Menard Commits to Iona

By Owen Carlson | Monday, June 19th, 2023

St. Thomas More & Middlesex Magic point guard Justin Menard announced his commitment to Iona last
week.

The Connecticut native began his career at Xavier High School in Middletown, where he was named team MVP and Conference Player of the Year, even earning All-State honors all as a sophomore.
Menard then transferred to Loomis Chaffee School to compete at the NEPSAC Class-A level and reclassified from ‘23 to ‘24. He continued to excel, receiving offers from NJIT, Albany, FDU (via Coach Tobin Anderson), Towson, and Sacred Heart.

After his first and only year with Loomis, Menard transferred to St. Thomas More to compete at the NEPSAC Class-AAA level. He had a standout junior season, earning HoopsFest Player of the Game honors for his 22-point/10-rebound/4-assist performance against Hotchkiss School in December, and helping lead the Chancellors to a Founders Tournament Championship in January.

Menard was selected to the Connecticut All-Stars for the 2023 JCC Schoolboy Classic this past March, also receiving his offer from Iona around the same time. Additionally, he was named to the All-NEPSAC Class-AAA Honorable Mentions list.

“Coach Quinn and Coach Milo Luciano at St. Thomas More helped me so much,” said Menard in talks with NERR, making a conscious effort to point out the enormous role his coaches played in helping him reach this point.
“We’re thrilled with Justin’s commitment to Tobin Anderson and Iona,” said St. Thomas More Assistant Coach Milo Luciano. “He has great positional size and length, can shoot high vol./high efficiency with limited space, and is becoming a high level processor. Most importantly—he’s an incredible worker who has done the right things the right way. The Iona staff did a great job of recruiting him, and we’re incredibly happy for them, Justin, and the Menard family.” This summer, Menard is competing for the Middlesex Magic in the UAA (Under Armour) Circuit. Just a couple weeks ago, he earned Zero Gravity Player of the Game honors during the NERR Super 16 Showcase.

When asked about his decision, Menard said, “When I was on visit, it just felt right...They work with their guys so closely, and I felt like I would have great chances to get better each year and grow on and off the court,” noting his emphasis on personal development when considering his future.
“Coach Anderson believed in me,” Menard continued, discussing his relationship with Iona Coach Tobin Anderson, who began recruiting Menard before he had even accepted the Iona position. “He offered me right when he got the FDU job last year, and once he got Iona, it was the same thing. And with everything going on with him after the tournament, and getting a new job at Iona, and having to get a whole new team at Iona for the ‘23 year, he still made time for me and told me how much of a priority I was there, and that was everything. For me, it was super important to play for a coach I had a relationship with, and we had that connection from day 1, so I knew it was the spot for me.”
He described his visits to the school, saying, “The whole community there was everything I wanted. It was a family environment every time I was at school on my visits. The entire staff was with me, and they just really gave me that family vibe, and the practice was so competitive. Every single drill, those guys were competing at a high level, and I loved it,” he went on, highlighting the importance of the type of environment he would be joining. He ultimately concluded, “I chose Iona because of the staff. I truly believe their staff is one of the best in the country. They work extremely hard and are super close. They were like a family when I was there. Everyone did their job. Super serious during practice, then after practice they are all close, joking around, and genuinely enjoying talking with each other.”
      Menard is no stranger to athletic families, however. He has three siblings who are all either committed to play or already playing sports in college, including his older brother Josh, who also attended Loomis Chaffee and plays basketball for Saint Anselm (Division II), as well as his older sister Katie, who plays soccer at Iona, and his younger sister Megan, who is committed to play soccer for Holy Cross. It must be in the genes, as their dad Anthony Menard is a decorated high school basketball coach, formerly at East Hartford High School, where he helped to develop Doug Wiggins into a UConn star and current professional player (most recently in Slovakia).

Although he has one year left at St. Thomas More before making the transition to Iona, it should come as no surprise that we will be seeing Justin Menard compete at the Division I level.