THE Bay Breakers under 16s are building toward the representative season with five players spending a week in mid-January developing their skills at week-long basketball tournaments.
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Riley O’Shannessy was selected as a bottom-aged player in one of the under 16s NSW Country teams that played in the Australian Country Cup at Albury.
O’Shannessy played centre for the NSW Kookaburras and they were undefeated until the double overtime loss in their semi-final against eventual champions South Australia.
He said his play was a bit “up and down” because of an injured foot.
“I couldn’t play as much as I would have liked in the semi because of my toe,” O’Shannessy said.
“It was more physical than other tournaments and I realised how much teamwork is a big part of success.”
O’Shannessy’s side finished third in a play-off against the fellow NSW Country team and he hopes to avenge his loss at next year’s tournament.
James Gunson, Jeremy Harding, Lockie Armstrong and Riley Van Dyk spent the week at the Pacific Coast Slam in Port Macquarie.
The boys played in the under 15s age group against teams from NSW, Queensland and New Zealand.
The country tour tournament offered some new challenges as the boys were split into balanced squads and played a three-on-three competition on the first day.
“The three-on-three took a while to get used to as it was fast-paced and it’s not something we play a lot,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong, Harding and Gunson were lucky to play with some familiar faces as they were placed in the NSW Explorers side that finished third.
Gunson, a forward, was playing in his first tournament for NSW Country and said he would benefit from playing with the higher talent level.
“I thought I played alright across the week and I can work on a few things to do better next time,” Gunson said.
Armstrong, a guard, and Harding, a power forward, had played at similar tournaments before and both said they needed to work on their defence to keep progressing.
“It’s exciting to play with new people and against new competition,” Harding said.
“The competition level was what I expected, it was a fun week,” Armstrong said.
Van Dyk, also a guard, was separated from his Bay Breakers counterparts and his team finished fourth after winning the three-on-three competition.
“The three-on-three comp was challenging but it was great experience to play at that demanding level,” Van Dyk said.
“What I’ve taken from the week is that I’ve got to keep working on my all-round game and my defence.”
The school holiday Country Cup tournament also gave parents a chance to mix in their children’s sporting pursuits with a family holiday.
“The boys showed so much improvement learning from new coaches, and it’s a great chance for families to mix together at these events,” Bay Breakers under 16s coach Geoff Armstrong said.
“The boys will need to bring that higher level of intensity to training and competition over the representative season.”