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Basketball student spins his way to the top

Published
Saturday 30 Jan 2016

A Myerscough College basketball student will be plying his trade in the top flight of the English Basketball League after signing on with the Lancashire Spinners.

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Zion Tordoff is studying a Level 3 BTEC in Basketball Studies at Myerscough College and has been snapped up by the Division 1 side, and will now be part of their roster for the remainder of the season.

16-year-old Zion said: “I feel honoured and respect coach Neal Hopkins’ confidence in me to perform at a high level in Division One.

“It’s a huge chance for me to contribute to the team at both ends of the court and continue my development as a player.”

“If Neal believes you are good enough, age is irrelevant. He wants to give the young guys a chance to develop and grow at a higher level,”

“I enjoy the competition and camaraderie. A new challenge is what drives me to improve. I have learned to manage successes and disappointments. I want to go as far as my talent, will and effort take me.”

Neal Hopkins is Head of the Myerscough College Basketball Academy, as well as being Lancashire Spinners’ Head Coach. He said: “It’s important to remember that Zion is only 16.

“Physically he is still developing but his standout feature is his mental toughness and resilience. I am confident that this will really help him with the transition to Division One.”

“In my opinion, he is one of the most talented U18s in the country. I hope other younger players will strive to follow in his footsteps.”

Lancashire Spinners General Manager, Ken Masser, said: “Zion is a terrific young man who has impressed me since he featured for our club in the Manchester Summer Tournament in August

'Off the court he’s got a great work ethic. He’s humble and willing to learn. He’s still very young and will need a bit of time to adjust but I’m excited to see what he can do.

“It is important for us to continue giving opportunities to young players to step into the squad and have an immediate impact at the senior men’s level. Neal Hopkins has been an ambassador for promoting youth talent and this move demonstrates our commitment to development.’’

The link between the College and the Lancashire Spinners has so far seen six Myerscough students earn places in the squad. Zion, who starred for England under-18s in the recent Haris Memorial Tournament, joins Alex Roberts, Cian Hickey, Kyle Carey and George Darling on the roster.

by Dave Salmon

dsalmon@myerscough.ac.uk