Kashif Provides the Sweet Escape for Columbia

Every player has the talent, every team has the potential, and every coach has the will.
Assembled together, they formulate the ideal concoction—an invincible recipe with a supreme goal universally acknowledged throughout the sport. Ultimately, however, it isn’t the technique or procedure that distinguish the losers from the winners, but rather the one head that chooses to lead with his heart. Standing as one of the many pillars of foundation for the Columbia men’s basketball team is senior Kashif Sweet, who brings to the team his talents, motivation, and immeasurable heart.

Lions head coach Joe Jones is quick to sing Sweet’s praises.

“He is one of the most respected guys in the locker room,” Jones said. “He has this unbelievable work ethic and attitude. There is not a classier person.”

Originally from the sweltering south of Austin, Texas, his transition to an unmistakable New Yorker is clear with his ease in both manner and speech. When asked about traditional pre-game time rituals, Sweet isn’t hesitant to answer.

“I am kind of a boring person,” he said. “We have our pre-game meal, I go to sleep, wake up and take a shower, and then I am pretty much ready to go.”

As honest an interviewer as he may be, the truth about Sweet is that he’s anything but boring.

“He understands the game, and what we are all about from a program standpoint,” Jones said. “He is a terrific contributor, sacrificing for the better of the team, from steals to assists or critical points, he can do it all.”

Hopes were held high at the beginning of the year for both coach and player, as an abundance of veterans looked to steer potential talent in the direction of productive results.

“I knew we had a really good, experienced team with everyone returning back for our last year,” Sweet said. “We all went into the season with our eyes wide open, not knowing what to expect but wanting success.”

Sweet notes the key differences between this season and last, saying, “We have started to really look at the bigger picture with what each game really means, what each practice means, what each possession means. You can’t take one moment off.”

With the unfortunate injury to both starter and key player Patrick Foley, Sweet’s role as an energy provider and team role model has increased to its full potential, fittingly enough with this being his fourth and last season.

“It’s time to do it,” he explains emphatically. “If there is any time to do it, it’s now, whatever it is they need—the players, the coaching staff. I am there, and I am going to do it.”

Entering this season’s last critical stretch with the looming awareness of the inevitable end of an era, it is only natural that the overriding sentiment of the team has developed into that of insightful reflection.

“A lot of the seniors are starting to get sentimental with the last couple games coming up,” Sweet said. “We’ve been through hundreds and hundreds of hours of practices, road trips, and games. With it all coming to an end, it might not hit everyone at the same time, but it’s definitely started to with these last weeks. We may be a little emotional, but we are focused, with no regrets and ready for the upcoming games.”

Jones praises the recent success of the Lions, saying that his team is playing its best ball of the year.

“It is really great to see the team come together, especially from the seniors.” Jones said. “Everyone is doing what is expected of them, with continual strong defense and team spirit.”

It’s evident that the men’s basketball team has managed to find the right stuff, with the right attitude, at the right time. In the words of the teams emblematic leader and heart, Kashif Sweet: “It’s time to do it.”