Geelong product lands US basketball opportunity

GEELONG basketball prospect Philip Wickham is set for the biggest opportunity of his career after securing a place at prestigious American high school Wasatch Academy.

The 18-year-old will move to Utah next month to join the renowned program, competing in the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Scholastic competition.

The Geelong United forward-centre has impressed this season, averaging 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds across 14 NBL1 games.

Wickham has also represented New Zealand internationally, most recently at April’s Albert Schweitzer Cup in Germany.

The opportunity to play in Utah came after prominent New Zealand basketball figures Pero Cameron and Josiah Maama – both former coaches of Wickham – recommended him to Wasatch Academy head coach Paul Peterson.

The move came together in a matter of weeks.

Wickham will represent New Zealand at the under-18 FIBA Asia Cup in India next month before heading straight to the US to begin the next chapter of his career.

The teenager believes Wasatch Academy’s college-style program will accelerate his development and provide valuable exposure as he pursues a future in American college basketball.

“I’m really excited,”Wickham said. “Not only for the exposure I’ll get being able to put my name in the American system and get viewed by lots of coaches, but just for my development in general to exceed tenfold with Coach Peterson.

“He was telling me about preseason, about what the trainings will look like and what the schedule looks like – it looks like a college program. So it will help me prepare for college, which is one of my big goals.”

Wickham also believes his experience with Geelong United has prepared him well for the step up.

“Being able to train and play at NBL1 and Youth League level helps me adjust to playing at a grown man’s speed and grown man’s strength,” he said.

“Hopefully I can go over to the US and go to work on some of the younger kids with a little bit less experience.”