NBA: A dunk from Johnny Furphy at the NBA Academy games had scouts salivating, with the young Aussie rising steadily on draft boards.
When Ash Arnott first laid eyes on Johnny Furphy, the then-14-year-old looked more likely to have a future as the frontman for Australia n indie rock band Ocean Alley than as a player in the NBA.Although Arnott, now assistant coach of the men’s program at Basketball Australia ’s Centre of Excellence , saw more than just those long locks.
A chance to play college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and then go declare for the NBA Draft after his freshman year?“But my job back then was to try and identify players to see who could maybe take the next step and be a pro.
Arnott’s parents were vegetable farmers and Richard Furphy, Johnny’s father, was at the Convention as part of his work. They also happened to be seated at the same table. So, Arnott agreed to catch up with Joe and Richard one day at a cafe near Waverley Park, where the Hawthorn Hawks train, and also began the process of reaching out to some colleges.“So I made an effort to go out and watch him,” Arnott said.
That happened to be the first time McKinlay, head coach at the CoE, saw Furphy and he also liked what he was seeing.well,” Arnott replied, adding: “You like him, don’t you?”Marty Clarke, technical director at the NBA’s Global Academy, also got his first look at Furphy in Mackay. His high “wasn’t too high” and his low “wasn’t too low”, as Clarke put it, while McKinlay said Furphy was “steady the whole time”.From there, Furphy was invited to play in the NBL1 Wildcard series in Perth as part of a CoE squad which included Alex Toohey, Ben Henshall, Alex Condon and Tyrese Proctor.
The player that scored 12 points in his first game at the Wildcard series to go with just as many rebounds and five steals in a 46-point win against the Rockingham Flames.“This is a kid we need to bring into the CoE,” he said, and it was a process made easier by the fact Proctor was leaving the program for Duke, opening up a scholarship for Furphy.
But in between those setbacks, Furphy was starting to show signs and playing high-level basketball along the way, first during a joint trip with the NBA Global Academy to Spain in October 2022 and then in January the following year at the North East Prep School Invitational in Providence, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team.
“And I said, ‘Hey Johnny, you’re wasting my time, you’re wasting all the college coaches’ time, you’re wasting your time. What’s going on?”.been for Alex Toohey, who committed to Gonzaga but ended up playing in the NBL as part of its Next Stars program after breaking out at the Academy Games the year prior.
“He exploded at that tournament,” added Shawn King, who coached Furphy in the Under 16s and 18s at Hawthorn and then in 2022 when he played for Melbourne University in the Big V.“You could see glimpses of the NBA. I thought he could be an NBA kid. But obviously I didn’t think it would happen this quick.”
“The one luxury he did have was because it was so late in the piece most of the rosters were set and so I said, ‘You’re going in to fill a need… you may commit and stay for an extra 12 months, but that roster with the transfer portal could be a completely new roster’. But as a whole Furphy was highly productive once given a starting role, going 12-for-22 from downtown during one four-game stretch of the season as he rocketed up draft boards.
McKinlay also got to watch one practice session where he said Furphy, still only relatively new to the team, was already “telling some of the older guys where they needed to be”.“I was like, ‘OK. He’s fine. He’s ready to go’. The big environment didn’t bother him,” McKinlay added. “He’s just got to continue to work, get stronger physically, so when he does drive the ball he doesn’t get bumped off his line. I think once he gets that down then, he’s going to be one hell of a player.”, adding he is receiving “strong interest, starting with Memphis at No. 9, extending throughout the teens and ending with Cleveland at No. 20”.
Watching and then thinking about just how far that “little surfer boy” has come and how far he has to go, still only 19 years old and hopefully with a long NBA career ahead of him. “I think the thing for Johnny is he just hung in there, hung in there long enough until he was ready and an opportunity came along and then he made the most of his opportunity.”
“Everyone wants to talk about Johnny’s athleticism, his skill. The skill part came from his ability to work on his game constantly.” But every time McKinlay talked to his son on the phone after a game, he always asked the same question: Where’s Johnny?There were plenty of other great players on the roster at the time, including Toohey, Condon and Henshall, who were part of a 2004 age group that McKinlay described as “special”.
Indie Rock Band Head Coach Hawthorn Hawks North East Prep School Invitational NBA Academy Select Red State Of Georgia Rotation Option Mock Draft Istanbul Assistant Coach Las Vegas Andrew Jackson Richard Furphy Providence Moment Furphy Victoria Africa Talented Basketball Player California Scouts Reach Florida College Route Text Message Chicago Bulls Turkey Andrew Gaze Greg Colucci Southern Europe Canberra Western Australia College Scholarship Offer Adelaide Barclays Plc Center Agence France Presse South Australia Australian Basketball Talent Front Row Seat AUSVEG Convention Rapid Rise Jeremy Woo Nevada Hotel Room Eastern Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Morning Coffee Spain Orlando Jay Biggerstaff Breakout Season Ben Henshall Christian Petersen State Team Australia Intriguing Upside Swing Bright Lights CBS Corporation Locker Rooms Alex Toohey Junior Basketball College Basketball Green Room Exhibition Game University Of Kansas North America Melbourne Poster Boy Nash Walker Bill Self Dash Daniels Selection Campbasketball Western Asia Surfer Boy Robbie Mckinlay Memphis Familiar Faces Joe Sacramento Marty Clarke Europe Clifton Hill Perth Kansas Technical Director Mauritius Northern America Brian Cardinal Highlight Plays Guy Runs College Career Shin Splints Penrith Panthers ESPN Inc. Playing College Basketball Shawn King United States Of America Tennessee Age Group Cleveland Australian Indie Rock Melbourne University Oceania Scouts Salivating Atlanta Practice Session Ash Arnott Professional Basketballers America College Scholarship John E. Moore Australian Basketball Chris Gardner Getty Images Inc. New York Dyson Daniels Australian Wing Report Australia And New Zealand Monster Dunk Front Row Transfer Portal Minnesota Multiple High-Major Coaches Prominent Role Basketball Court Asia Shooting Efficiency Ohio Australian Capital Territory
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The ‘big summer’ and ‘risk’ behind Aussies’ remarkable rise from career ‘crossroads’ to NBA FinalsNBA: Luka Doncic not only sent the Timberwolves packing from the playoffs, but he also ended the night early for one overzealous Minnesota fan.
Read more »
How big NBA draft mystery could spark chaos as intrigue surrounds rising Aussie: Ultimate GuideNBA: A dunk from Johnny Furphy at the NBA Academy games had scouts salivating, with the young Aussie rising steadily on draft boards.
Read more »
Almost half of all Aussies to receive $1200 cash injectionAlmost one in two Aussies are expecting a much-needed tax refund this year as cost of living pressures make the cash critical for many everyday Aussies.
Read more »
Philanthropist who gave away millions to pay for health facilities diesOne of Australia&x27;s biggest philanthropists, whose money helped millions of Aussies, has died.
Read more »
Aussies confirm controversial Olympic marathon team after ugly online warAussies confirm controversial Olympic marathon team after ugly online war
Read more »