Before suiting up this weekend in exhibition games against Royal Military College and Acadia, the Brock University basketball guard had not seen game action since Jan. 13 at McMaster when he tried to play through a concussion suffered in a Jan. 9 game at the University of Windsor. The decision to play cost him the rest of the 2009-10 season and almost his career.

Playing limited minutes, Whitty had nine points in an 82-46 win over Royal Military College Saturday and then three points, two steals and two assists in a 74-63 setback to Acadia Sunday.

"I feel good, I feel great and I'm ready to go. I want to play obviously. Sitting out, I can't do it," the 20-year-old said.

The 6-foot-1 guard said the wait was tedious but necessary.

"It's over with. The whole thing is behind me now and I feel 100%," the Ridley College alumnus said.

And it was the same old Joel Whitty in action Sunday; diving for loose balls and taking offensive charges.

"I'm absolutely not going to change. If I change, I'm not doing my teammates any favours. I have to stay the way I've always been and always will be," he said.

Brock head coach Brad Rootes is glad to have Whitty back.

"It's kind of the old cliche of having another coach on the floor. He talks so well, communicates with his teammates and gives us another knock-down shooter to make space for Mike (Cruickshank) and Andrew (Kraus) to drive and Gibby (Mark Gibson) to post up."

Whitty will have a different role with Brock this season.

"He won't be handling the ball as much this year, however, the system we play kind of whoever gets it goes in terms of the guards. And I like having him off the ball because he is that space shooter for the team and he does pass the ball well," Rootes said.

With the loss to Acadia, Brock ends the pre-season with a 4-3 mark.

"We came out not focused and flat and it's a carry over from yesterday (win over Royal Military College Saturday). Once you get into lulls and bad habits, it's hard to break out of them," Rootes said.

Still dealing with a few injuries, including a Didi Mukendi knee injury, Brock's interim head coach said his rotation is a work in progress.

"We've had the opportunity to play 14 or 15 guys that are going to play this year so we've been fortunate to get a good evaluation of players. This game was not indicative of how far we've come. Now it's our mental toughness and our mental focus holding us back."

Whitty is confident the team will be better this season.

"Obviously we didn't play well this weekend, but we'll be fine."

Sunday's game was a homecoming for A.N. Myer alumnus Justin Boutilier, The 6-foot-6 Acadia forward had 14 points, nine rebounds and a big dunk in the game.

BADGERS 82 PALADINS 46

Brian Nahimana netted 13 points as the Badgers defeated the Royal Military College Paladins 82-46 Saturday.