons, the Griffins travelled to Victoria last weekend for a pair of exhibition matches. They lost 71-57 and 81-72, but outscored the Vikes in two of the four halves, just not in the same game.
"The Victoria trip was a good trip to play against a quality team that physical, so we had to learn to compete right away, which we did," said Connolly. "It wasn't the result we wanted, but we're more worried about the process.
"We know who we are, we know where we are, and we've just got to continue to worry about the process and getting better every day. That's going to pay off and all of a sudden, we're going to go on a run. It could be this term, it could be next term, but when we do that's when you're going to see things about to change."
