The Southland Sharks today confirmed its one hundredth player over its 13-year history, naming 17-year-old Riley Snow to a development player roster spot for the 2023 Sal’s New Zealand National Basketball League.
Snow, who only took up the game seriously two seasons ago after playing rugby through all his childhood, said being named in the Southland Sharks is like a dream.
“I didn’t think basketball was going to be my journey when I started out playing sport but here I am today getting this amazing opportunity and I’m just ready to crack in,” Snow said.
“I started playing in 2020 which was just really running around with my mates but began properly playing in 2021 with the school (Southland Boys High School) development team which I played for the last two years and this past year I have been playing 1st V and now have this opportunity with the Sharks,” he said.
Standing at close to two metres, Snow fills a key role by adding depth to the Sharks’ frontline rotation and has enjoyed going to work under Sharks’ Head Coach Guy Molloy.
“It’s been intense this week, but Guy is a great coach, and he helps me out so much and lets me know what I’ve got to do. It’s been great with the guys coming down and getting to know them and learn off them,” Snow said.
Molloy has been impressed with Snow’s ability to learn which he believes holds him in great stead for the season ahead.
“Riley is a bit of a rarity because we don’t have a lot of bigger local lads. He’s got a strong work ethic and is still learning the game, but he has a ton of potential. I think once he gets some confidence and a grounding in his basics, he could go to a high level for us,” Molloy said.
“He’s a good physical specimen and athletic enough, so for him it’s just about learning the rudiments of the game and how they’ve got to be applied consistently and I’ve been impressed with his persistence with doing that so far and I think he can come a long way during the year,” he said.
The Southland Sharks open its 2023 Sal’s NBL campaign on Good Friday (April 7) at 7:00pm against the Manawatu Jets at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill. Season tickets to all nine home games are on sale now from Stadium reception with individual game tickets available from Friday.