"Just put my name in there with a pronunciation key and ask people never to call me ‘Q' again," Amauris (ä-mau-de) Quezada teased. Like everything he says, the remark, directed at a Tufts community — including its PA announcers in Cousens Gym — that repeatedly pronounces his name wrong, was laced with sarcasm.
But all sarcasm aside, Quezada, a junior guard on the men's basketball team, is having a quintessential breakout year. And it's been a quick turnaround. Quezada scored just nine points in the four games he entered last season, and he admits that, frustrated with a lack of playing time, he considered leaving the team.
But with his teammates' support and assurance from his coaches that if he put in the work the minutes would come, Quezada returned this year with a vengeance.
The result has been a huge 2010-11 regular season in which Quezada has averaged 11 points in 23.6 minutes per game, dished out 63 assists and swiped a league-leading 65 steals — 23 more than the second-place finisher. Add to that list two NESCAC Player of the Week honors and the team's first trip to the playoffs in four years, and it's fair to say that Quezada has earned the right to crack a few jokes.
"The major difference in why I've played better this year as opposed to the last two seasons is that before, the coaches and I were never on the same page," Quezada said. "I finally realized I was never going to win that battle, so I just did what they asked and it paid off."
Quezada has transformed from a liability into one of the team's leaders and has become respected by his coaches and teammates alike.
"I think he's practiced on a higher level all year," Assistant Coach Matt Malone said. "He's been a little bit more serious about his business day in and day out. … He's become a better leader for us."
Quezada's new leadership role has been a long time in the making. Quezada was the first of four siblings born in the United States after his family left the Dominican Republic for New York City. There, he developed a love of basketball by playing with his father and brothers and in amateur leagues in the city.
But he admits it wasn't until high school that he focused his passion on the sport.
"I played [junior varsity] baseball for a year and used to patrol the outfield, [as well as] football and some intramural tennis," he said. "I basically did it all. I lifted a lot of weights. But going into high school, [basketball] was my main sport. I was very, very, very good."
With his intention to pursue basketball in mind, Quezada joined a high school placement program that his Amateur Athletic Union team was starting in hopes of a better education outside the city public school system. Coach Seth Eilberg from The Hill School in Pottstown, Penn., took an interest in the young player. Quezada transferred to Hill in the fall of 2004 and repeated his freshman year.
Eilberg, who was an assistant coach at Tufts from 1999-2001, watched Quezada develop into an aggressive ball defender and a skilled shooter, so skilled that he suggested that his young guard and his former employer would be a good match.
"We knew we needed a guard in his class and he was a kid that, when he was going about his business in the right way, was one of the better players on the court," Malone said.
When Quezada joined the Tufts roster in 2009, the Tufts coaches knew that they were taking a risk on a player known for his hot temper. But Quezada's talent was seductive.
"[Eilberg] said, ‘You're going to battle with him everyday' … but he's different than anyone else we have in quickness in both defense and in terms of getting to the rim," Malone said.
It has taken until this season for Quezada's talent to finally be put on display. As a freshman, he saw limited playing time, his minutes only slightly increased due to an injury to then-sophomore Matt Galvin. The team struggled, falling to the bottom of the NESCAC standings as tensions grew between Quezada and the coaching staff, as well as between him and some of the players.
The next fall, Quezada grew accustomed to even more time on the bench as Galvin came back healthy and newly recruited guard Alex Goldfarb stepped in. Again the season fell out from under the Jumbos as they dropped into last place, while Quezada questioned his future with the team.
"As far as getting psyched up for games, for me it was hard to do that every day last year," Quezada said. "Honestly, I would get more excited for practice where I had a chance to play against some of the dudes who played ahead of me. … I feel like the last two years has almost been like trying to survive the season without having too terrible a record."
But this season has been different in almost every way. The Jumbos boast a winning record (13-11), one of the deepest rosters in program history and the No. 5 seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament, in which their first game this Saturday is against a very beatable Trinity squad.
Quezada has played a considerable role in transforming the Jumbos into contenders.
"[His] attitude this year has been so much more positive than the last couple years," said junior tri-captain James Long, a two-year roommate of Quezada's. "It's hard losing, and we all struggled with that a little bit. This year, I think he's made some adjustments and it's paid off — he's finally getting those minutes, and he's playing well in them."
There is consensus on the team that Quezada's contribution stems from his energy. He describes his style as "controlled chaos" — taking risks as he plays somewhat untraditional offense and aggressive on-ball defense.
"On the court, he's all about energy," Long said. "Getting steals, pushing the ball, getting to the hoop — that's what his game is about. … ‘Q' is better than anyone else on the team in creating something out of nothing, which you need to win in the NESCAC."
Off the court, Quezada continues to be one of the team's most energetic members. When he's not at practice or busy stripping the ball from every ball-handler in the NESCAC, Quezada studies International Relations with a concentration in international finance and is working toward a minor in entrepreneurial leadership studies. Still, he keeps his academic talk lighthearted.
"I want to have a ton of money and a very attractive wife," he joked. "But really, I would say that I don't know yet what I want to do, but I'm leaning towards entering investments."
Don't be fooled, though. This joker has a serious side, with a passion not only for basketball, but also for his family and his Dominican culture — at home, the Quezada family speaks only Spanish — which sparked his interest in International Relations in the first place. Quezada's maturity is key for a squad that lost many of its seniors last season.
"Coach [Bob Sheldon] was telling me the other day that the guys actually do look up to me," Quezada said. "It's kind of weird because we had so many seniors last year, [so] none of us really had any leadership before. … This is the kind of year me, James [Long] and some of the younger guys have been looking forward to for a while — to be about to step into new roles and take things in a new direction, a new culture."
And that new culture is evident. The 2010-11 Jumbos are playing great defense, scoring from all over the floor and seeing solid performances from players all over the roster. For the first time in a long time, men's basketball is having very real success in the NESCAC.
"It's an exciting time for all of us," Quezada said. "None of us on the team, even the seniors, have ever experienced it, so we are excited for the opportunity and eager to make an impression on the league."
And maybe, if he keeps putting up huge statistics, the PA announcers will finally learn how to pronounce his name.
