Who would have guessed when they played against each other in the Australian national championships both NDC redshirt guard Levi Frankland and freshman forward Hamish Warden would end up at the same school despite not knowing each other at the time:
Both players and their parents gave their recollections of what happened:
"Hamish came to me last year- and told me that a coach in Cleveland would like to talk to his parents about a scholarship and so the process started. Hamish had been doing the connecting with colleges in the US and he thought that Cleveland was what he was looking for." his mom Ruth said.
Hamish played in a few tournaments in Australia and started getting some interest from some US schools. It started when Coach Steve from AUSA hoops contacted coaches in the U.S. One of the coaches he contacted was NDC head coach Tim Koenig. After some film and a few calls TK offered a full scholarship- and- Hamish accepted.
Warden continued about the process:
" It was a perfect fit. TK told me everything I needed to know to come here. The campus- small school compared to a bigger school was really important to us. It better suited me." Warden said.
Frankland's story was a little different:
" Levi was being looked at by a few schools in the U.S. " His dad Matt said.
" Riverside was the only school that I went and visited. It was very discouraging because I felt like after practicing with the team that I was up to there level and when they told me they were looking for more of a big I was understandably upset." Levi Frankland stated.
Levi Frankland continued:
" After that TK and assistant coach Tim Baab got in touch with me- I started face timing with them. What stood out for me was the fact that they were going to value me- as a player- and- really wanted me at NDC which is important. That is what sealed it for me. I did not want to go somewhere and be a fly on the wall for a team. I wanted to be somewhere that had my back." Frankland said.
Ron and Ruth Warden have five kids. Todd (42-) Luke (37-) Tim (35-) Grace (21-) and Hamish (19.) The Warden's also have seven grandchildren. They own a dental surgery practice in Perth Hills. Ron has practiced there for 40 years- and- many of our patients are like family to us. Grace has finished a science degree at the University of Western Australia and is now doing a masters in nursing.
Warden talked about the pipeline to NDC helping:
" Having the best coaches made it a no-brainer to come to NDC. The other big factor was Ollie (Oliver Megins) graduating- and- Levi already being here. Dan Atcheson is another guy from Australia that I already knew was going to be here."
Then Warden talked about the championships in Australia:
" Back home every year there's national championships that go for about a week where each state picks a team. I played for Western Australia and Levi played for Queensland. We played each other in three championships. Our teams even had a bit of a rivalry which made it a good game every time we played Levi's team. This was all before I knew about NDC so it's crazy how I played against Levi and didn't know him before and then realized we would both be playing at NDC."
The Franklands talked about it as well:
" Levi was playing on an AAU tour in Australia. There is a national championship in which each state selects players to play on a team. Levi played for Queensland and Hamish played for Western Australia. In the national championships we played each other three times. Levi's team won. I am just saying." said Levi's parents.
Frankland talked about how his parents have always been so involved in his sports:
" My mom and dad have always been so involved with my sports. They are always there to support me. Not only me- but my five other siblings as well. It doesn't matter if I had a bad game or made mistakes they always pick me up- and- help me move on."
On the biggest attribute he got from his parents Levi said this:
" The biggest attribute I got from my parents was perseverance. They both have been thru some really hard times and have come out the other end as better people. No matter what i'm going thru I knew I can push through it and make it out the other side. My competitiveness came from my older brothers. I looked up to them and wanted to follow in there footsteps."
On the bond between he and his brother Elijah that was basketball:
" Me and my brother Elijah used to spend hours playing and just went at each other. A few times it ended in a fight. But that is where my love came from. That competitive fire would come out when we played each other."
" My brother Jesse played at a Junior College in California. I think the experience of going to another country and playing the sport I love is something I wanted to do as well so that was motivation for me. The fact that he went and did that showed me that I could too. The crazy thing is that the coach of that team was Dan Atcheson's dad."
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