Merrick Rillstone and Storey Sadler are the latest Kiwis to rub shoulders with the world’s best having been selected for the Jnr NBA Asia Pacific Camp last month.
The youngsters were two of 78 athletes from the Asia Pacific and India region invited to the one-day virtual event, which gave them access to NBA and WNBA players such as Jaren Jackson Jr, James Wiseman, Angel McCoughtry and Ticha Penicheiro.
Their nomination for the opportunity came from Basketball New Zealand Under 14 National Camp Director Dave McKay who said their selections for this prestigious camp were well deserved.
“It’s great to see the connection between the BBNZ U14 camp and the Jnr NBA continue through this Covid period.
“Storey and Merrick were outstanding at the April Under 14 camp and again performed extremely well for their respective associations at the recent Aon Under 15 National Championships.”
Normally invitees would gather in person to develop their skills and understanding of the game, but in the wake of covid the camp was run virtually through Zoom.
Rillstone is no stranger to training hard. The year nine student at Saint Kentigern College was a standout at the previously mentioned Under 14 Camp and earned selection to the tournament team at the Under 15 National Champs with his play for Waikato.
Talking about the camp, he said he loved seeing how his game compared to contemporaries across the globe and took noted down a number of points he thinks will serve him well in the future.
“I liked the ability to see basketball players from around the world and to see their talent level. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to James Wiseman and Jaren Jackson, Jnr.
“I was a bit star struck at first as I could not believe they were in the Zoom call and that I could ask them anything. I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
Sadler was also in attendance at the Under 15 National Champs and like Rillstone was picked for the tournament team after strong performances for Hawke’s Bay.
The Hasting Girls’ High School pupil similarly pointed to the interaction with NBA and WNBA stars Wiseman and McCoughtry as a highlight from the online camp. She hopes that drawing from their experiences and keeping their advice in mind helps her knock off her goals.
