There is always a good vibe in the USA around this time of the year. College football is beginning to figure itself out and everyone begins talking about who will be the National Champ. Also, college hoops kicks off over the next week.
I get excited for these kids just for the sheer fact, you never know what might transpire from the season. NCAA tournament, NIT tournament all the way down to just working yourself into some court time.
There is no doubting that I'm bias towards this system, but it granted me an opportunity that my home country could not offer. Life long memories and friendships were developed during this period for me, but nothing will ever match the basketball memories I have from my time spent in the USA.
So for the next 5 months I hope to provide you with some coverage of Aussies that you may not of heard of, but one day will be gracing the NBL courts, and you will have been introduced to them.
There are hundreds of Aussies over there plying their trade for their respective schools, but deep down they are trying to improve their game so they can excel at the next level. Someone like Paul Rogers has shown that travelling across the Pacific is worthwhile. He was a little known prospect from the streets of Adelaide, but a few years later the Los Angels Lakers saw fit to make him a second round draft pick. These are the dreams and realities these kids leave our shores with and hope to achieve.
I'm confident in saying that Andrew Bogut would not have been the number 1 over pick in the NBA had he not have gone to school (Utah) in the States.
Everyone over there will not be a future number one pick, but you will never know where you stand if you do not give it a go. Patrick Mills and Andrew Ogilvy will find out if they have what it takes to become a NBA caliber player, while someone like Alex Opacic or Calum Hughes get to work on their game so they may become a solid NBL player one day.
Please drop me a line and let me know of any Aussies that are over there playing. I wish to highlight all that are over there, no matter what division they are playing. I will endeavour to have boxscores and articles posted regularly.
Go Zags - home of Rillie, Rogers, Dench, Hendrix
NBL Articles:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4262836a1823.html new coach in NZ
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=16&ContentID=45910 rogers speaks about wildcats
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22710291-5006371,00.html adelaide to stay with roster
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6 comments:
I wanna hear some funny or interesting stories about your time in college
Rod:
I will see what I can dig up. The memories are beginning to be a little faint.
jr check out www.aussiehoopsamerica.com it has a list of players, stats, schedule and relevant articles for all our boys in the states.
Aleks Maric is a kid to watch jr at University of Nebraska,18.5pts 8.7reb last year.would look good in a crocs jersey next year.
Dry Back, Ryan 711
You guys are right. I was just thinking if anyone new of anybody over there at a lower division that gets no love.
Maric is on my radar. I check out his boxscore all the time. Maybe the sleeping giant of all the Aussies over there. Good conference, good numbers. He has showed improvement, whereas Arron Bruce is a question mark right now.
I throw out a trivia question to my teammates the other day. Who will have a more productive NBL career...Bruce or Kelvin Robertson? My doe is on Robertson!
Bruce was going to nominate for the Draft next year... I doubt if that is even on the cards anymore!
It is a shame... and so is his haircut!
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