By Joe Budzelek
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| Photo Credit: Quinn DiFiore/Marist Athletics |
Following a career-high 27-point performance in an 82–74 road win against Bryant last night—highlighted by a 23-point offensive explosion in the second half—Marist sophomore guard Justin Menard showcased not only his growing impact, but also his comfort as one of the Red Foxes’ most relied-upon guards on both sides of the floor.
In fact, over the past four games, the Iona transfer recorded a career-high 11 assists in Marist’s previous home game against Manhattan, while also matching his prior career-high of 17 points in a home win over Lehigh. During that stretch, Menard is averaging 15.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.
While Menard is just beginning to scratch the surface of his offensive potential, his former head coach at Iona, Tobin Anderson—now an assistant coach at South Florida—is unsurprised by how quickly the Higganum, Connecticut native is making an impact in his new surroundings.
“Justin is the complete package as a player and person,” says Anderson. “He brings a competitive edge to everything he does, and he’s all about the team and team success. Obviously, he can really shoot it, but he can also really pass and has a great feel for the game. He’s had some great high school and AAU coaches along the way, but his dad, Anthony, is a great coach who got him started with a lot of what we see in him today. A lot of what Justin does is instinctual—seeing the open floor and making the right play. I’m excited for him that he’s having early success at Marist.”
At Iona, Menard finished his freshman season as the fourth-most efficient offensive player in the MAAC, according to KenPom. However, his offensive responsibilities were often limited, as he frequently played a complementary role on the perimeter while sharing the floor with interior playmakers Adam Njie and Dae Dae Reaves.
“My game has grown a lot since getting to college,” says Menard. “First of all, my defense made tremendous strides while playing under Tobin Anderson at Iona. He really made me understand how important it is to guard, and he taught me how to use my hands and help the team defensively.”
Now at Marist—a program that has often lacked consistent offensive playmaking, particularly in the backcourt—Menard, along with graduate transfer Rhyjon Blackwell, has complemented the interior play of returning guards Jadin Collins-Roberts and Elijah Lewis with confident facilitating and true three-level scoring. That balance was sorely missed after Josh Pascarelli transferred to Colorado State.
Menard has embraced the added responsibility and is beginning to thrive in the spotlight.
“Since getting to Marist, I’ve grown more comfortable becoming a three-level scorer to go along with my playmaking ability,” Menard reflects. “What excited me about coming to Marist was the winning culture they had here. Coming off two very good seasons and knowing they had the pieces to be a MAAC title contender was very important to me.”
Over the past few seasons, Marist’s backcourt often had to mix and match lineups based on matchups. This year, however, the Red Foxes’ current quartet of guards has been rock-solid, accounting for the team’s four leading scorers while also anchoring what has become one of the most feared defenses in the conference.
Marist is still searching for its first NCAA Tournament berth since joining the MAAC, but as one of the league’s most impressive squads, Justin Menard is a major reason for the optimism in Poughkeepsie.
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