One must have the next man up mentality in sports because you never know when your number has been called.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) lost nine of its players from last year due to graduations, opt-outs or injuries. They needed sophomore forward Ethan Menzies to be the next man up for the Mavericks, and he has done exactly that.
Menzies averaged 5.9 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game in his freshman campaign.
He is CMU’s leading scorer and rebounder this season with 16.9 points per game and seven and a half rebounds per game. His 16.9 points per game gives him the ninth-best scoring mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
He set his career-high in points against Adams State University with 32 points. Menzies set his career-high in rebounds with 12 on Jan. 29 against Fort Lewis College.
Menzies said that the game has slowed down for him in his sophomore campaign which has allowed him to see driving lanes and open teammates better.
Menzies worked on his footwork and outside shooting in the offseason to try and make himself more of a threat offensively.
“Everyone I play against is my size too, so it’s not only just using my size, but using my footwork. That’s one of the things I worked on a lot in the offseason because if I can gain advantages with my feet, I don’t have to rely on my size as much,” Menzies said.
His offseason work has shown this season as Menzies is shooting 41.7% from behind the arc this season. The Half Moon Bay, Calif. native is shooting 59.7% from the floor.
“I would say probably the biggest job technical about it is that he has a tendency to play more straight up and down. Anytime we can get him to be in a more athletic base situation, he just gets the ball in better spots, he’s physically better able to handle the physicality and the pace of college basketball when he plays lower to the ground,” Head Coach Mike DeGeorge said.
Menzies’ improved footwork hasn’t just shown on offense either. Defensively, he has had to guard every position on the floor, but his footwork has allowed him to keep up with guards in pick and roll situations.
His six-foot-seven-inch frame has allowed him to lead the Mavericks in blocks with 11. Menzies has compiled 11 steals on the season which gives him CMU’s third-best mark.
Menzies also needed to become more of a leader for CMU as they brought in six freshmen this year. He has led the freshman by showing them what is needed from everyone on the roster to win an RMAC Championship.
“Our freshmen are great. I mean they listen to all of us no matter who it is. They are all willing to get better, so it’s definitely been easy for me to coach them and teach them the right things to do,” Menzies said.
The Mavericks are 11-0 and Menzies has played a huge role in CMU’s hot start.
CMU’s next game is Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. against South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, S.D.
