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24 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 Friendly competition brings out best in longtime buddies Loyola graduates Adam Presutti, Mike L'Africain recognized for stellar rookie seasons in university hoops By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLEBEAVERSTAFF Adam Presutti walked into math class on his first day at Loyola Catholic Secondary and, like most Grade 9s, he scanned the room looking for familiar faces -- a neighbour, someone from his elementary school -- before choosing his seat. He saw someone he recognized but wondered what he was doing there. Presutti's Oakville Vytis rep team had played against Mike L'Africain's Mississauga Monarchs, but he didn't know his rep rival had moved to town. "I sat down and we got talking and we ended up becoming really good friends," Presutti said. They not only shared the common bond of basketball but also a mean competitive streak. Over the next five years, Presutti and L'Africain waged many one-on-one battles in practice, constantly looking to get the upper hand. And when their workouts were over, the two would find time to try to one-up each other taking shots. "Grade 9 and 10, we got into it so much," L'Africain said. "Fights would break out. It was a love/hate thing. Anything we did turned into a competition." And that was not confined to the court. Ping-pong, soccer and video games, like Madden NFL Football, all had the potential to turn into contact sports. "It was weird at first," Presutti said, "but the connection me and Mike have on and off the court, not may people have that. Whether it's a scrimmage or whatever, we'll find something to be competitive about. We'll argue about stupid things like whose shoes are dirtier." Both agree their friendly rivalry pushed them to new heights. They formed the back court of Loyola's back-to-back provincial silver medalist teams, with L'Africain at point guard and Presutti at shooting guard. Once they moved on to university, both not only started in their first season, they also thrived. Presutti, having made the move to point guard where he believes he'll have a better opportunity to play professionally in Europe, played a teamhigh 27.5 minutes per game for the McMaster Marauders. L'Africain averaged more than 30 minutes per game for the University of Ottawa GeeGees. Earlier this month, Presutti and L'Africain swept the Ontario University of Athletics (OUA) West and East Division rookie-of-the-year awards, respectively. And last week, Presutti added the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy as the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) top rookie. The 19-year-old Presutti scored 11.6 points per game, averaged 3.6 rebounds and finished eighth in the OUA with 4.0 assists per game. The 6-foot-2 freshman also finished eighth in the OUA in free-throw percentage (84.5). Presutti said switching positions gave him a greater appreciation for his former teammate's game. "As a point guard, I learned a lot from him," Presutti said. "You don't always notice the little things he does. He's got such a good feel for the game." Among L'Africain's strengths, Presutti said, are knowing STEVEN DER-GARABEDIAN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER: Former Loyola Hawks backcourt teammates Adam Presutti (left) and Mike L'Africain were recently honoured for their solid freshman seasons in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) basketball. Presutti received the OUA West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rookie-of-the-year awards, while L'Africain was named the top rookie of the OUA East. when to drive and being able to bring the ball back out and reset when a play doesn't develop as planned. L'Africain averaged 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the GeeGees. And though he's always considered himself more of a passer, he finished among the top 10 in the OUA in three-point shooting percentage (46.3 per cent) and the top 15 in field-goal percentage (51.5 per cent). The 6-foot-1 guard, who joined Presutti on the CIS allrookie team, said he may not have even made it to university without his high school back-court partner. While initially concerned with matching Presutti's work ethic on the court, L'Africain soon wanted to compete in other areas as well. "I didn't always put my best effort into school," the 19-year-old said, "but then I started wondering, `What did he get on that test?'" It didn't take long for the friends to meet again as McMaster played Ottawa on the second day of the OUA season. Presutti had 13 points to L'Africain's seven as Mac won 73-69. The former teammates feel they have come a long way since then. "After high school, you think you're so ready and then as soon as you get there, it's a reality check. Physically, I wasn't there and even mentally, it's a whole new game," L'Africain said. "I feel like through the year, I got smarter and tougher but I'm still not anywhere near where I want to be defensively." Presutti said he improved in the second half of the season as he got used to the rotations and the speed and intensity of the game. Neither player will be resting on their rookie laurels, though. "You still want to get better and better," Presutti said. "Anyone that's competitive, that's what they want." They also wouldn't mind adding some hardware for their teams after both teams finished second in their divisions this season. Ottawa (13-9) was edged by Ryerson in the OUA quarter-finals and Mac (17-5) was eliminated one round later in the semis by the Carleton Ravens, who went on to win the provincial and national titles. Presutti and L'Africain now have their sights set on helping their teams achieve that level of success. But no matter who gets there first, each will be happy for the other's success. "At the end of the day, we have a lot of respect for each other," Presutti said. "There are times I'm going to win and times he's going to win. It's what motivates us. It's how we keep focused."