George Washington University Athletics
Q&A with Patrick Steeves
11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
As one of seven newcomers for the men's basketball team this season, graduate student Patrick Steeves enters 2016-17 in a much different place than the six high school players who are also making their debuts as Colonials. A graduate of Harvard with a degree in applied mathematics, Steeves will be looked upon to provide leadership and experience, while making an immediate impact on the court. Though he was limited to just one season on the court with the Crimson due to injuries, Steeves should be able to do just that, after shooting 45.8 percent from 3-point range in 2015-16, when he averaged 9.1 points per game off the bench. It's Steeves' accomplishments off the court, however, which are perhaps most impressive. The native of Montreal is enrolled in the Master of Science and Business Analytics program at GW, with an eye towards consulting after his two years of eligibility with the Colonials are up.
How did you decide to study applied mathematics at Harvard?
Applied Mathematics is basically math but not so much theoretical and proofs, but literally applying it to fields like engineering, physics, economics, anything like that that can use quantitative skills. The reason I was interested was because I think it applies to a bunch of different fields. I've always been a numbers guy, I like data analytics, quantitative problems â€" so it was kind of the perfect fit.
Besides basketball, what else were you involved in on campus?
I had a couple jobs on campus and was a part of a couple groups. One of the things that Harvard did really well was making sure student-athletes were involved in other ways besides basketball and academics. I had a few on-campus jobs; I was a tutor, which I'm also going to be here. I had some random campus jobs like dorm inspections and stuff. I was also involved in some other groups, like the Freshman Year Welcoming Program, which was welcoming freshman or international students to campus.
Now that you're at GW, what have you been up to?
My schedule mainly consists of classes at around 5:00 or 7:00, practice in the afternoon, and in the mornings I just got a tutoring job with the Athletic Department. In the first month or so, I've tried to see D.C. a little bit. I've visited a couple museums, explored a couple different areas of the city, which has been great. Obviously after official practice started, things became a bit busier. My favorite thing I've seen so far is probably the Natural History Museum. I thought that was really cool, and then just walking and seeing different parts of the city. I was over near Capitol Hill, and just seeing all of the historical buildings and landmarks â€" it's a pretty cool city to just go out and walk around in.
As a student in the Master of Science and Business Analytics program, what do you hope to get out of your time at GW and where can you see yourself working once you graduate?
Basketball and school are going to be my main focus. I think, hopefully this summer after the season, I'll try and get some sort of internship probably in D.C. or somewhere else; maybe in consulting or some area like that. Mostly quantitative consulting, I've looked at economics which is more of data analysis in comparison to traditional consulting. Consulting is very broad, but for me it would be something more business related. So either some sort of management consulting that uses a lot of quantitative skills or has a big quantitative piece to it, not just power point presentations, but applying math to solve real world problems.
With practice in full swing, how would you describe the team dynamic going into the season?
I think our team dynamic has been great. We have seven new guys on the team including me, so that's over half the team. I think Japan was huge for us, in terms of getting to know each other both on the court and learning the system as well as becoming friends off the court, which happened quickly. So I think we're off to a great start in terms of team dynamic and meshing. I think it will definitely continue to develop as we start to get into the season. Practices have been intense and competitive so far, which is what you want. Obviously once games start, we'll really start to develop that family bond.
As one of the more veteran players on the team, even though this is your first season at GW, what role do you expect to play?
I think I'll definitely serve a veteran role. I've already started to try and point some stuff out to the younger guys. A lot of these guys, it's their first season. College basketball is obviously a lot different. The college game is a lot different from high school and the college environment is very different. But I think I can really be a sort of resource for the guys. I already have four years of experience.
What do you think of the non-conference schedule for the fall and how do you expect it to prepare the team for the conference season?
I think this non-conference schedule will definitely prepare us for the A-10. We have a bunch of games coming up that are pretty huge and will definitely prepare us for conference play. I know at Harvard our conference was pretty competitive so I'm sure it's the same way here. It will be a good test for us, really give us some good preparation so we can really play.
What are you most excited about?
Obviously I came here for school for one, but to play competitive basketball. For me, after missing my first three seasons of college basketball not knowing if I would get even a season in, I'm excited to start playing games with these guys. Hopefully we'll play really well this season and get a lot of wins, so that's what I'm most excited about.
