Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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CAVALIER CORNER: Your father played basketball at Dayton and then profession- ally overseas. In what way or ways might he have influ- enced you both from an ath- letic and personal standpoint? SHAYOK: "He was an amazing influence. He pretty much put the ball in our hands [Marial has two brothers and one sister]. He gave us an ap- preciation for the game and the meaning of hard work. "At a young age I fell in love with basketball. On and off the court he taught me how to take care of my business, especially my schoolwork." CAVALIER CORNER: You played in the 2012 Nike Global Challenge in Wash- ington, D.C., and the 2012 Under-17 World Champion- ships in Lithuania. Please give me an idea of what it was like playing against elite players from around the world? SHAYOK: "It was great. You get to see different skill sets from other countries. It was really competitive. "You learn a lot from how hard they play. It was cool to see that style. It was awe- some to play for my country [Canada]." CAVALIER CORNER: Last season, Virginia reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995 before losing to Syracuse. Since Malcolm Brogdon, Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey graduated, what do you feel you're capable of doing in order to help over- come the loss of this trio? SHAYOK: "I think I have the opportunity to grow as a player and I learned from other players. They taught the new guys the ways of our pro- gram. "I worked hard over the summer in order to provide help for my team at both ends of the floor." CAVALIER CORNER: In the same vein the preseason coaches' poll ranked Virginia seventh in the country. De- spite the loss of Brogdon, Gill and Tobey why do you feel the team is capable of living up to such a high ranking? SHAYOK: "Honestly, I'm not too worried about the ranking. A lot can change during the season. We have to be the best we can be and develop our own identity. "Wherever we end up being ranked, I'll be happy as long as we give it our all." — Mike Scandura