LYNNFIELD — Seven games into his senior season, Lynnfield native Billy Arseneault doesn’t look back at the moments he’s had on the basketball court at Endicott College, but more so on the experiences he has had off of it.
“I think some of my best memories are being on the bus, being in Vermont with the team,” Arseneault said. “Something that people would think wouldn’t be that great but since I’m so close with all of the guys it has been awesome.”
The Lynnfield native has had a quality start to his senior season with the Gulls. In seven games, he is averaging 13.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. The guard is also making 50 percent of his shots from the three-point line, which was an area of his game he focused on in the offseason.
“I was in the gym all summer working on my three,” said Arseneault.
The senior and his teammates have had to adjust during the offseason, as the three-point line got moved this season. Following The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) standard, the line is now 22.15 feet away from the basket and 21.65 feet away from the basket in the corners.
Still, as a guard, Arseneault primarily looks to move the ball and facilitate.
“That’s something that I’ve done my whole life,” he said. “I’ve always been a pass-first point guard, more or less. I’ve always relied heavily on my teammates to be able to make those shots and Endicott has been great for me in terms of getting the ball moving. We play a spread offense where we just keep moving the ball constantly. It’s been perfect for me being able to drive and attack, kick out to shooters or throw it down to my big man Dillon Grant for a dunk, which has been great.”
Arseneault is also grateful that he is able to have a full senior season, since in 2020, the team only played seven games and did not have a championship.
“It’s a breath of fresh air,” the Lynnfield native said. “Last year we got seven games in but it was just really tough with everything going on and we didn’t get to play for a championship like we do this year. There’s a little bit more meaning behind it and that’s what we are working towards right now, getting to that championship game.”
The last time the Gulls made it to the championship was in Arseneault’s sophomore year, where Endicott lost by one.
With the roster that the Gulls possess, this guard believes the team can get there again this season.
“I think we have a really good chance,” he said. “We have a lot of good scoring options. We finally have a true big guy in the middle. We have some great defensive guys around the perimeter. We’ve got my guy Stephen Fama from Lynnfield, who can do a little bit of everything. I think we can definitely make a run at the championship.”
Once he graduates, Arseneault is looking to possibly get into the sneaker business. As a big “sneakerhead,” he would love to have a career in the industry.
“I don’t really wear one pair,” he said. “I’m not exclusive to Nike or Adidas or Puma or whatever. I kind of go around and try the best basketball shoes that I like. Sometimes I miss on them and I’ll give them to cousins or something. A lot of people are just loyal to Nike, but I try to mix it up.”
Arseneault’s favorite basketball shoes to wear on the court are Kobe Bryant’s and Kyrie Irving’s. When he is walking around campus, his favorite shoe is the “Legend Blue” Air Jordan XIs, as those are one of the first pairs of Jordans he was able to get.
