By Adam Pike
Edge Insider
Xavier Ford is one of the newest faces on the St. John’s Edge, but he’s no stranger to Jarryn Skeete.
The two first met at the University of Buffalo in 2012. Ford was in his sophomore year, while Skeete was a freshman. They shared a similar passion for basketball and became roommates after their first season together.
“We both liked working on our game,” said Skeete. “We’d be in the gym every morning and night. That’s really how we bonded.”
They played together for head coach Bobby Hurley and the Buffalo Bulls for three years, bringing massive success to the program.
In Ford’s senior year, the Bulls won the Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament and he was named Most Valuable Player of the MAC Tournament. The Bulls would repeat this feat the following season, which was Skeete’s senior year.
But the bond between the two went beyond the game of basketball.
Being from the west coast, Ford struggled to get home during time off in college. Instead, he would often spend holidays such as Christmas with Skeete’s family in Toronto.
“After doing that for multiple years they become your second family,” said Ford. “You become brothers.”
Things didn’t change much when Ford graduated from Buffalo. Instead of being roommates and training together, they kept in touch using technology like FaceTime and I-messaging.
“People think it’s weird, but we’ll FaceTime each other for hours of the day,” said Skeete. “We’ll sit and talk, play video games and just be ourselves.”
Ford and Skeete admit they’re a little unique. It’s not unusual to catch the two having a dance battle or showcasing their creativity through their clothing. They own many of the same shoes and often colour coordinate their outfits.
“It’s all about being outside the box with us,” said Ford. “We don’t like looking like everybody else.”
That creativity transfers to the court, where dancing helps the players stay loose and excite the crowd. Skeete describes their game as gritty with a little dose of Ric Flair. It’s a style of play that could make Ford a fellow fan favourite.
Now that the duo is reunited on the Edge, they are set on bringing a championship to St. John’s.
“We know what it takes to get the job done,” said Ford. “I think we bring a toughness and championship pedigree; a different sense of poise to this team.”
Skeete has been with the Edge since the start of the season and believes the addition of Ford will help the team as it prepares for a deep playoff run.
“We bring that winning vibe and championship chemistry to the team,” said Skeete. “We’re going to give it our best shot to help this team win.”
Early returns look promising, as Ford took home player of the game honors in wins against the Halifax Hurricanes and the London Lightning – two of the NBL Canada’s top teams.
As for the living in Newfoundland, Ford says it’s been an easy adjustment. His time spent in Buffalo has prepared him for the winter and he loves how friendly the locals are. But there’s one thing that’s going to take some getting used to – strong Newfoundland accents.
“The biggest surprise to me is the accents,” said Ford. “Almost everybody sounds Irish. I wasn’t expecting people to sound Irish in Canada.”