Wales internationals head to Combine Academy
The following athletes from the U17 and U19 national team squads have been selected by their head coaches to attend Combine Academy in the USA on a month long scholarship. Congratulations to you all from everyone at Basketball Wales.
Zachary Page (Sheffield Sharks)
U17 point guard and team captain Zachary Page has been an exemplary leader on and off the court this season. No one is more passionate about representing Wales than him. Zac is an absolute joy to coach. He listens and absorbs everything you teach him and incorporates it into his game. Because of this, I know he will take full advantage of the opportunity to train at the Combine Academy this summer. Zac dreams of earning a scholarship to play college basketball in the United States, and so long as he continues to work harder than everyone else, this is a realistic goal for him.
Trystan MacIver (Vales Vipers and Cardiff and Vale College)
Trystan has represented Wales at every age group from U12s to U17s and has fully committed to the national team during that time. Trystan is a dynamic and versatile player who can score and defend. He is a fierce competitor and someone you can rely on to make clutch plays when the game is on the line. Trystan had a standout performance at this year’s Four Nations Tournament where he helped lead Wales to victory over Scotland. Having the opportunity to play against quicker and stronger players on the AAU circuit in the United States will help prepare him for the next stage of his basketball career.
U17 Head Coach Jamie Smith said, “Both Zac and Trystan are not only talented players with the potential to play at the next level, but young men who are outstanding teammates, highly coachable, committed to the national team, and who serve as inspirational role models for the younger players in the generations below.”
Owen Merriman (Derby Trailblazers)
Lucas Davies (Derby Trailblazers)
Head Coach Nick O’Leary and the U19 men’s staff are delighted that Lucas and Owen are able to take advantage of this inspiring opportunity.
Both players are fully committed to their high-performance club and the Wales National Programme. Not only do they work extremely hard in improving their technical and tactical knowledge and understanding, they are able to balance other life responsibilities such as academic study.
Lucas and Owen demonstrate humility making them highly coachable. They have amiable personalities and are able to mix effectively with staff and teammates. They also exhibit valuable leadership traits. In short, they have the potential to play at a very high standard.
