By Paul Esau (Sports Editor) – Email
Name: James Elliot
Sport: Basketball
Postion: Centre
Height: 6’8
Weight: 235 lbs
Shoe Size: 13
The UFV sports season is winding down, and it’s time to acknowledge those who have played their last game in the green-and-white, scored their last points, and dug their last hit. Over the coming weeks, The Cascade will be interviewing each of these individuals, recognizing them both for their character as leaders and their skill as players. These men and women are the “legends” of UFV Sports.
Where are you from?
Australia. Perth. It’s statistically the most isolated city in the world. No joke, look on the map.
How did you start playing basketball? I wouldn’t think of Australia as a big basketball country.
It is, kind of…I think our Men’s internationally is ranked like six or something. Women’s I think is about top four in the world? It’s all club back home, we don’t have much of a high-school development, college development there. I suppose it’s just not as known. I got into it because my older brother was playing it, so being the younger brother you always want to beat your older brother at whatever he’s doing. (laughs). No matter whatever he does, you want to do it better. That’s kind of how it started. In the backyard we had a crate with the bottom clipped out of it and we tied that to the balcony and that’s how we played, me and my brother, for years and years and years. He was always much bigger than me. He was HUGE, and I never thought I would be taller than my brother…now I’m about four inches taller.
Now you’re a three-point shooter based upon that crate technique apparently.
That’s probably where I got it all from. (laughs).
Like a square crate too?
Like a milk crate. Yeah. As a kid I just loved it, I would go down to the basketball court by myself for three or four hours at a time and just shoot, just messing around. That’s kind of where I developed. Just loved it, just loved to play the game, just couldn’t get me off the court.
Are there any other sports that you play?
I played cricket first for three or four years before I started basketball. I was a big cricket kid.
What made you transition to basketball?
It was easier to play basketball because all you needed to do was pick up a basketball and go down to the basketball court. Cricket was hard; you needed three people really to make it happen whereas basketball I could do by myself. I also played a lot of Australian football when I was a younger kid as well. AFL? Aussie rules football.
Never heard of it. How did you get to UFV?
Initially I was working back home as a sales manager and a Canadian backpacker came through. He played at a college in Alberta, Lakeland, which is right on the border of Alberta and Sask. He used to play there and he got me in touch with his old coach. He said ‘Hey, you’re tall do you play basketball?’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, I play a little bit’. And he said ‘Do you want to go to Canada and play college ball?’ I thought it was a little bit of a joke at first but I’m like ‘Yea, no worries I’ll talk to your coach’. But then it was early August so I kind of had to make a snap decision if I wanted to make it in time for classes. Of course I had to give my company a month’s notice, and I just did it. So I played there, played for a year. I came in really out of shape, I was like 250, just horrible, but I got better, got a second team all-star for the ACAC. Then I called up Coach Craddock and it’s all history from there.
So you just came over with no experience with college ball? You played in high-school I’m assuming?
Played high-school, played in a semi-pro league back home for two years, played a lot of club basketball. I felt I had a lot of talent, a lot of ability, but I was out of shape, and I was working a lot and basketball wasn’t really a priority. I’d actually taken a break three months prior to meeting that guy. I’d taken a break from the game for like a year and a half. Took up golf.
You came over sight-unseen to try out for this [Lakeland] team?
Well he’d already offered me a scholarship in academics, so…
Just on the word of the player who talked to you?
Yeah, he hadn’t even seen me play. I’d literally sent him two emails, I was brutally honest about my strengths, weakness, what I thought I could do, what I knew I couldn’t do. He got a good feeling from me. He said, ‘I’ve got a good feeling from you James, come over.’ I mean, for him it wasn’t a huge risk, I was fronting the flights, I was fronting all my board and food and all that, he just paid for my five classes.
And to move from that to UFV you just gave Coach Craddock a call?
Yeah, I spoke to a number of coaches in that league. I wanted to get to BC. The winter up there [at Lakeland], oh man, minus-15 prairie winter. I don’t know if you’ve ever lived through one? Just brutal. I mean, coming from Australia? I spoke to him about UFV, he mentioned that it was a new upcoming program and there would be some opportunity there. And the coach had used a player like me before, kind of the five man trailer who liked to shoot threes and he liked that kind of player, so I contacted him and he obviously thought I was worthwhile.
How have you seen this UFV team grow or improve in the time you’ve been a part of it?
The chemistry was there from day one with all the guys. A lot of these guys have played BC provincial team together, but it’s grown even more. ‘Cause we’ve been through some hard times as well, we’ve had some big games as well. Like last year beating Trinity in our gym was huge, this year was telling getting beaten by Trinity, you know? So I think there’s been a lot of trials and tribulations which have built on that chemistry, if that makes sense? A lot of the younger guys have the passion, just to, like you see them in the gym everyday, the likes of Jasper, Sheldon, Ryan, everybody. They’re in there every single day, working. So I think the dedication has grown. Being a younger program they’ve seen through our play on the court that we can be so much better. We can beat the likes of TWU pretty easy. There’s a winning mentality here.
What has been your favorite memory do you think? Best game? Best situation? Best bus-ride or prank you played?
Best memory…That’s tough man, that’s tough. I’ve had a lot of fun on road trips before. I think the best time I think I’ve had was Quest [University], Quest preseason this year. In early September or late August we went to Quest for a two day training camp. So we hadn’t really seen any of the rookies yet, they had just come to town. We were introducing some of our rudimentary plays, you know, the basic philosophy behind our offences. And making us run, that kind of stuff. We stayed there for one night, and that night that we stayed there, we had a practice the next day, but there was a big toga party on the campus. I swear Coach knew about it! (laughs). I swear he knew about it ‘cause obviously it’s part of bonding and Coach understands that, but he didn’t give…usually on road trips he’ll give us a curfew, sometimes he’ll come around and check on rooms and stuff, especially if we’ve got a game the next day. It’s completely understandable; players are committed and nobody messes around. But he specifically didn’t do this and of course we’re seeing people on campus walking around so, pretty much all of us just got up and went to this party. So yeah we all went down and it was, it was a great party [read: homegirl].
So what’s the biggest thing you appreciate about Coach Craddock, about playing for him?
His, I mean with his strategies and so forth he’s very passionate. He’s very good at getting guys to buy in if that makes sense. He allows everyone to feel comfortable within the offence, he allows everyone to feel like they can contribute. He’s really well prepared as well, but I think just as a person, he’s got a really good personable demeanor. So you always feel comfortable going up and talking to him. I think he gets the best out of his players because there’s that respect as Coach, but there’s that ‘like’ as a person as well.
If you had to pick a five player UFV dream team, with yourself being the centre obviously, which teammates would you want to play with?
[Kyle] Grewal, to isolate him on the post. ‘Cause when that kid gets on the post, high post, he’s usually the guy who pulls it out and does about five or six dribbles between his legs before he moves a foot forward, back, left, or right. So that’s always entertaining. Um, I think I really like the way, I think I’d like Friesen to run the point, cause I always like a tall point-guard. He can make easier passes into the post and all that stuff for my personal selfish means. He’s creative, and he looks for his teammates as well. Freeman at the two, and at the three spot I’d have to put Connor Oldham because we’re just buddies. He’s my roommate over at residence; we get along really well, and that guy is just an absolute friggin’ champion in my mind.
What’s been the team’s biggest accomplishment in the last couple years?
I think, I mean beating Saskatoon this year, in their gym, in the second week of the season. They’re national champions. We lose the first night by, maybe twelve, fifteen, and then we come back big and beat them on the second night, That was just huge.
I think last year as well, which was our second-last round of double-headers. We knew we needed to win to get into playoffs. We needed to at least split to have a chance, and we had to play Trinity the next weekend. So, the first night I think it was pretty close, but then we lost on the buzzer-beater. A guy, one dribble pull-up from the three-point line, loss. It was just heartbreaking because we felt we’d earned the win, we felt we’d earned the right for playoffs. So the second night we go into their gym and we’re down 22, I think, mid to late in the third. So we’re all thinking that’s our season right? Coach is sitting there, everyone’s on the bench just, you know. And then Zeon put us on his back and just, I don’t know if you’re aware of what took place during that game, but Zeon just started killing it. The whole team just rallied behind him and we ended up winning it. I actually scored the last two baskets of that game on offensive rebound put-backs, for us to go ahead and win it. We knew that when we won that game that was our playoffs really. It was a huge feeling; we could not have been more pumped up.
What have you most appreciated about being part of UFV, the community, and the school in general?
I think you said it: the community. Literally everyone I’ve come in contact with, whether it’s been faculty, students, everyone in the athletic program, has been fantastic, so supportive, so happy, really enthusiastic, just awesome really. Everyone’s just so nice! It’s been phenomenal. I’m so immersed, being in residence the whole time; I just feel like kind of entrenched in it, and that makes me so happy. I feel like I’ve got a lot of support, like I’ve got a family around me.
In one sentence what would you say is your most important piece of advice for UFV students in the future?
I don’t think you appreciate the college lifestyle until you leave. I mean, it’s hard work, but then you have so many awesome people around you, and so many opportunities to get involved in so many things that to just go to school, go to class and go home, you’re missing out on so much. Different people like different things, but just find something you like and get involved. If you don’t like it you can quit, but just try something, you know?
That was more than one sentence but I’ll forgive you. So where do you go from here?
Well I’m flying home on the 19th of May. A buddy of mine is coming up and we’re doing a road-trip to Vegas first, going to be fun. But I’m flying home, going to get back into university, get my Masters in business, and keep playing semi-pro. Keep playing, keep trying to get better. And who knows? Maybe go play for some horrible division three team in Greece for no money but an awesome experience! (laughs). Just enjoy life man, it’s a riot.
