Random Point of View: The Value of Locals
The Value Of Locals
We in the West are a parochial and proud bunch, but it come to a few of us within the Basketball Fraternity (Players, Coaches, Refs) that despite amazing numbers at Wildcats home games since the move to Barney's (Reference to state premier Colin Barnett for those not from sandgroper country) Bright Blue Building a couple of years ago, the Cats don't have much local representation at all on their roster outside of Development Players, with G Hire the sole local in the team.
So then we got to thinking, well let's look at the WA talent around the League and see if we could make a decent team with the option of filling the three import spots also. This is what we came up with:
PG: Cameron Gliddon
Backup PG: Trian Iliadis - Former ODU graduate who had a decent enough collegiate career at a mid level D1 school. Currently one of the Top 5 guards in the SBL
SG: Import - Let's say Prather for arguments sake
Backup SG: Rhys Vague / Gavin Field - Vague has been a development player for a couple of years with the Cats; Gav comes off a stellar collegiate career at University of West Georgia and like Iliadis, is easily in the Top 5 guards in the SBL
SF: Import
Backup SF: Cody Ellis / Tom Garlepp - Both solid contributors off the bench for their respective NBL clubs, and both with strong family connections to Basketball in WA, Ellis of course through his Father, Grandfather & Uncle's, Garlepp a name synonymous with Perry Lakes.
PF: Mark Worthington
Backup PF: Alex Loughton
C: Tom Jervis
Backup C: Daniel Johnson
Now you could even put an Import in at Centre, then have Jervo or DJ backing them up. The point being that the Cats would get a heck of alot more buy in from local clubs here in WA if they were using local products. Yes the Cats are the most successful club in the history of the NBL, but what use is all that success if most of your up and coming players in the state have to move interstate to get recognised / opportunity on the National stage, after growing up idolising your James Crawford's, Ricky Grace's, Mike Ellis', Andrew Vlahov's etc.
Article by Travis Young
Photo by Grant Lauterbach
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