Edmonds, Hill in test team

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 64

Edmonds, Hill in test team

By

FRANK DUGGAN

Two Converse Canterbury players, John Hill and Dave Edmonds, both members of the Continental CaterersRangiora club, have been chosen for the New Zealand senior men’s basketball team for a five-test series against the American teams, Biola Invaders, and Southern California All Stars, in the next few weeks. Hill has been a national representative for several seasons, while Edmonds first represented New Zealand last season in tours of the Far East and the United States. The other Canterbury player, at the two-day national trials, which ended on Monday evening, was lan Webb, but he was not included in the final 12-man squad. The biggest surprise is the selection of Byron Vaitoe, of Auckland, and to a lesser extent Colin Crampton, of Nelson, who played for Canterbury University for several seasons until he returned to Nelson late last

year. Both Vaitoe and Crampton are guards and have replaced Euan Lockhart (Otago) and Tony Complain (Ponsonby). The team will be captained by the former Canterbury player, Stan Hill (Auckland), who is John’s older brother. Vaitoe, at 1.93 m, is one of the tallest guards playing in New Zealand. He was included in the trials at the last minute after showing out for the second division St Lukes side.

Although born in New Zealand, he has spent the greater part of his life in the United States, and in 1981-82, played for Dixie College when it won the United States junior title. Aged 22, he has spent the last two seasons on a Mormon mission in New Zealand, and was the star of the St Lukes team this season. However, there is some doubt if Vaitoe will be available for New Zealand’s Oceania zone world championship qualifying series with Australia in October, as he is scheduled to return to the United States next month. Crampton has taken some time to gain national recognition. He was on the fringe of Canterbury selection when he played under Mr Bob Bishop for the University club. Mr Bishop was recently appointed chief coach of the national team, and was no doubt impressed by Crampton’s consistency for Nelson during the recent league season. Nick Costley (Nelson) and Glenn Denham (Otago) are other South Island members of the squad, while a former Canterbury player, Gilbert Gordon, who now plays for Wellington, has regained his place after a string of injuries in the last two years. The team is: Stan Hill, captain, Alan Ovens, Byron Vaitoe (Auckland); Nick Costley, Colin Crampton (Nelson); Glenn Denham (Otago); Dave Edmonds, John Hill (Canterbury); Gilbert Gordon, Dave Mason (Wellington); Eric Howard and Tony Smith (Hamilton).