Photo Credit: @lucaszx.ss via @Huskiembb
Over the weekend at the Ron and Jane Graham Shootout, I had the opportunity to speak with some highly recruited freshmen as they made their USports debuts. I interviewed them and their coaches to get their thoughts on their performance and the transition from high school and club ball to USports.
David Harmon: How did it feel to get into the games and what did you learn?
Diego Presingular (MacEwan Griffins), who is from Central Prep in Winnipeg, MB, emphasized the importance of being mentally and physically tough in basketball. He mentioned "facing tough teams like Carleton and UBC requires resilience and the ability to not let things get to you, especially as a young player, as these teams will try to provoke mistakes."
Nylan Roberts (UBC), from Yale Secondary in Vancouver, BC, noted " the transition is challenging due to the difference in size and strength, but overall, it's going well."
Owen Murphy Wiebe (Sask), from Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, reflected "It is challenging transitioning to the faster-paced and more physical game." Despite the adjustments, he expresses gratitude for the opportunities he is receiving.
Dillyn Morin (Sask), from Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon, mentioned "I feel good about my performance and am playing decent."
DH: What advice do you have for future recruits? What do you wish you knew in High school that would have made the transition easier?
DP: "It is a lot tougher mentally, you need to check in all the time and know details. It is also physical. You need to get advice, talk to veterans who have played, and take that in."
NR: "Hit the weight room and get into shape, you think you are ready but you aren't."
OMW: "You need to work hard, it is a defensive game once you get here and I don't think I was as aware defensively as I should have been in High School."
DM: "The summers matter, these guys are powerful and you need to be ready."
DH: How do you feel your freshmen handled the weekend?
Mike Connolly from MacEwan said, "We love our freshmen. I think the weekend got long for them and they got tired. Diego is coming into his own but is playing cautiously. As he gets more comfortable, he will continue to do good things that will help us as a team. Jud [Judson Weir from Regina] gives us an effort that allows him to be in our lineup, and we look forward to watching him grow."
Taffe Charles from Carleton University mentioned that the players have picked up some bad habits while playing high school and club basketball. He emphasized that at this level, coaches will push them to improve and correct those habits. Charles also mentioned that the players will need to work hard to get better, as they may not be accustomed to the level of accountability that comes with playing at this level.
Kevin Hanson from UBC expressed his satisfaction with the new recruits, emphasizing the importance of having one or two high school students join the program each year and grow within it. He also highlighted the challenge of dealing with numerous transfers in the league (USport), stressing the need to recruit players who can develop and improve over time.
Jamie Campbell from Saskatchewan: "Like all freshmen, ours had their ups and downs, showing some exciting moments and making some mental mistakes. They provided some great moments this weekend, and I am really excited about the future."
It has been an incredible start to the preseason, with many of the prospects we cover here at The Maple Minute beginning to transition to the next level. I also want to note that AJ Osman was a standout freshmen for Carleton this weekend but I was unable to catch up with him for an interview.
For live updates on our team's whereabouts across the country, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Stay tuned for more updates from myself on Saskatchewan prospects, the ACAC, and all the Saskatchewan Huskies home games.
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