Post by IAMCAPER on Jun 25, 2004 15:36:49 GMT -4
Sydney Mines resident Neil MacDonald has earned a spot on Canada Basketball’s Young Men’s national team.
The St. Francis Xavier X-Men centre was awarded his first chance to represent Canada on the basketball court following a training camp in Guelph, Ont.
“It feels incredible,” said MacDonald from the training facility at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “Right now I feel like I am on top of the world. It sounds kind of cliche, but that is exactly how I feel.”
The final cuts were made Wednesday evening and made public Thursday.
“I was not surprised, but when it came down to making the final cuts I was pretty anxious.”
In making Canada’s team, the Memorial High graduate survived a competitive training camp that featured the best young basketball players in the country.
“It was war — all out war with two days of 7 (a.m.) practices and 5 (p.m.) practices and everyone going at it as hard as they possibly could.”
In spite of the wear and tear on his body, fatigue was not something he was feeling when contacted Thursday.
“Right now I am running on adrenaline. I may be tired, but I don’t feel it right now.”
MacDonald and his under-20 squad teammates will depart for Dallas, Texas, today to compete in the Global Games. Their first game is Sunday against the United States.
Not only does the selection mark MacDonald’s first turn with a national team, it will also be his first opportunity to visit Texas, where he expects to face some excellent basketball opponents.
“There is going to be great competition there from European teams, the United States and South American teams. It is going to be incredible.”
The Global Games consists of two pools of five teams each. Besides the U.S.A., Canada’s round robin schedule includes games against Lithuania, Tuesday, China Wednesday and Croatia, July 2.
“It is going to be more than one step up from where I am at right now. It is going to be a few steps. I may take some time to get used to it, but I think I can handle it.”
After the Global Games, Canada will take a five-day break before meeting up in Halifax for their second training camp, July 10 to July 21.
The squad will then participate in the Maritimes Summer Series, consisting of two exhibition games versus Brazil and one against the United States before competing at the 2004 Under-21 Tournament of the Americas from July 28 to Aug. 1, in Halifax.
Canada’s official 12-man roster for the Halifax tournament will not be announced until midway through the team’s second camp in Halifax.
Although it is not official, MacDonald is likely to be named to the national team that will compete at the Tournament of the Americas.
“It is not downhill from here, you have to bring it everyday.”
He expects the sum of his entire summer experience to make him a better basketball player when he returns to university play with St. FX in the fall.
The U-21 roster spot also puts MacDonald a little bit closer to his goal of competing for the senior national team.
“After I get my foot in the door this year I think I will be around for a while.”
The St. Francis Xavier X-Men centre was awarded his first chance to represent Canada on the basketball court following a training camp in Guelph, Ont.
“It feels incredible,” said MacDonald from the training facility at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “Right now I feel like I am on top of the world. It sounds kind of cliche, but that is exactly how I feel.”
The final cuts were made Wednesday evening and made public Thursday.
“I was not surprised, but when it came down to making the final cuts I was pretty anxious.”
In making Canada’s team, the Memorial High graduate survived a competitive training camp that featured the best young basketball players in the country.
“It was war — all out war with two days of 7 (a.m.) practices and 5 (p.m.) practices and everyone going at it as hard as they possibly could.”
In spite of the wear and tear on his body, fatigue was not something he was feeling when contacted Thursday.
“Right now I am running on adrenaline. I may be tired, but I don’t feel it right now.”
MacDonald and his under-20 squad teammates will depart for Dallas, Texas, today to compete in the Global Games. Their first game is Sunday against the United States.
Not only does the selection mark MacDonald’s first turn with a national team, it will also be his first opportunity to visit Texas, where he expects to face some excellent basketball opponents.
“There is going to be great competition there from European teams, the United States and South American teams. It is going to be incredible.”
The Global Games consists of two pools of five teams each. Besides the U.S.A., Canada’s round robin schedule includes games against Lithuania, Tuesday, China Wednesday and Croatia, July 2.
“It is going to be more than one step up from where I am at right now. It is going to be a few steps. I may take some time to get used to it, but I think I can handle it.”
After the Global Games, Canada will take a five-day break before meeting up in Halifax for their second training camp, July 10 to July 21.
The squad will then participate in the Maritimes Summer Series, consisting of two exhibition games versus Brazil and one against the United States before competing at the 2004 Under-21 Tournament of the Americas from July 28 to Aug. 1, in Halifax.
Canada’s official 12-man roster for the Halifax tournament will not be announced until midway through the team’s second camp in Halifax.
Although it is not official, MacDonald is likely to be named to the national team that will compete at the Tournament of the Americas.
“It is not downhill from here, you have to bring it everyday.”
He expects the sum of his entire summer experience to make him a better basketball player when he returns to university play with St. FX in the fall.
The U-21 roster spot also puts MacDonald a little bit closer to his goal of competing for the senior national team.
“After I get my foot in the door this year I think I will be around for a while.”
