RISING STAR FEATURE: DAVID MUENKAT

Rookie forward David Muenkat is learning a lot from his stint with the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

A star at St. Francis Xavier University, Muenkat isn’t taking this opportunity to play professional basketball for granted.

He hopes to bring what he is learning from this experience back to his school in the upcoming 2022-23 U Sports campaign. And he understands just how this could help him and his teammates when he returns to St. FX later this October.

“From the pace of the game, the intensity that these people play with, and the focus that they play with, is going to help me,” said the 2022 CEBL U Sports Draft first overall pick in a sit-down interview.

There is a reason why Scarborough picked Muenkat as its first overall selection. He is the main man on St. FX and is one of the top players in all of U Sports.

During the 2021-22 Atlanta University Sport (AUS) season, Muenkat averaged 13.8 points and 9.6 rebounds, while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. He is second on the team in scoring and third in the entire AUS in rebounds per game.

However, Muenkat finds himself in a different role with the CEBL’s first-ever franchise in the Greater Toronto Area.

“It's what comes with being a rookie,” said the six-foot-seven forward. “I have so much to learn. You think you know everything, but you don't. Just waiting my turn, being patient, and doing the role that’s been asked of me to 100 percent of my ability.”

Muenkat has earned the trust of head coach Chris Exilus, who sees his constant hard work and dedication in practice every single day.

“He’s taken advantage of the opportunity to give us great minutes,” Exilus said. “He’s a great young kid playing hard every day, practicing, coming in with lunch pail every day, you could see it.”

Muenkat saw an uptick in playing time as the season progressed. He appeared in 16 games this 2022 CEBL season, averaging 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in a little over 11 minutes per contest.

In their game against the Hamilton Honey Badgers on July 14, Muenkat put on his best performance yet.

Albeit the loss, the Toronto, Ont. native posted 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and added eight rebounds and two steals. He had a couple of thunderous throwdowns, including a putback dunk that sent a buzz in the air among the FirstOntario Centre crowd in Hamilton.

As each game goes, it’s clear that Muenkat is getting more comfortable with the environment in the CEBL. He noted several differences in the professional ranks compared to college.

“It’s a lot more hours into your craft. You got from 1 PM to 6 PM, we're here — that consists of weight room, film, on-court stuff, and then you got to get your own shots up and stuff.”

Being aware of multiple positions. Because at this level, you're not tied down to one singular position, like you could be thrown in a different spot anytime.”

Prior to St. FX, Muenkat went to the United States to play college ball. He spent two years in Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado before going to play Division 1 hoops at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

However, things didn’t go the way he wanted due to the pandemic and other factors. Nonetheless, he acknowledged how everything he went through has led him to where he is now — back home playing in Canada.

“I think this year that I had proved that I'm headed in the right direction.”