Hoopsfix Podcast - British Basketball with Sam Neter

For episode 103 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with former England senior international and BBL pro, Jason Swaine.

Swaine, known to be one of the great all-time shooters, picked up 24 caps for England, is a three-time BBL title winner and 12-time National League Division 1 title champion.

Starting his professional career with the Sheffield Sharks, he led the BBL in 3-point percentage in his second year, and also played for Chester Jets and Manchester Giants.

Eventually signing with Teeside Mohawks, he was a part of one of the most successful teams in national league history as they pulled off the clean sweep treble three times in four years.

After choosing to focus on his teaching career in 2004, he continued to play in the lower national leagues (winning Division 3 MVP twice in 2009 and 2010), before retiring from the national league in 2016 but still playing to this day in local leagues and in the masters tournaments.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:58 Interview start
02:10 Swaine's take on the BBL this season in comparison to his playing days
05:18 Whether Jason followed the league much prior to this season
06:21 The growth of netball and Jason's daughter being a player
08:39 Whether it's hard for him to enjoy basketball as a fan
09:36 What made Jason first get into basketball
11:19 Balancing football and basketball
12:32 Curtis Xavier and his impact on Jason
15:17 Where are the roles for ex pros in the UK?
16:08 Whether he saw a career in basketball at 15
18:02 Swaine's work ethic to become a great shooter
20:17 When he became known as a good shooter
21:53 Players he looked up to coming up
23:13 Access to the NBA in the early 90s
24:02 Why he switched from Calderdale to Doncaster
25:07 The level of competition in Division 1
26:46 Other great players of his generation
28:00 How the opportunity with the Sheffield Sharks came about
30:05 Whether he had a welcome to the pros moment
31:45 How much money he could earn as a 19 year old in the BBL
33:08 Whether playing in the BBL felt like 'a thing'
35:41 To be a professional you need a tax code!
36:49 The increase of his role from his rookie year to his second year
39:19 The McDonald's Open Championship
43:21 Playing Real Madrid being up 17 at the half and losing by 3
45:24 Making his debut with the England Senior national team at 21
47:28 Standout memories with the England team
49:16 How good were John Amaechi and Steve Bucknall?
50:58 Standout victories with England
52:55 Why he left Sheffield Sharks
57:15 His half season in Chester
58:50 Playing for Manchester Giants in their prime years
1:00:19 The level Manchester were operating at compared to other teams
1:01:30 Whether he thinks Manchester can get back to where they were
1:03:15 His dominant years with Teeside and why he chose to go D1
1:05:22 Teeside doing a treble three years out of four
1:07:23 What has kept Jason playing for so long
1:09:21 Playing with his son Eisley at Bradford in Division 1
1:12:59 The importance of having family support
1:14:33 Standout best British junior players
1:15:29 The best British player he has played with or against
1:16:20 Best individual performance he has ever witnessed
1:17:36 Favourite basketball memory
1:18:51 What is in the future for Jason in the next 3-5 years 

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 102 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Warwick Cann, the former Performance Pathways Co-ordinator and National Teams Director for GB and Basketball England.

Warwick, an Australian, was hired in 2009, and had a number of different roles through to 2016 focused around performance pathways and the national teams, as he sat between both the BBF and BE.

In this little over an hour conversation, we look back on his time in the UK with basketball, what the issues were, and what we can learn from them.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:48 Interview start
02:55 Warwick's background before getting involved with British basketball
05:00 The original role he applied for within British basketball
07:19 What his plans and expectations were coming into the role
09:12 His early impressions of British basketball compared to his expectations
12:52 Why there was a gap in coaches' knowledge about the game
15:40 The ease of which clubs can get set up in the UK compared to Australia 
18:28 The first thing he needed to do in his role and getting buy in
23:45 The Regional Institute of Basketball model
28:44 Is basketball in the UK made more complicated by having clubs and educational institutions?
31:04 The difficulty of relying on a volunteer workforce
39:07 The Areas of Emphasis
44:37 The need for a focus on point guard play
46:49 Whether it is disappointing the Areas of Emphasis is not used anymore
49:04 Did he think the London 2012 Olympics was going to change everything
55:36 What he thinks the Olympic legacy was
58:16 The politics involved with British Performance Basketball being a separate entity
1:05:35 If he could go back, what ]he would  change to ensure there was a London 2012 legacy

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 101 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with British coaching trailblazer Tim Lewis.

Lewis, who most recently was an advanced scout for the Toronto Raptors, left the UK in 2006 to pursue his coaching dream, starting at CBA in Spain, before returning to set up Essex Pirates in the BBL as a pathway for young British talent.

A former junior and senior national team player who went on D1 scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, Lewis has coached at European Championships, Commonwealth Games and at the Olympics.

Since then he did time in Germany's pro B with Weissenhorn Japan with Hitachi Sun Rockers, times in the NBA G-League between Bakersfield Jam and Raptors 905, before heading to Thailand, where he also took the helm of their Senior National Team.

Time with the Qatar National Team followed, and he is currently surveying for the next opportunity.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:55 Interview start
03:17 Opportunity over money
06:43 Whether being single makes pursuing dreams easier
08:54 The barriers British coaches face and the perception of British coaches
11:26 The need for more professional coaching roles in the BBL
15:41 Advice for young coaches who want a career in coaching
19:17 What he would do if he was working for the federation to develop coaching
23:54 How importance the level of coaching is for the development of the game
25:45 Why we haven't seen another pro club try to replicate Essex Pirates efforts to give young British talent meaningful minutes
31:19 Could the UK produce a compelling enough offer to keep kids here instead of the US college route
33:51 Why the Essex Pirates failed
37:37 How much of a personal blow the failure of the Pirates was
39:55 Skepticism of being able to run a pro franchise with young British talent
41:31 the London 2012 Olympics and lack of British presence on the men's coaching bench
48:43 Thoughts on the London 2012 Olympic legacy
51:39 What needed to be done differently to ensure a legacy
1:01:40 Thoughts on British player talent development over the years
1:04:48  What he is currently doing
1:06:18 Whether he feels he is close to getting a gig in the NBA
1:08:36 Having to start from the bottom again if an NBA gig was to come to fruition
1:09:27 The job opportunity in Thailand that gave him financial stability
1:12:48 Losing his job in Thailand
1:15:15 Reaching different tiers in coaching and being put in different brackets
1:18:31 Whether coaches have agents
1:19:45 Favourite basketball memory
1:21:21 Best British junior player he's ever seen
1:22:17 Whether it was obvious certain British guys were going to the NBA
1:23:35 Best individual performance ever witnessed by a British player
1:24:28 Other top British coaches
1:26:46 What's in the future for Tim

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 100 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we do a deep dive into the London 2012 Olympic legacy, interviewing 8 different people who were in and around the British basketball programme.

We wanted to do something a little bit different for hitting the century mark and after a suggestion on Twitter from @auld_jethart to look at the Olympic legacy, we jumped on it.

There were plans to interview a lot more people - but already reaching just short of 3 hours, we figured release this is as a part one with a potential part two to come with other guests, if people want to see it.

The eight people interviewed for this Olympic legacy special were Ron Wuotila, Head of Operations for British Basketball amongst other roles, Dan Clark, current GB co-captain and Olympian, Tim Lewis, GB assistant coach at the London 2012 Olympics, Phil Waghorn, GB Senior Men's Team Manager, Tony Garbelotto, GB assistant coach in the run up to London 2012, Warwick Cann, GB's Pathways Performance Co-Ordinator, Mark Clark, the GB Senior Women's coach from 2006-2009, and Mark Woods, the UK's leading basketball journalist who covered (and continues to cover) GB pre and post London 2012.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
03:41 Ron Wuotila
19:05 Dan Clark
35:37 Tim Lewis
51:51 Phil Waghorn
1:18:28 Tony Garbelotto
1:39:37 Warwick Cann
2:00:43 Mark Clark
2:24:31 Mark Woods

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 99 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with British coaching legend John Collins.

Collins, awarded an MBE in 2009 for his services to basketball, has been coaching for over six decades and done it at every level.

He was at the helm of Sutton for the first ever National League game, and again when they became the first ever English team to win a game in Europe, coached both the England and Great Britain Senior Women, where he qualified England for the European Championships, was at the helm of the legendary Avon Cosmetics women's programme who dominated the national league for a number of years, and has been instrumental for the development of basketball in Northamptonshire, founding the early stages of Northants Basketball Club in 2000 along with Moulton College basketball academy in 2005.

Having also helped set up the Basketball Coaches Association (BCA) with Mark Dunning, Collins has dedicated his life to the sport and been a long-term advocate for the development of the British game.

In this 90 minute episode, we look back at John's journey.

Note: We had some technical issues, so the episode does end rather abruptly and not in the usual fashion - expect a part 2 at some point!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:59 Interview start
03:15 How John was first introduced to basketball
04:35 Whether he fell in love with the game right away
05:38 How far he took his own playing before coaching
07:34 Royal Albert Hall as a basketball venue
09:14 The evolution of the skill level 
12:48 Where basketball sat within English culture in the '60s
14:54 Where the hotbeds of basketball were in the '60s and '70s
18:10 How John's early coaching career progressed
20:33 Working out what to teach and how to learn
23:30 The role the governing body had to help coaches develop
25:44 How the move to Sutton & Crystal Palace happened
29:58 Coaching in the first ever National League game and its formation
32:42 How basketball had been able to develop from the 60s to 70s
35:09 Whether the national league was being administered by the NGB or the clubs in the early years
35:55 Not learning from our mistakes in the past
36:44 The important of getting British basketball history accessible and documented
39:12 Under-appreciated success stories in British basketball history
40:56 British Performance Basketball initially wiping history in the sport's narrative
44:11 What can be done to make the basketball history more accessible
46:03 Losing his job with Sutton & Crystal Palace
48:00 How important it was to be the first English team to get a win in Europe
49:46 How important it is for British clubs to be competing in Europe
51:47 Getting involved with Central YMCA
53:38 His first exposure to women's basketball and whether it changed his approach
55:02 The progression of his coaching development journey
59:34 Why English coaches were so closed in their sharing of tactics
1:01:55 Whether English coaches mentality is more open now
1:03:17 The founding of the BCA UK
1:06:02 His proudest achievements with the BCA
1:08:50 The Avon Cosmetics women's programme
1:12:44 The level of dominance the Avon Cosmetics team were having
1:14:23 The barriers to development of the women's game over the years
1:17:32 The founding of Northants Thunder   

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 98 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Solent Kestrels forward and England and GB Senior international Orlan Jackman.

Originally out of Hackney, Jackman started out with the Hackney White Heat before heading to the US to prep school in California. Unable to get the NCAA Division 1 offer he was looking for, he returned to the UK for a season playing for Manchester Magic under Jeff Jones in NBL D1, before heading back to the US to JUCO.

He attended Seminole State College - with current London Lion captain Joe Ikhinmwin - before being stung by the NCAA's eligibility rules at NCAA D2 school Newman, and ended up at Oklahoma City University in the NAIA.

Turning pro in 2012-13, he signed with his hometown London Lions for his rookie year, and has gone on to a pro career that saw him have success in Germany, a stint in Portugal before returning to play domestically, having played for Worcester Wolves, Newcastle Eagles, Cheshire Phoenix, London City Royals and since the Royals folded, time with Essex Leopards in NBL D1 and now Solent Kestrels.

Having always wanted to use basketball as a tool to give back to his community, Jackman has set up his own business coaching younger players to help the next generation.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:09 Interview start
02:44 How Orlan first started playing basketball
05:09 Players that Orlan looked up to when first playing
06:35 How much natural ability he had versus having to work on his skills
07:09 The different competitions he was playing in
08:30 Junior career memories
09:29 His formative years and the impact of Joe White
11:07 When he set his sights on the States
14:09 The other talented players of his generation
15:08 How the move to the US came about for prep school
16:19 The transition to California from London
17:46 His numbers in high school
18:44 The recruiting process
20:17 Playing in Manchester for a year after high school
23:21 Returning to the US to JUCO after his year in England
26:14 Getting to play with Joe Ikhinmwin at Seminole State
27:11 Breaking his foot and becoming aware of eligiblity issues
35:19 His crazy dunk at OKC University
35:58 Standout memories from college
39:45 How he felt about signing in London for his rookie year
44:33 Getting called up to the GB Senior Men in the summer of 2013
56:17 How he felt about returning to the BBL with Worcester after being abroad
57:19 Signing with Cheshire and their BBL Cup run
1:01:37 His time with the London City Royals
1:06:00 His evaluation on the first London City Royals season
1:07:40 People rooting against the Royals
1:11:14 The communication from ownership when things started getting shaky
1:13:49 The players' reaction to knowing the club was folding
1:16:45 Signing with Solent this season
1:17:56 Solent being so dominant in NBL Division 1
1:20:11 Playing for friend Matt Guymon
1:21:50 How many years playing Orlan has left
1:22:34 Almost signing for London Lions this season
1:23:48 Signing for Solent despite it being less money than London and a commute away
1:24:52 Rooting for the Lions' success
1:27:00 His thoughts on the state of British basketball
1:30:15 His favourite basketball memory
1:31:55 Best coadch he's every played for
1:33:16 Best Brtish player he's played with or against
1:33:50 Best invidivual performance he's witnessed
1:34:58 The future, where he wants to be in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 97 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with 3-year pro and Ireland Senior international Taiwo Badmus.

Badmus did not start playing until he was 16 years old, under the legendary Mike Cartey in South London, before attending Hackney Community College. After struggling to get to the US, and enrolling at the University of West London, Badmus exploded onto the scene in the summer of 2014 with a strong showing at Midnight Madness, eventually leading to a scholarship to Fairmont State, one of the top NCAA Division 2 programmes in the US.

After a season and a half of barely playing, Badmus transferred to UVA Wise for his final two years, putting up crazy numbers as he averaged 20 and 10 to seize the opportunity, turning pro in 2018-19 in Spain, where he led his side Marin to LEB Gold promotion, and has played in Spain's second Division ever since.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
03:18 Interview start
03:35 How Taiwo first picked up a basketball
05:27 What made him move to Ireland as a 5 year old and his history there
06:29 Learning the game under Mike Carty in South London
08:26 His progression with playing National League
10:53 Being under the radar and the moment he felt he had a future in the sport
13:54 Blowing up in the summer of 2014 and what he had been doing before going to the US
15:49 Doing a year at the University of West London in 2013-14 and how he stayed sharp
17:39 Whether he ever questioned whether basketball was the right path for him
19:09 The players in London who helped him on his path before heading to the US
21:06 The players from around his generation that he was looking up to or going against growing up
22:44 What the process was to end up in the US at Fairmont State
25:14 Going Division II as opposed to NCAA Division I
26:26 The transition of going to the US from the UK
28:39 Whether the transition was challenging just athletically/physically or also skill-wise
29:45 How long the transition took
30:59 Not getting a chance to play a lot at Fairmont State
33:14 Memories from Fairmont State
35:19 Finding somewhere to transfer to without having played a lot
36:37 The transition to a new school in UVA Wise
37:37 Putting up crazy numbers at UVA Wise after not playing for 2 seasons
39:32 If he still had one eye on turning pro whilst at college
40:34 Dropping 38 points on his previous school when they played each other
44:16 His standout memories from UVA Wise
45:36 The process of turning pro
47:32 The options on the table for his rookie year
48:44 Transition to pro life from college life
51:34 Whether he had to adapt his game for pro life compared to college
52:44 The cultural transition to Spain
54:33 His rookie season with Marin and earning promotion to LEB Gold
57:00 Making the decision to re-sign with Marin for his second year in the pros
58:29 The gap between LEB Silver, LEB Gold and the ACB
1:00:26 His second season being cut short by COVID-19
1:02:29 Being back in London for lockdown in the Summer of 2020
1:04:34 This season with Coruna
1:06:29 Representing the Ireland national team in the summer of 2018
1:08:36 His thoughts on FIBA 3x3 having played in it and its potential for the future
1:10:25 His favourite basketball memory
1:11:41 Best British player he's played with or against
1:12:14 Best coach he's played for
1:12:57 Best individual performance he's ever witnessed
1:13:49 Taiwo's future aspirations for the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 96 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Toyotsu Fighting Eagles Nagoya big man, Ben Lawson.

The 7’1″ centre originally out of Oaklands College, turned pro in 2017-18 after a four year career at NCAA Division 1 school Western Kentucky University where he finished up as their fourth all-time blocked shots leader, starting his career in Cyprus before making the switch to Japan in 2018-19 where he has remained since.

A former England Under-18 and GB Under-20, Lawson played for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Summer League, and was recently named to the GB Senior Men’s squad long list.

In this 1 hour and 20 minute interview, we look back on Lawson’s journey so far and how he has fought through adversity to carve himself out a pro career.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
 02:44 Interview start
 03:01 How COVID-19 has affected the leagues in Japan
 05:29 Whether COVID-19 impacted his decision to sign in Asia
 06:51 How much he is in touch with other British guys overseas
 07:54 His inclusion on the GB Senior squad long list and how much that is an aspiration
 09:17 Whether his involvement with the GB program will be limited to summer months
 10:33 Ben’s early years being involve with multiple sports
 13:03 How serious about basketball he was when he enrolled at Oaklands
 14:27 How much his height played a role into funnelling him into basketball
 16:02 Getting to grips with his body and height
 17:35 Coming out of nowhere onto the scene and when things started to click
 20:23 The talent in the ’95 generation and if he ever felt out of his depth
 23:14 Being coached by Steve Bucknall with the national team
 24:59 Standout memories from playing in Division A with the England U18s
 27:10 When the US colleges started recruiting him
 29:26 How early he knew he was going to sign with WKU
 30:50 Being a true freshman
 31:20 The transition from England to WKU
 33:15 Whether the biggest thing about the UK to US transition is the physicality & athleticism
 34:50 Sticking out all 4 years at WKU
 37:37 How much he’s thinking about stats at college to be able to turn pro
 40:41 The standout memories from college
 42:15 How much he goes back to visit WKU now
 43:03 Turning pro
 44:36 Whether he ever second guessed turning pro
 46:42 Whether Cyprus was the only pro offer he had
 47:43 Reflections on whether he made it when he was in Cyprus because of the lifestyle
 49:16 Knocking down the game winner at the buzzer in the Playoff Semi-Finals in Cyprus
 52:35 Whether the offers started coming in after his good year in Cyprus
 55:43 Why he thinks the offers didn’t come
 58:30 Getting two big offers from Japan after a workout in LA
 1:01:47 The cultural transition from West to East, playing in Japan
 1:05:12 Whether he feels like he has embraced the culture and found a second home in Japan
 1:06:29 If he feels like he’ll spend a lot of his career in Japan
 1:08:10 The level on the floor in Japan and if he feels he is being challenged enough
 1:10:58 Playing for Memphis in the NBA Summer League
 1:13:23 How close he feels to being able to play in the NBA
 1:14:44 Whether he wants to do NBA Summer League again
 1:15:47 Turning down a G-League offer to play in Japan
 1:18:39 Staying with the same agent since his rookie year
 1:19:11 His favourite basketball memory
 1:19:37 Best coach he’s every played for
 1:20:22 Best teammate he’s ever had
 1:20:33 Best British player he’s played with or against
 1:21:08 Best individual performance he’s ever witnessed
 1:21:52 Where he wants to be in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 95 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with GB Senior Men's Acting Head Coach Marc Steutel, who has just led the team to EuroBasket 2022 qualification.

An assistant with the squad since 2018, Steutel was given the reins of the team for the February 2020 window when the British Basketball Federation became aware Nate Reinking would be unavailable due to his commitments with the Canton Charge.

Since then, he has taken the helm through all three windows across the past 12 months, going 4-2, and qualifying for EuroBasket 2022 this past week after a big victory over Germany at the buzzer before defeating France to round out the campaign.

In this interview, Steutel reflects on the campaign, discusses being in the position of acting Head Coach, and looks ahead to what is next for the group.

Time stamps:
 00:00 Intro
 03:09 Interview start
 03:14 What EuroBasket qualification means for him and the team
 06:46 Whether qualification exceeded people’s expectations
 09:54 Whether qualification exceeded the team’s own expectations
 11:53 Whether the team bought into the underdog mentality
 14:22 How much of a project it is to change the perception of GB basketball
 16:49 How much of an advantage the new FIBA qualification system is for GB
 19:56 When selecting the squad whether continuity of the squad is taken into account
 23:14 If the programme had more funding and resource whether they would do extra camps
 26:25 Jacob Round, Kareem Queeley and Cameron Hildreth and having younger guys with the team
 29:35 The challenge of balancing minutes and egos
 34:00 Being thrust into the role of Head Coach
 39:03 Dealing with criticism of the level he has coached at whilst being the GB Head Coach
 41:49 Whether he feels vindicated having secured EuroBasket qualification
 43:27 Gabe Olaseni coming out in a press conference to stand up for the coaching staff
 46:31 How the dynamic has worked with Nate Reinking and the role he is playing
 50:19 Whether there’s a chance Marc could take the reins of the team for EuroBasket 2022
 52:29 How GB were able to turn around a heavy defeat to France into such a resounding victory in Game 2
 58:45 The Luke Nelson game winner against Germany and that final possession
 1:03:25 GB previously always being close but not quite winning and whether that’s changing
 1:08:43 The importance of playing home games and the game in Newcastle against Germany
 1:14:20 What’s next for this GB group

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 94 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with St Benedicts prep wing and Cal commit, Sam Alajiki.

Alajiki left the UK in January of 2020, where he had started the season with Barking Abbey having initially been developed by Kent Crusaders, to attend Beckley Prep in Virginia. 

After a half season there – which was cancelled due to COVID – he made the switch to St Benedicts in New Jersey, but not before committing to PAC-12 side Cal, becoming the third British-developed player in the Class of 2021 to sign with a high major programme.

The 6’7″ small forward with a 7’2″ wingspan and 44 inch max vertical, jumped on the Hoopsfix podcast to discuss his journey so far, being 
intent on taking the US High School route, and his aspirations for the future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
 03:10 Interview start
 03:16 Alajiki’s American accent
 04:33 Sam’s upbringing in Ireland and how he ended up in England
 08:07 Making the decision to focus on basketball over football
 09:13 Whether the move from Ireland to England was difficult
 10:36 The role of Jesse Sazant, Adam Davies on his early stages
 11:50 How Sam was difficult as a younger player
 12:34 How he matured
 13:48 When he started taking basketball seriously
 14:17 His involvement with the England U15 development programme
 16:00 His initial focus on representing England/GB then that becoming Ireland
 17:31 His relationships that are still in Ireland
 18:10 His early aspirations in the sport
 19:13 Wanting to prove himself to Coach Jesse Sazant
 20:06 Sam’s physical gifts and matching the skills to them
 22:25 Finding his shot and working on his jump shot
 23:14 Deciding to make the switch to Barking Abbey for year 12
 23:48 Being intent on going to the US
 24:54 Why he felt the need to go to the US for HS rather than stay in the UK
 26:59 Why his visa was denied in Year 10
 27:19 Concerns about his eligibility
 27:38 Why choosing to go to Barking Abbey from Canterbury
 28:18 Leaving Barking Abbey midway through the season
 29:57 Coaches from the US getting in his ear
 30:30 Having D1 options in the UK already and still wanting to go to the US
 31:36 Whether he has any regrets on the route he took
 32:17 If Barking Abbey was the step up he wanted in the UK
 33:33 Whether he ever felt out of his depth in the UK
 34:43 US High school vs NBL D1 men
 37:35 Whether the ultimate allure to the US is exposure and coaches wanting to see prospects against US competition
 39:37 The transition to the US from England
 42:20 How quickly the college interest came when going to the US
 44:06 The Xs and Os in the US compared to England
 45:12 2019-20 season being cancelled, staying in the US last summer
 46:09 Making the decision to commit to Cal early
 46:42 Why he chose Cal, who else he was looking at
 47:42 The role he sees himself having at Cal
 48:45 Is the goal to be a professional basketball player?
 49:01 Choosing a bigger school over a smaller one
 50:44 Switching to St Benedicts this season
 52:51 Status of their current season
 55:03 The impact of COVID-19 on the Class of 2021
 57:58 How Cal are anticipating the 2021-22 season being
 59:53 Whether he’s coming back to the UK this summer
 59:29 His NBA aspirations and potential barriers
 1:00:57 His favourite basketball memory
 1:02:27 Feedback on the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic
 1:05:15 best British player he’s played with or against
 1:06:18 best individual performance he’s witnessed
 1:07:05 His basketball role models
 1:08:50 His goals for the next 3-5 years

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