Lockdown defender to don Caper orange

Lockdown defender to don Caper orange

Guard Amanda Cruickshank brings experience to floor

By Corey LeBlanc

Amanda Cruickshank – a student-athlete of few words – lets her performance on the hardwood do the talking.

The veteran guard from Montreal plans to have plenty to say when she dons Caper orange as a member of the Cape Breton University (CBU) women's basketball program this fall.

"I believe that CBU is the best place for me," the 20-year-old offers.

No stranger to playing at an elite level – she was a member of the Dawson College Blues that captured bronze at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship tournament in 2023 – Cruickshank plans to bring that experience to the perennial Atlantic University Sports (AUS) contenders.

"I have always loved how it is fast-paced – how much is going on at one time," she says of how the sport caught her attention as a youngster.

Basketball was also a family tradition, with Cruickshank following in the footsteps of her older brother, Dylan.

"I am not sure," she says, with a laugh, when asked when she realized she could have a future in the game.

By the time she reached high school, Cruickshank was hitting the hardwood more frequently, at a higher level, and with many more talented players.

Not surprisingly, when asked about the strengths of her game, the lockdown defender started with one word: defense.

"I think it is my best attribute," she offers.

Getting back to continuing her collegiate career in Cape Breton, Cruickshank explains that she took her time in making her decision.

"I knew how important it was, so I wanted to make the right one," she adds.

Her first visit to Atlantic Canada, which came earlier this year – a traditional campus visit as part of the varsity athlete recruiting process – helped cement her choice.

"Everyone made me feel so welcome – the people were so nice," Cruickshank remembers.

Her new head coach – Fabian McKenzie – calls her a "tremendous student-athlete."

"Amanda is a high achiever on the court and in the classroom, which is very important to us. We were looking for a guard that could come in and impact our team immediately," he says.

As for what she has to do to prepare for her first AUS campaign, McKenzie adds, "She will need to learn our style of play and what we expect from our players on the court, but she has all the tools to be successful."

Describing her as "dynamic," the veteran Caper mentor has the ability "to knock down perimeter shots, attack the basket and apply great defensive pressure."

In the classroom, Cruickshank had enrolled in CBU's Bachelor of Business Administration program in the Shannon School of Business on the Sydney campus.

"I am not sure yet what I want to do," she says of her career plans.

Cruickshank notes she is looking forward to her first AUS training camp, donning Caper orange and taking the court for the first time as a Caper.

"It is going to be a lot of fun."

McKenzie says Cruickshank should make an impact on his program from day one.

"I expect her to be an immediate contributor on both ends of the court."

-30-