Hamilton Honey Badgers rookie guard Keevan Veinot has been a pleasant surprise this season in his first exposure to professional basketball. The results foreshadow a long career of success to follow his final U SPORTS season coming up at Dalhousie University.

  The 22-year-old CEBL U Sports Development player transitioned to professional basketball gracefully, and has become a solid option on offence for Hamilton. His ability to shoot the three-ball coupled with his high basketball IQ, allowed him to be part of the for four games this season before a lower body injury incurred July 15 sidelined him for three games.

  Veinot, Hamilton's first round pick in the 2021 CEBL U Sports Draft, found himself playing limited minutes in the first four games of the season, but then he took off in game five. He posted a career-high 19 points July 5 against the Guelph Nighthawks; and Honey Badgers head coach Ryan Schmidt couldnt have been more impressed.

  "What I like the most is that he was aggressive, regardless if his shot going in, I just like the fact he was looking for his shot and he wasn't being passive," Schmidt said.

  Veinot is currently shooting a blistering 56% from beyond the arc, and he is averaging 8.1 points a game. Three-point shooting is something that the native of Port Williams, NS has been working hard to improve.

  "When I came into that game on July 5 against Guelph my shot was feeling good," he said. "One of my key focuses this summer is to develop a more sound three point shot."

  Schmidt says that throughout training camp Veinot was the most consistent shooter on the team and his numbers this season fit that narrative. The shooting is what earned Veinot a spot playing in the rotation, but it's been his understanding of the game that's kept him in it.

"He's finding his spots because he understands our concepts probably as well as anybody on this team, and it allows him to find those open shots," said Schmidt.

  Following three successful seasons with Dalhousie University, Veinot seems to have adjusted well to the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

  In Hamilton's third meeting against Guelph Veinot recorded his season high 21 points, including back-to-back three pointers late in the third quarter that pushed the Honey Badgers in front of the Nighthawks where they would stay for another victory.

  Hamilton's opponents focus their defensive attention on Lindell Wigginton, the team's candidate for the CEBL Player of the Year Award. That requires others in pinstripes to step up and provides opportunities for players such as Veinot to play a pivotal role in the offence. 

  As the Honey Badgers head down the home stretch fighting for playoff positioning, look for the return of Veinot to be an important factor in determining the team's chances of getting back to the CEBL's Championship Weekend for third consecutive season.