Devon van Oostrum &
Andrew Lawrence
Jack Majewski speaks to GB players Devon van Oostrum and Andrew Lawrence after their performance in the London 2012 International Basketball Invitational in preparation for the European Championships in Lithuania.
Devon van Oostrum
JM: Devon, I vividly remember you playing 12 months ago at Future Stars when you led the English U-18 team. Now you are successfully holding court against such playmaking masters like Tony Parker, Marko Popovic and Milos Teodosic .It must be such a massive learning curve for you?
DVO: It was probably the best basketball experience of my life. I could learn so much from these guys and hopefully I did. It showed in the game against Australia, easily my best in the tournament when I felt really confident
JM. Well, you are quite modest. In the game against Australia you looked by far the best guard on the floor. Are you ready to assume the position of starting point guard for GB team at the age of 19?
DVO: I really don’t know. I don’t even think about the starting spot right now. I’m concentrating on making the team. If Chris Finch will take me to Lithuania I will be extremely happy. Then we will see how the situation will develop.
JM: How would you assess your last 12 months in Caja Laboral? Obviously your progress is quite startling.
DVO: Obviously this is a very good programme which takes great care of the development of young players. They spend so much time on individual technique and provide a great strength and conditioning programme. I play on the junior team and 2nd men’s team, so every weekend I had 2 games .That is absolutely crucial that I’m playing non-stop. There is no substitute for a constant game experience.
JM: You are a pure example of very a successful young English player who took the “European route” instead of choosing an American school. What advice would you give to other young hopefuls who would like to follow your footsteps?
DVO: I have chosen a European club instead of an American school because they concentrate far more on individual development instead of winning games. That was very important to me. Caja is a great establishment and in my 2 years there I developed and matured greatly. Of course you are missing on college experience but being with a professional club prepares you better for your playing career.
JM: So what will be an immediate future of yours Devon?
DVO: Well, I don’t like thinking too much about my future .At this moment I’m concentrating on making the team for Lithuania. Beyond that I simply don’t know yet.
JM: Do you have a sense of almost historic moment when you can lead a wave of young, exciting immensely talented GB to the real international success. Even more importantly can you establish GB as a one of the European super-powers for decades?
DVO: We definitely would like it to happen. I had a couple of good years in Europe, but now when I’m entering the professional scene everything will be brought to a completely new level. I really hope that I will be able to make my mark next season.
JM: What needs to happen in England to produce more Devon’s and bring basketball to the mainstream of sporting public conscious?
DVO: We need more events like that [London 2012 Test Event], far better facilities and far more TV exposure. BBL should be televised, no matter that it is a poor quality. Presence on TV would bring so much more exposure to the game. Of course we need far more exposure for the GB team. At this moment sport in the media concentrates on football, rugby and cricket, and basketball is nowhere to be seen. For the past 20 years we are talking that basketball needs more exposure in the media, so let’s do something about it. Now is the best time!
JM: What about the coaching system for junior groups and lack of international contact?
DVO: Again, the lack of facilities is a big problem. Young players have no place to train. When I was younger I had to go to the nearby park to practice. I hear exactly the same stories from all over the country. Certainly this is not a way to develop young players to the international standard. There is also a big problem with very rare contact with the European basketball scene. Basically the only chance to play against international opposition is during a junior European Championship and Future Stars. Of course they provide a good experience but it is far too little
Andrew Lawrence
JM: Andrew, two years ago you were playing junior basketball in England. Now you are successfully holding court against such playmaking masters like Tony Parker, Marko Popovic and Milos Teodosic-what a journey! It must be such a massive learning curve for you?
AL: It has been an amazing experience for me. Starting was a true privilege, but the main thing is to be on the team. To be honest I never expected to make it so far.
JM: Do you have a sense of almost historic moment when you, Devon and Ogo can lead a wave of young, exciting immensely talented GB players to real international success? Even more importantly you can establish
GB as a one of the European super-powers for decades?
AL: The amount of talent coming from Great Britain is truly amazing. I really believe that we can compete with all these teams here [London 2012 Test Event].I know that it is sometimes difficult to take it when we are losing games we should have won. But it is a great learning experience and we are not far from beating them.
JM: What does need to happen in England to produce more Andrew Lawrence’s and bring basketball to the mainstream of sporting public conscious?
AL: First of all there needs to be more money in the game. There is no money in English basketball. From my experience in the USA I can see that there is money thrown at basketball at every level. Even the youngest players are well funded. Another matter is lack of facilities, which is obviously connected to the poor financial state of the game. There is no place for young players to train properly. There must be more investment into the game before we see some significant improvements. Obviously the game needs far more exposure in the media.
JM: What about the coaching system for junior groups and lack of international contact?
AL. How Devon said, obviously we don’t have enough contact with European basketball. There is only the European Championship and Future Stars which is not enough. Young players should play in Europe at least once a month. Playing abroad is a great way to educate young players.
JM. In contrary to Devon you decided to continue your basketball education in the USA. How difficult was it for you to adapt to the European game after 2 years in America?
AL: I really enjoyed my years in America which has been very tough for me. It is a completely different style to the European game. Being perfectly honest I much prefer the European game. I love watching the teams participating in this tournament and appreciate how tactically advanced they are.
JM: So what will be in the immediate future of you, Andrew?
AL: Obviously I would love to make the team for Lithuania. Then I’m back in America for 2 more years. It is needless to say that my dream is to be in the Olympic team next year.
JM: Don’t you think that playing in one of the European clubs would enhance your chances of making the Olympic team and even more importantly, prepare you better for the demands of international competition?
AL: Playing for the College of Charleston definitely didn’t harm my chances of making the GB team. At the present time I can’t envisage any changes in that matter. However the world of basketball changes so quickly that I can’t rule out a move to Europe. If something, crazily attractive happens of course I will consider it.
18.08.11
Photographs courtesy of Mansoor Ahmed Photography