“I’m going to work hard, hit the gym and finish rehab. Whatever the doctor says, I am going to do, and hopefully it all works out,” says Jeremy Settimi, shooting guard for the Niagara Knights men’s basketball team. Related story on page 13. Photo by Bernard Cooper

The Niagara Knights men’s basketball had a glitch in their season when 6’5” guard Jeremy Settimi went down on Dec. 21. 

Settimi had been healthy during his tenure with the Knights, but after injuring his right knee during an exhibition game on Oct. 8 against the Durham College Lords, of Oshawa, things changed.

Settimi had been given the go-ahead to resume playing basketball, but during the Sheridan College Invitational, in Oakville, his season came to an abrupt stop. “It happened in practice,” says Settimi.

“I went up to catch a pass and it popped out on the way up and when I came down on it, it tore up a whole bunch of stuff.” Settimi had to go under the knife for re-constructive knee surgery. The third-year forward has been one of the best and most consistent players for the Knights, which is why he was a team co-captain. In six regular season games he managed to average 13 points per game and remains in the top five in assists.

Clearly the Knights are going to have to get creative to find ways to make up for the lost production. “The injury to Jeremy has been a big hit,” says Co-captain Lamar Grant. “He was our most versatile player. He could play a guard or forward position. There isn’t a guy on our team that can do that, though some of us are being forced to because of the loss of Jeremy.”

“Seeing one of our leaders out for the season definitely changes things for us,” says forward Jake Stika. After playing an important role in the Knights’ bronze medal last season, Settimi came into the 2009-10 season with high expectations of himself and his teammates.

“I was hoping to get to the OCAA and have the chance to win a gold medal,” says Settimi. “Also to go to nationals this year-it was a team goal. Despite missing this season, he still believes the Knights are a good team and have a chance to make a big splash in the Ontario College Athletic Association playoffs.

“Now that we have Arny [N’Kindu] and Chris [Bauslaugh] back, we were always a contender, but those guys just add to the team and help us out,” says Settimi. “Now that I’m out the guys will have to step up, like Lamar Grant, he will put the team on his back and he’ll take them.”

The Knights will need to the entire team to fill in the spots that Settimi would normally play. “I wouldn’t necessarily single out any particular player to fill Jeremy’s role, but rather by committee we can pull together and fill that void,” says Stika.

“Our style was due to change with our early season struggles anyways, so I’m not sure as to how much of a catalyst his loss was. But definitely we can pull together and find ways to win.”

The rest of the year until the beginning of next season will be about getting healthy for Settimi. Rehab is still four to six months away, but he is itching to get back in the gym and get healthy. “I’m going to work hard, hit the gym and finish rehab.

Whatever the doctor says I am going to do, and, hopefully, it all works out.” Settimi will be returning to Niagara College in September to finish his program in Recreation and Leisure Service and to make a comeback with the Knights. Post-graduation, basketball seems to be high on the priority list.

Whether that is playing professionally overseas or taking a coaching job, it’s in his future. “I am going to keep playing; hopefully, I can stay healthy and everything will work out the way I want it to.”