BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Laurentian University menÂ?s basketball head coach Virgil Hill has an eye for talent. He is always looking out for new and exciting players to don the gold and blue and continue the pride and tradition of Laurentian UniversityÂ?s glorious sports history.
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Now the veteran head coach of LaurentianÂ?s varsity menÂ?s basketball program has, himself, caught the eye of Basketball Canada. He has been tapped to fill an assistant coachÂ?s position with CanadaÂ?s National Development team, which will compete in the 22nd annual International University Sports Federation Summer Universiade in Daegu, South Korea.
The event is second only to the Olympics for the sheer number of athletes and participating countries. Daegu expects about 7,500 to 8,000 participants from approximately 180 countries. The team departs from Canada this coming Wednesday, Aug. 13.
For Hill, itÂ?s definitely a chance of a lifetime.
Â?This will be my first ever set of international games,Â? said Hill. Â?ItÂ?s a tremendous honour to represent our country and my institution.Â?
The National Development team features athletes 28 years of age and under and they must be Canadian citizens attending a Canadian university.
Hill has an extensive resume already and brings a load of coaching experience to the team. Hill has been coaching basketball since 1984, where he started as the head coach of Rosedale Public School. He was an assistant coach at Simon Fraser University for five years, from 1995-2000.
Hill has been the head coach of Laurentian menÂ?s team for the last three years.
Hill has also been involved with Basketball Canada since 1997 in several capacities, including head coach of the
under-19 menÂ?s provincial team in 1998-99. Hill has also been a National Team Pool Coach for the last three years.
Hill knows he will be a vital cog in the Canadian teamÂ?s engine in the drive to show the rest of the world just how good our university athletes are.
Â?IÂ?m going to do a lot of scouting and video breakdown for the team,Â? said Hill. Â?I will also be doing scouting reports
and a lot of preparation work for games.Â?
Hill sees the opportunity as more than just a chance to raise his own profile.
Â?This is a great chance to recruit players for Laurentian and will give Laurentian University more profile,Â? said Hill. Â?Yes, it adds to my resume, but there is so much more to it than just that.Â?
Hill is expecting a quality experience from the games.
Â?I will get exposed to other basketball systems, for example, the way the Italians or Russians run their programs,Â? said Hill. Â?It will be a big benefit to me.Â?
Hill has already been doing extensive work for the team, taking in senior national practices in Toronto.
Â?I evaluated players in Toronto for over a week,Â?said Hill. Â?WeÂ?re looking for guys who have size, international skill and character.Â?
Hill recently made the trek to Vancouver to help co-ordinate a five day training camp.
Hill is not worried about the troubles brewing between North and South Korea.
Â?IÂ?m not going to be strapping on a M-16 and fighting a war,Â? said Hill. Â?The only war IÂ?ll be fighting in will be on
the court over there.Â?
