Thursday, September 11, 2008

FILIPINO IN USC TROJAN BASKETBALL

MEET ANOTHER PROSPECT RYAN WETHERELL



yeah, it's him - the small guy who dunked

Ryan Wetherell is a Filipino-Canadian from Calgary, Alberta. He originally favored hockey but after seeing Space Jam moved to basketball. His basketball skills didn't go unnoticed in his home country as there were two Canadian university teams after him but decided to play in the United States with the University of Southern California Trojans squad.

Our national team needs big men preferably 7 feet and above. Unfortunately, he is only 5-10 and will compete with other talented small Filipino guards if ever he decides to come here. By the way this is the article about Wetherell on the Trojans website:

He's the perfect walk-on. At least that's what USC men's basketball coach Tim Floyd thinks.

"I hate to use that term, because I don't refer to him as a walk-on - I consider him a scholarship guy," Floyd said. "We ask him to do everything everybody else does. I've got all the confidence in him as a player - he just hasn't had much of an opportunity. Had we been able to give him a bunch of minutes early in the year, we'd be reliant on him right now for some minutes during games."

He's Ryan Wetherell, the 5-foot-10 Canadian half-Filipino walk-on. His name is Wetherell, but it might as well be "weather all" - he's been through it all, and he's weathered it well.

In addition, his stats don't inspire confidence. Here are his stats courtesy of Yahoo which pegged Wetherell's height at 5-11. The national team needs an excellent point guard in the mold of Jimmy Alapag and Jayjay Helterbrand.

Coach Eric Altamirano on so-called prospects:

When looking for prospects, we must remember to verify if the player indeed has Filipino roots. Interview the parents or immediate relatives to trace the roots of the player. Do some extra research on the Filipino community they live in. Even in today’s international basketball scene, where naturalized players abound, this corner believes that a drop of blood is very important, meaning the Filipino lineage. Determine if the said player is deeply rooted in Filipino values. Sadly, some of Filipinos abroad lose not only their nationally but the values and traditions that go with it. I truly believe the player who’s playing for the country should have an understanding of what his mother country stands for. Lack of such discernment could mean half-hearted effort .

For Full Story

Coach's right, it's not enough that they have Filipino blood. They should show interest and commitment to play for the national team.

Credits: Gresan Cadao tip

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