BY CASSIDY GARRETT
Eze Andrews, a fourth-year forward for the SCAD basketball team, was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Florida Sun Conference on Feb.28 at Northwood University in Florida.
At 6 feet 7 inches, Andrews is a film and television student from West Orange, N.J. Growing up, he dreamed of becoming an astronaut until he realized the amount of math it required. Andrews expects to graduate in the fall but he plans to focus on basketball and continue to play for several more years to “fulfill [his] passion for the sport as well as a few childhood goals [he] set for [him]self.”
During the off-season, he hopes to land an internship to gain work experience and network in his job field as he prepares to own and manage his own production company that will focus on independent projects. Andrews came to SCAD in his second year after being recruited to play basketball.
“I was immediately enthused by the idea of being able to play basketball and be an artist at the same time. I’ve always considered myself a right and left-brainer, and my time at SCAD has allowed me to do so,” said Andrews.
The Florida Sun Conference awards banquet in which he received his award, Andrews stated was “a bittersweet experience. He said it would have been more rewarding if [the] team were there … but I was honored and humbled by the respect I received from the players and coaches of the opposing teams.”
Andrews’ involvement with the Bees resulted in a fourth-place finish in conference play this season. Averaging 13.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds, he also holds the record for blocked shots with 169 total, 70 of which came from this season. This was also Andrews’ second consecutive year on the all-conference team.
Cazzie Russell has coached Andrews for his entire SCAD career. Not only does Russell teach basketball fundamentals, he also educates the men of the importance of a constructive and controlled character. Andrews’ best game this season was against Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He said he was “in the zone,” as he felt mentally and physically prepared. Andrews has been hooked on basketball since seeing Michael Jordan play a number of years ago. Allen Iverson is another idol that has influenced Andrews and helped shape him into a driven athlete. He states that basketball is what molded him into his competitive yet fun, character.
As his SCAD career nears its end, Andrews has thought back on his earlier years when he would spend the entire summer’s day playing basketball at the playground until he could barely walk back home. “That fed my competitive nature and kept me motivated, because the longer you stayed on the court, the more respect you earned from the dozens of players who had no choice but to be spectators, because waiting to go next was a long chore.”
