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| Wayne Selden & Lebron James at Camp |
Wayne Selden Has Summer for the Ages
- What did you the July after your Freshman year of High School? Let's see, I worked as a junior counselor at Camp Chickami and played in the Cabot Park Summer League for Newton North HS. I also played Babe Ruth Baseball and my team made it all the way to the finals before losing a heart-breaker in the deciding Game Three. It was also the summer that OJ was arrested for the murder of his wife and the summer that the World Cup was held in the US. I could go on....but I don't want to burden you with my boring story. The story of Wayne Selden's Post-Freshman Year July however, is another matter. We got a chance to pick his mind on the matter on the fly...
- Wayne Selden, a 6'5 wing from Roxbury, the Tilton School, and BABC, started out July by heading to the Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio, which invites the top 80 players in America not named Adidas. To be invited as a Sophomore-to-be is a prestigious honor to say the least, and an experience which Selden has cherished, "It was an honor to just be there, being able to compete against and meet the best players in the country was a very enjoyable experience. I also picked up some drills that are going to help me with my game," Selden said.
HoopRootz: Did playing there make you hungry for more? Getting to that level either makes a dude satisfied or hungry to stay..Which r you?
Wayne: "Definitely made me way hungrier...I thought I wanted it before camp, but after being there, my hunger's just on another level now."
HoopRootz: You make any friends out there that you think you'll stay friends with?
Wayne: "Yeah fore sure, Tony Parker is my boy, Rasheed Saulimon, LJ Rose, Shaq Johnson, Austin Colbert the list goes on..when you have a group of guys with the same goal, we all just naturally come together."
HoopRootz: And what about Lebron? He takes heat for how everything went down, but that's just TV. What was Lebron like as a person? What was your impression of him?
Wayne: "Very cool dude, really humble and was just one of us."
HoopRootz: What about the gear they gave out? It was pretty unbelievable from what I saw..
Wayne: Yeah it was crazy...Makes you feel blessed...I gave most of it away to my younger brother and some close friends.."
HoopRootz: OK, so after Lebron Camp, you headed to Little Rock to play in the Finals of the 15u National Championship
Wayne: "It was fun to come in like that in that type of dramatic situation. We were all laughing and yellin and jumpin around at first, but then it was down to business pretty quick. And then it was great to help the guys get that win, but obviously they did all the work to get there so really the credit's all with them."
HoopRootz: So from Little Rock, you flew straight to South Carolina for Peach Jam...What was the atmosphere like? Was it intense?
Wayne: "Yeah it was insane, the best league in the country besides the NBA (and college ball of course) lol...but this was my second year at Peach Jam, so all the hype & nervousness was left in the past."
HoopRootz: So do you think being there last year helped you guys have success this year?
Wayne: "Yeah, definitely, last year we came in second in the 16s...that just made us more hungry to win it this year, and when we did....mission accomplished."
HoopRootz: Were you surprised by how dominant Nerlens was down there, or was it just typical Nerlens poetry to you?
Wayne: "No surprise I've seen it before just never on that big of a stage."
After Peach Jam, Selden flew back to Boston and went on Rest and Recovery Mode for about a week before he headed back to Logan Airport to fly to Orlando. Over the next 12 days or so, Selden played in almost 20 games while playing in the 15u Super Showcase, the 16u Nationals, and the 17u Super Showcase, winning Silver Medals in both Showcases while winning the 16u National Championship for his 3rd career National Championship.
Pressed for time, I asked him a few somewhat random questions about Orlando...
HoopRootz: How were the Harrison Twins? {the backcourt of the one team who was able to knock the BABC 17s off in an elimination game in 2011}
Wayne: "The Harrison twins were good. One is a 1 and the other a 2. Only if I had a twin."
HoopRootz: What about Layman and J-Brant? How you feel about those guys finally getting those big offers?
Wayne: "I feel really good for them because Jake & Jaylen work so hard and they defintely deserve it."
With July Basketball officially in the books, Wayne Selden is already reflecting on his experience, "These times are definitely cherished...I'm going to use this summer experience to look towards the future. I want to accomplish so much more." Selden is already looking towards taking his game to the next level for next season at Tilton, "I'm looking to improve on my overall game and tighten up my handle, and be a better rebounder from the guard position. I can't wait. we're going everywhere and we expect no L's!"
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