State call ups for our boys

by Nicole Howard
7th December 2015

WHEN Basketball Victoria is identifying players from your side for state selection camps, it’s a good indicator your program is in good shape.

In the past year, numerous players from Warrandyte Basketball have attended camps and tryouts in the hope of selection for state programs and teams.

In the 2014-2015 season, two Warrandyte affiliates represented Vic Metro; Under 16 player Casey DeWacht made the Under 16 Vic Metro Men’s side and coach Nicole Howard was head coach of the Under 14 Southern Cross Challenge Vic Metro Girls team.

This list has continued to grow in recent weeks with announcements for the 2015-2016 season. Young guns Emma Dowling and Alan Ure from the Under 14 Warrandyte Venom program have earned places in the Southern Cross Challenge (SCC) Vic Metro sides, while Nicole Howard will retain her head coach role at the SCC.

The SCC involves four days of competition and will take place in January at the State Basketball Centre, where Emma, Alan and Nicole will represent Vic Metro against Vic Country and other state sides.

Further selections include Warrandyte Venom Under 18 junior Fraser Trenfield, who will don the navy singlet for the Ivor Burge Vic Metro Men’s side, and Ryan Holloway, who joins the side in an assistant coaching capacity. Both Ryan and Fraser will travel to Queensland in February to compete in their national competition and will be able to use lead up games and tournaments to prepare. The Under 18 Vic Metro teams selections are also underway, with squads being whittled down to low numbers. Casey DeWacht (Venom Big V player) has reached the top 24 players for the 18 Men’s and will travel to NSW to compete in the East Coast Challenge in early January.

Joining him in NSW will be WBA director of coaching Nicole Howard, in an assistant coaching role for the Under 18 women’s side. The Under 18 national competition will take place in Adelaide in April, which Casey will be eligible to compete in if he earns final selection for the state side.

With a strong pathway now from Aussie Hoops all the way to Big V basketball, Warrandyte Basketball is helping to develop the skills of young players and coaches, who are able to represent Victoria Metro with pride.