BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Four local high school basketball players have earned the right to represent Northern Ontario at this year?s Nike Juvenile Development Program (JDP) and Camp.
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Greg Ross, Byran Davidson, Chris McAndrew and Cody Walter are heading to Nike camp at York University this weekend. |
The JDP camp is a development program geared toward elite athletes under the age of 17 (as of Jan. 1, 2003) as they challenge for spots on the provincial team.
?The whole program is a precursor to the national team,? said Virgil Hill, head coach of the Northern Ontario Regional team and Laurentian University?s mens basketball team.
Three players from Lockerby Composite High School and one from Lively District Secondary School made the final cut of 12 players from a group of about 40 top-notch Northern players. They will represent Northern Ontario at the basketball camp being held at York University.
The rest of the team is comprised of players from across the north.
The boys from Sudbury are all looking to have a strong showing at York. They will compete in six games, which should give them ample opportunity to showcase their skills and talents.
Lockerby player Greg Ross, 16, is excited about competing against high calibre athletes from the other regions.
?This is the first time I?ve ever been on a team like this and it feels great,? said Ross. ?It?s lots of fun and I?m learning new skills.?
Hill sees Ross as the perfect role player for the team.
?Greg?s probably the toughest guy on this team and he competes really hard,? said Hill. ?He brings a genuine competitive nature to the team.?
Chris McAndrew, 16, also from Lockerby, sees the opportunity as a great way to enhance his skills.
?This is a great learning experience and we will come back with a better understanding of the level of competition out there in other areas of the province,? said McAndrew. ?It?s nice to play on a team where everybody is on the same level.?
Hill sees McAndrew as the type of athlete the program is looking for.
?Chris is very skilled, athletic and has a tremendous understanding of the game,? said Hill. ?He can handle the ball and shoot.?
Bryan Davidson, 16, the third Lockerby player on the squad, knows the games will be tough, but has no doubt the experience will be worth his effort.
?It has and will be a positive experience playing with the best players in the north,? said Davidson.
Hill sees unbelievable potential in Davidson.
?Bryan is a great athlete with big upside,? said Hill. ?He?s a real gamer. He can rebound the ball well and he has a great shot.?
Cody Walter, 16, from Lively High School, is hoping to make the most out his second time with the JDP team.
?Last year I was an alternate?and this year I took the initiative to be better prepared,? said Walter. ?You definitely have to earn your spot on this team, because you?re up against 40 of the top juvenile basketball players in Northern Ontario.?
Hill likes Walter?s size and strength.
?Cody is six-foot-four and well-muscled for his age,? said Hill. ?He?s a physical specimen and has potential that can?t be over looked.?
Aside from offering the young athletes the chance to make the provincial team, Hill is convinced the Nike JDP Camp will be a positive environment for them as well.
?This camp will give these kids a snapshot of what it will take to play university basketball and teach them how to take their game to another level,? said Hill. ?These camps have produced some great players, including Steve Nash.?
Although the north doesn?t have the vast pool of talent some other regions do, the team will go and compete hard.
?They have responded to the challenges already,? said Hill. ?We?re looking to have a good showing down there.?
