Sanjana Ramesh joins Northern Arizona University to become only the second Indian woman in NCAA D1 Basketball

Sanjana Ramesh (17), a talented all-rounder on the court, had been simmering in the Indian basketball circles for the past year. In 2017, she played a small but crucial role as India won Division B of the FIBA U16 Asia Championship, in front of her hometown fans in Bengaluru. Her potential made her one of the recruits for the NBA Academy's first-ever women's camp in Greater Noida this summer. And a few days after this camp, as she participated in the larger Basketball Without Borders event among some of the most gifted young players in Asia, Ramesh exploded to rise above the rest, winning camp MVP and putting the country on notice.

But she took her biggest leap yet this week, when news broke from across the pond that the Northern Arizona University's women's basketball programme - a team in the Big Sky Conference of NCAA's Division 1 in the USA - have handed one of their two scholarships to bring Ramesh to their programme. After signing the National Letter of Intent with the 'Lumberjacks', Ramesh has become only the second Indian-born player ever to receive basketball scholarship for a Division 1 team, after Kavita Akula at the Grand Canyon University.

On Wednesday, head coach Loree Payne announced Sanjana Ramesh and Emily Rodabaugh (Lynnwood, Washington State) as the newest Lumberjacks, after the pair signed their NLI. Both Ramesh and Rodabaugh will be incoming freshmen for the 2019-20 season.

"With only two scholarships, we had to get two impact players and we did," said Payne said. "We got two players who have the potential to impact our program right away. Both fit our style of play, can get up and down the floor and are very versatile. They can play on the perimeter and can play on the inside. We pride ourselves on player development, and there is no ceiling to how great these two players can be."

Ramesh, a 6'0" forward, averaged 6.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for India's U16 squad at last years U16 FIBA Asia Championship. She made her senior team debut for India at the 2018 William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei this summer, where she endured an anterior cruciate ligament tear to her knee. She had surgery on the knee in August.

"Sanjana is an athlete who has international and national experience in India," Payne said. "We’re trying to get our foot in the door in the international recruiting scene and for us, Sanjana is everything we’re looking for. She’s a joyful kid and very thankful for the opportunity to come here and she’s going to be a heck of a player. Her potential is limitless."

The Northern Arizona Universiy's main campus at the base of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Arizona. Last season was coach Payne's first with NAU. The Lumberjacks finished the season with a 7-23 overall record, and their season came to an end in the first round of the Big Sky Championships to Portland State.

Hoopdarshan Episode 28: Maryland's Varun Ram on NCAA Basketball and his India connection

India's finest basketball podcast, Hoopdarshan, is back! In Episode 28, Maryland's point guard Varun Ram - one of the few Indian-origin players to be a part of the NCAA March Madness Tournament - joins the podcast to talk about college basketball in the US and his continuing connection to India. Hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok also give a shoutout to the Delhi Capitals, winners of the second season of the UBA Basketball League, and discuss why it's no surprise that Ludhiana happens to be both a capital of Indian basketball and butter chicken.

Ram was born in Kentucky to Indian immigrants from Tamil Nadu. After being a hoops vagabond in a journey that took him to Division 3, he moved to Maryland and got a chance as a red-shirt to play for the Terps, before eventually making the team. He's had a chance to play for them in two national tournaments. Ram has also visited India and his parents' home state a couple of times in recent years with Crossover Basketball to help teach the game to young players in Chennai.



Hoopdarshan aims to be the true voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

The Combo-Guard: Varun Ram is combining his athletic and academic goals at Maryland

The life of a student athlete can be complicated. There's homework to deal with in the classroom and homework to deal with on the court. You have to study Xs and Os as much as you have to study formulas and equations. Sometimes, for the rare few, the two worlds combine so that the lab room science trickles out to make the science of basketball clearer, and the on-court discipline brings structure to the classroom, too.

It was nearing 9 at night when Maryland's guard Varun Ram finally had the time to take my call. His schedule was stacked as he tried to balance between two worlds. He was exiting the lab, catching up on missed time as a physiology and biology major. And he had to get rest to be ready for practice the next day. A game against famous rivals Duke - which would be Maryland-Duke's last ever face-off in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) - lingered only a few days ahead.

"Things are definitely busy," Ram laughs and says, "I have to write things down so I don't forget my schedule!"

Shuffling between different worlds, and sometimes, polar opposites, isn't exactly new for the 21-year-old. Casual US college basketball fans might not flinch at 5-foot-9 backup guard out of his team's rotation, and averaging fewer than eight minutes per contest for the season, but Ram's significance stretches way beyond those casual eyes. Born to Indian immigrants, Ram is one of an extremely tiny list of Indian-origin players who have ever cracked NCAA D1 Basketball, the highest level of the college game in the world. He mixes cultures, academic interests, and athletic life, and he's doing it in the toughest division in college basketball.

And yet, it almost never worked out. At an early age, Ram had to choose between his academic, athletic, and family goals, in a journey that saw him do an extra High School year to improve his basketball skills, move to Connecticut and play Division 3 ball, travel back to Maryland to return home, and then work his way into a Division 1 roster.

But let's start the story at the very beginning: Ram was born in Lexington, Kentucky to Indian parents who immigrated from Tamil Nadu 25 years ago. His mother was from Attur while his father called the town of Rasipuram his home. In the States, Ram and his family moved around a lot but finally settled in Maryland for good 15 years ago. His roots to India remained strong as ever, though.

"I go back to visit often," he added, "And even here in America, I feel absolutely connected to the Indian community. My parents have brought me up completely with the Indian culture. My older sister is a bharatnatyam dancer, and we're constantly surrounded by the Indian community."

But Ram chose a path usually less traveled for an Indian: basketball. He started playing basketball and football (soccer) at eight, but as he grew older and academic pressure increased, he only had time for just one out of class activity in his schedule. So he chose basketball, the one thing he loved the most. "My parents wanted me to be well-rounded," Ram added, "They said that as long as I do well academically, I can do anything else. If my grades had been worse, maybe they would've been more strict!"

Ram excelled for River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland, and had dreams of attending an Ivy League college with a good balance of sports and athletics. Since his High School wasn't too high on the list of college recruiters, many skipped over him. He was shown some interest by coaches at Brown and Dartmouth who encouraged to do a post-graduate year in High School (which took some convincing to the Indian parents) to improve his skills, which he did. Unfortunately, by the time the year ended, the coaches that the shown interest moved on. Ram's hoops dreams were at the crossroads.

So he ended up leaving home to take any basketball opportunity he could, and it came in the shape of the Division 3's Connecticut Trinity College in Hartford, CT. "I was there for a year, I played a lot, and I played well. But after the year ended, I decided it was time for me to come back home to my family in Maryland."

Ram's homecoming was fated to be bittersweet, as he would end up joining Maryland University to focus on his academic major, but was told to give up on basketball. The Maryland Terps were too strong and too deep, he was told. It was over.

Except that it wasn't.

"I've been playing ball all my life," Ram says, "It's what I'm best at. I couldn't just stop. I worked my tail off and got a tryout at end of 2012. I made the team as a red-shirt, practicing with the team but not suiting up for games. And then, finally this season, I got the chance to become a D1 player."

As a third-choice point guard, Ram's opportunities for the Terps (15-12) have been far and few in-between, but the young man who has journeyed through so many obstacles isn't complaining. "My job now is to push the guys ahead of me in practice as hard as possible. If I train hard against them they'll be better in game against other point guards. I take my role very seriously and I'm waiting for more opportunities to play for the team."

Earlier in the season, that opportunity came when Maryland's starting point guard Seth Allen went down to injury, inserting Ram in the regular rotation. He played about 10-15 minutes a game, including in a marquee national television showcase against Ohio State.

Now, Ram is also planning ahead for the future. He has two more years left in college plus another year of eligibility. "I feel I could pursue a career overseas if possible after graduation. I've played at highest college ball level. I know I can do it. But if it doesn't work out, perhaps I'll aim for medical school."

Ram has also connected with the Indian national team in the past, and has had dreams of going back to his parents' home country to explore basketball opportunities. Unfortunately, India's rules against naturalization in sports might restrict his ambitions.

"I've played some ball in India," he says, "They are athletic and have a love for the game, but are very often lacking in technical skills."

"But, I think it's 100 percent possible for India to develop basketball stars one day. There are 1.2 billion people in the country and so many athletes. I was born and raised in a country where sports like basketball are a big deal. If I was in India, maybe I wouldn't be playing ball, especially considering my height. I'm sure there are kids in India who have the potential to be as good or better than me but who don't have the opportunities. They could make it if they were given the right exposure."

And that's why, despite the journey he faced to get where he is, Ram knows that he's been blessed. He's been blessed to have parents that supported both his athletic and academic ambitions, blessed to have a system around him that encouraged his love for basketball, and blessed to be playing for Maryland, where he can have home, sports, and studies all at the same time.

The life of a student-athlete is surely complicated, yes. But if you manage it right, it can be a blessing. At 5-foot-9 and from a community that is still an outsider to basketball, he worked hard enough to make it to the highest level. Hopefully, his example can motivate others to aim higher, too.

Tanveer Bhullar joins Sim at New Mexico State

The New Mexico State Aggies are about to get a lot bigger and Indian-er next season.

Tanveer Bhullar, the 7-foot-2 behemoth from Huntington Prep, has officially signed on to attend the New Mexico State University next season, joining his older brother (who stands an even bigger 7-foot-5) Sim Bhullar.

If you haven't kept track of their story yet, the brothers - aged 20 and 18 - are Canadian of Indian (Punjabi) descent, and have been catching the eyes of scouts for the past few years. Sim joined NMSU last season and had a freshman year to remember, helping his side win the WAC Championship and winning the MVP award, and then leading the team into the NCAA Tournament. NMSU lost in their very first tournament game to Saint Louis, but Sim made enough of a impact on the court (and on Twitter) to interest fans for the years ahead.

Now, his younger brother has joined the lineup and the Aggies pretty much become the biggest college team since... Hell, I don't know. College ball experts fill me in on that one. 7-5 and 7-2 are no joke. And, as an extra bonus to us desis, they are both of Indian descent. Tanveer's addition also adds him to my list of Indian-origin players to ever be in NCAA D1 programmes. The brothers have played together in High School and prep schools in the past, so they should have no trouble fitting in the same lineup together.

It took Sim some time to figure out the pace of college basketball last season and lose a ton of weight before he started earning heavy minutes for the Aggies. Tanveer won't have the same weight issues, but it may take him some time (like most freshman) to get accustomed to the game. Having an experienced big brother will help. Hopefully, he's in full gear before the season ends, and by tournament time next year, we'll see two Bhullars wrecking havoc in the NCAA.

Basketball Traveller - NBA’s Greg Stolt: “Our purpose in China is to have people go out to play and enjoy basketball!”

This feature was first published in the 109th edition (2013 - No. 12) of SLAM China Magazine. Here is my original English version of the story. 

Things change. From running alongside Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem and Florida, to playing in the sunny seaside of Spain. From feasting on sushi in Japan to hanging with the surfers in Australia. The smell of spicy curries in India and the taste of spicy Hot-Pot in Beijing. Basketball has taken Greg Stolt all across the world. And as NBA China’s Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations, Stolt is now bringing that wealth of experience to help develop the future of hoops in China.

Things change. But throughout the changes, through the different languages, cultures, continents and lifestyles, one thing brought them all together: basketball.

A former college star with the NCAA Division 1 side Florida in his college years, Stolt has played professionally across the world. But now, he is concentrating on a different role. The NBA has had a formal presence in China for several years now: they opened their first office in 1992 and the NBA has been on air on CCTV since 1987. The league has 300 million fans in China and NBA’s social media accounts in Sina and Tencent have 53 million followers. Their relationship with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) dates back nearly three decades ago. Today, the NBA helps run a state-of-the-art CBA Basketball School in Dongguan which has trained over a 1000 Chinese youth players. Stolt, who is now based in China full-time, has been involved in various different NBA-China activities which includes the school in Dongguan, coaches’ training programmes, and in promoting the NBA’s presence in China with events such as NBA’s preseason ‘China Games’ in the country.

Recently, Stolt – the head of NBA China’s Basketball Operations department – spoke to SLAM discussing his past journeys with basketball, his present involvement with the game in China, and his optimistic outlook about the future of basketball in the Middle Kingdom!

Things change. But the basketball remained the same.

SLAM: How long have you been working in China, and how has your experience been in the country so far?

Stolt: I’ve been here since August 2012. Prior to that, I was working with the NBA in New York for three years, and over those years, I made several visits abroad to places like China and India to work with basketball operations.

China has been fantastic. There have been great opportunities here because basketball is so integral to the culture here. China has good basketball fans and I’ve been able to learn many new things.

SLAM: Talk a little about your role with the NBA in China.

I work with the department of basketball operations with NBA China, and it has a different structure here than in the US. Our product – the NBA – is in the USA. Here, the aim is to support the passionate development of the game. We do that by collaborating with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in various parts of the country.

SLAM: How do you feel that your background as a college star and your experience playing internationally helps to work with younger players now in China?

Stolt: Yes, I have had quite a unique background with basketball. I’ve been quite fortunate because I was surrounded by great coaches all my life. My father was a coach and player and he played with many great players himself. I had a great coach in college. I lived and played in Europe, Australia, Japan, and back in the USA with the D-League. The experience helped me truly broaden my horizons and show me a world that was very different to my upbringing.

When it comes to working with young players here, I’ve discovered that, up to a certain stage, kids learning basketball around the world are pretty much the same. They want to play, and they love the game, whether they are in China, India, or in the USA. That is the common denominator. Playing around the world has indeed given me an idea on how things in other countries work or don’t work. I’ve had experiences that you can’t get from books. It has given me great practical opportunities and prepared me to have more insight into the basketball world.

SLAM: You had quite a memorable career with the Florida Gators. How did that team prove to be such a good fit for your talents?

Stolt: I have to give credits to my coaches, who were both able to help my development. In my freshman year (1995-96), we had Coach Lon Kruger at the helm. After that, we had coach Billy Donovan – who is still the team’s Head Coach now. Coach Donovan let it be known that I could really get better and move on to the next level. With him, I saw new opportunities in a new system. The three years I spent with him (1996-99) were great. He was a phenomenal coach. He taught me about how to carry myself on and off the court, about conditioning, nutrition, and that teaching helped me be prepared with the building blocks to eventually play professionally in Europe.

1999 was my most successful season there, when we reached the Sweet 16 stage in the NCAA tournament – the only time I got to play in the tournament. We got some good players in my sophomore year like Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, and we developed together to our full potential by the time I was a Senior. It was a nice nucleus of players and good teammates. The Coach stressed on improving our conditioning. A lot of us could play multiple positions and we shot a lot of threes – it made difficult for opponents to keep up with us!

SLAM: After College, you were an international basketball journeyman. In which countries have you played professionally?

Stolt: I played in the Dominican Republic, Spain, Belgium, then back in the USA during the first year of the NBA’s D-League, in the old CBA (Continental Basketball Association) in the States, France, Japan, Australia, and I ended my playing career in Japan. Those who play basketball internationally can play in different countries over a 12-month calendar – for example, I was in Australia during their season and back in Japan the same year. 2003-04 was my last playing season.

I didn’t have a chance to play in China, although I would have loved to do so!

SLAM: So what was your most interesting international basketball experience?

Stolt: They are all very unique, and all were phenomenal. And it is only when you leave a country that you realize how great the experience there was! In France, the level of play is phenomenal – they have the best athletes outside of the NBA. I had some great experiences in Japan, which is a country that I never expected to visit otherwise. They have hardworking players there and an interesting culture. Australia is another unique place to play and to live.

The bottom line is that these experiences are all about the people you meet and work with. And in each place, I met some great people.

SLAM: You have a unique vantage point towards basketball, from the perspective of having played or worked with the NCAA, the NBA, in Europe, in Australia, and in Asia. How do they all differ?

Stolt: For me, there was a little bit of a learning curve required after playing in the NCAA system. In the NCAA, a player is very well taken care of, and there, I didn’t have to worry about little things like where to eat, where to do my laundry, etc. On the professional level, you don’t have the same type of support system. Playing internationally, the general theme was to find one other American in every team, where (like China) usually two foreign players are allowed per team. In most cases, the foreign players stick with each other, but I made it a commitment to get to know my local teammates and coaches too. It helped my understanding of the local culture wherever I was and helped me get the most out of my experience.

The on-court learning curve was different, too. In Europe, for example, teams play a lot of preseason games, so there is a lot of opportunity to learn their style of play together. But in Japan, I had to find my place in the offense on the fly.

Foreign players like me had to do whatever the team asked us to do: in most cases, the focus was on getting statistics and scoring as much as possible. And at the same time, I had to ensure that the team was successful. There is more concern internationally than in the USA for foreign players to find a balance between big stats and winning games.

SLAM: From what you have seen here, how does basketball in China differ from your previous experiences?

Stolt: China is right there with the rest of the world in the level of basketball played and coaching. The CBA as made many great initiatives in recent years. Most importantly, people in China can’t get enough of basketball and are passionate about it! The country has the resources, the interest of the community, which is the total equation to help the game develop further here. In whichever country there is a passion in the people to learn and play more, then basketball will surely become better there.

SLAM: What are the NBA’s future plans in continuing to grow the game here?

Stolt: Our number one goal is to grow and develop the game alongside the CBA. The unique thing about China is that it is the only place in the world where we have a basketball academy – in Dongguan. 130 kids were admitted there this year! Our hope is that the players from the academy can play in the CBA one day or even in the USA.

Growing our relationship with the CBA also helps us to help develop coaches in China. We have an annual CBA Coaches Programme where we work with numerous CBA coaches. In late October or early November, we host 15 CBA coaches in the USA to provide them a look at how basketball coaching and operations works over there. Many of the top CBA coaches like Cui Wan Jun (Xinjiang), Min Lulei (Beijing), Gong Xiaobin (Shandong), and Qu Shaobin (Guangdong) have been part of our Coaches Programme in the past. We are also bringing eight coaches from the USA to China this summer to conduct clinics and camps. We’ve already done such clinics over the years across the country. We are reaching out to college/high school level coaches in our various grassroots programmes.

We will continue to look at opportunities to team up with local basketball stakeholders. Hopefully more exposure to the Chinese people to the NBA can continue to help grow the game here. The NBA’s purpose in China is to have people go out to play and enjoy basketball.

SLAM: Talk about the training Center in Dongguan and how it is benefiting young Chinese players.

Stolt: The CBA Dongguan Basketball School – An NBA Training Center, opened in 2011. It is very much like a full-fledged High-School for kids aged between 8-17. We have academic staff there to handle 130 children in five different grades. We have split them up by their basketball skill level. The whole curriculum has been brought together by Bruce Palmer, who is the technical director at the school. We have also been able to run numerous clinics for national and international teams over there.

It is a special place. Anyone who enters will feel like picking up a basketball and start playing!

The NBA’ basketball operations work to select kids for this training center with camps all across the country. We have camps in eight Chinese cities last year, and pick kids not only on their potential basketball skills, but also on their academic strengths and personality.

SLAM: And finally: what do you foresee for the future of Chinese Basketball?

Stolt: I think that the sky is the limit for basketball in China. China has enthusiasm and interest in playing the game amongst the fans. I think we will surely see more success stories of Chinese players who eventually make it to the NBA and the WNBA. And back here, we will see more Chinese who will become interested in playing basketball. It won’t be long before more young players from China can take help take the game to the next level.

Indian-Origin players to have played NCAA D1 Basketball

No Indian national has yet had the experience of playing basketball at the highest collegiate level in the world, the NCAA Division 1 in the United States. But that said, there is no shortage of our larger Indian diaspora - specifically Indians who grew up in North America - who have represented at that level in some shape or form. The world paid attention as Canadian-Indian Sim Bhullar had his breakthrough playing in the national-tournament for New Mexico State and went on to become the first Indian-descent player in the NBA. It's time we compile a list of all others before Bhullar who have played a little (or a lot) D1 ball in the past, or our still playing at that level in the present.

This post grew out of popular demand, demand to showcase that players with desi genes certainly have the potential to take the next higher step in hoops. I've been able to collect the names of the list through past research and experience and the aid of some very helpful readers. I thank Rahul Desai for the idea and for getting me started and Sunpreet Sher Singh for suggesting more names to add to the list.

I'm looking to add the names of all Indian-origin D1 basketball players to the list. Being slightly tanned, enjoying the occasional Tandoori Chicken, and having a man-crush on Aziz Ansari doesn't count; You gotta have some desi in your DNA. First generation, second generation, third generation, born in India or abroad, full India, half Indian, one-fourth Indian, whatever. Hopefully, a talented player from India will one day get the opportunity to represent the country at this highest college level, too.

The list isn't perfect and it definitely isn't complete. Please contact me to notify me of any errors and suggest any further names that I'm sure to have missed.

Indian-origin players to have played NCAA Division 1 Basketball (In last-name Alphabetic order)

• Pasha Bains (Clemson, Wyoming): 1998-2001
  
• David Bagga (Arizona): 2005-09
  
• Vishal Banipal (Idaho State): 2011-12
• Sim Bhullar (New Mexico State): 2012-14)
• Tanveer Bhullar (New Mexico State) 2013-
• James Blackmon Jr. (Indiana): 2014-
• Anikar Chhabra (Harvard): 1991-95
• Manroop Clair (Hawaii, Seattle): 2012-
  
• Sandeep Dhaliwal (Columbia): 2009-10
  
• Samer Dhillon (USC): 2013-
• Shaminder Gill (Washington State University): 2001-05
  
• Tony Gill (Pacific): 2012-
• Robin James (Rutgers): 1991-95
  
• Venkatesha Jois (Eastern Washington University): 2012-
• Sanjay Lumpkin (Northwestern): 2012-
  
• Arjun Ohri (New Jersey Institute of Technology - NJIT): 2009-12
  
• Timir Patel (Houston-Baptist): 2007-08
  
• Varun Ram (Maryland): 2012-
• Andy Saharan (University of California-Riverside): 2010-11
  
• Manny Sahota (Cornell): 2010-
  
• Sam Singh (Bradley University): 2004-10
  
• Dipanjot Singh (Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago): 2009-11
  
• Veer Singh (Seton Hall): 2015-
• Sai Tummala (Arizona State, Hawaii): 2013-
  

To learn more about some of these players, check out my in-depth feature and interview with Pasha Bains, considered by many to be the greatest Indian-origin player ever. Youngster Manroop Clair is also mentioned in that story. I've written a lot about Sim Bhullar and his brother Tanveer; here is my most recent feature recapping Sim's first season at New Mexico State. Here is an old Q-and-A with Timir Patel, and this is an even older post and video of Manny Sahota. I also spoke to Maryland's Varun Ram for this blog last year. 

Timir Patel Q&A: I want be an example for young Indian basketball players

Timir Patel may only be 25 years old but he's already seen quiet a bit of this world: an American of Indian descent, Patel was born and raised in Houston, Texas, but his parents hail from the city of Anand in Gujarat. The 6 foot 9 inch tall forward/Center has taken his basketball talents from all around the US, and in the way became one of the few people of Indian origin to play Division 1 basketball, the highest level of college basketball, in the US. He has since played hoops in Romania and China as well.

I first read about Patel from an article on Hoops India. I immediately felt that I should follow it up: like I wrote in my article about American-Indian CCAA Player of the Year (or Indian-American?) baller Inderbir Gill a few days ago, people like Patel and Gill are good examples against the dogma that Indians aren't athletic enough for the elite level of hoops - with the right diet, conditioning, competitive environment, and training facilities, anything is possible!

I have corresponded with Patel since and got the opportunity to ask him a few questions. Most recently, Patel was supposed to head to Japan to take part in a showcase basketball event, but the Tsunami/Earthquake/Nuclear crisis forced him to cancel his current plans. He has already experienced great ups and downs in the course of his career and is now figuring out a way to contribute to basketball in India.

So without further ado, here's my Q&A with Timir Patel:

Hoopistani: How did you get into basketball? At what point did you know for sure that basketball will be your life?

Patel: Growing up I was always taller than everybody my age but surprisingly I did not start playing organized basketball until I was 14. Starting at such a late age I was very raw and was still growing into my body. Needless to say I was not very strong or coordinated but I had a good group of coaches and teammates that encouraged me to get better everyday. My high school team at Cinco Ranch was very good and because I was still developing my game I did not get a chance to play varsity basketball until my senior year. I played very well my senior year and was a integral part of a team that finished 25-7 and ranked as one of the top 20 teams in the state of Texas. Also, I was one of three of Division I signees from that team.
I guess you can say it is then that I knew I wanted to play basketball as long as I could. I went from not being looked at by any colleges to getting a few Division I scholarship offers my senior year. It was also then that I knew how much I had improved from when I first started playing basketball but still had a long way to go to reach the potential to be a great player. That hunger is what still drives me to this day to become better every day.

Hoopistani: How was the experience of playing college hoops and the States, particularly at Division 1 (D1) Level?

Patel: The experience of playing D1 basketball was one of the best blessings ever. I am honoured to say that I am one of a handful of Indians to play at the highest level of college basketball. I started off at Prairie View A&M University. For my sophomore year I transferred to junior college, Blinn College, because I did not want to sit out a year at a D1 school per NCAA rules. The only thing was that my coach did not play me at all in the first part of the season. We had one of the most talented teams in the country easily and were not performing up to those standards and it was frustrating not being to help my team out. Finally about 6 games into our conference play I went from playing no minutes to being in the starting lineup. I played well and was able to help the team.
Even though I had not played much that season I still had D1 offers from some schools but after taking my recruiting visits I decided the University of Nebraska Omaha was the best fit for me. Although it was not a D1 school it was high major D2 school with the same atmosphere of D1 school. Initially, I struggled on the court, but started coming along at the end of my junior season.
Because of some family issues, I had to transfer back home to Houston, to the Houston Baptist University (HBU). It just so happened to be that HBU was transitioning to D1 so I was going to have a opportunity to play D1 basketball again my senior year. It was hard leaving Omaha but I went to a better situation being close to home and being a part of the first D1 team at HBU. This was a great honor because it meant being part of something that is going to be big in the future and also putting something back into the city I was born and raised in.
I would have to say coming back and playing in front of my family and being able to help HBU transition to D1 is one of my biggest highlights of my college career. My fondest memory would be all the relationships I made while in college because of basketball.

Hoopistani: You have trained with several current and former professional players during your transition from a college player to a pro. Can you talk a bit about those experiences?

Patel: After I graduated from college I was ready to pursue my pro career and one of my good friends that played overseas was training at a gym with a personal trainer that had many pro athletes as clients. As soon as I went there I saw the difference from college and the pro game, my first day the trainer explained to me that in the pro game its all about minimizing mistakes and being efficient as possible. There was a consistent group of guys that came everyday for pick-up games, including Rashard Lewis, Maurice Taylor, Moochie Norris, Terrence Morris, Ansu Sesay, Gerald Green and many other players who play overseas. All these guys were always mentoring me on how I could improve but the thing that will always stick with me was how hard they worked. They had no egos and were all humble like they didn't ever play in the NBA and brought a work mans attitude everyday.

Hoopistani: Where has your professional career taken you so far?

Patel: It was a tough transition getting a professional deal coming out of college, since I played behind two guys and didn't put up very good numbers in my professional career. I got a tryout with a team in the top league in Romania, called Brasov, but they didn't have enough money to offer me a contract.
When I got home, I was a little disappointed, but also motivated because I knew I was so close - I just had to get over the hump. In May 2010, I was invited by Coach Cyril White To God Be The Glory (TGBTG) gym to go for a two-game tour against the Bayi Rockets, a top league team of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Hoopistani: How was the experience of playing in China? What is the level of the league there? What is the level of basketball in general in China, in terms of talent and fans?

Patel: China was a better experience for me than Romania. Chinese players seemed to have a high basketball IQ and were all fundamentally sound. It is no surprise that the CBA is considered one of the top leagues in the world, right next to the NBA and Euroleague.
I attended a draft camp in the second league in China (NBL): I played well, averaging 11ppg and 7 rpg but was not selected. The level of talent in that camp was very high with guys that played in some of the top leagues in Europe and the NBDL.
In terms of the fans I would have to say the games I played in China were some of the best atmospheres I have ever played in. Every arena that we played in was sold out and after some of the games we had to be escorted out by security because fans had run onto the court and wanted to take pictures, etc. With two very good leagues and a great fan interest in the game it is no wonder that China is on its way to becoming one of the basketball powers of the world.

Unfortunately, I got terribly sick while in China: I lost 45 pounds (20.4 kgs) during my illness and was put on a strict diet when trying to recover. When I first got in the gym, I was not even able to run with out almost falling. I could not even touch the rim. But I was hungry to play again and get back to level I was playing at before I got sick. Slowly but surely I was able to regain my weight and with that came all of the skills I had before. I am blessed to say that right now I am stronger, quicker, jumping higher and playing better than I ever have before and also regained all the weight I lost.

In December last year, I was offered a trial by the Foshan Lions team of the CBA (the team which Stephon Marbury plays for). Teams that finished in the bottom five in the CBA can have one asian import along with there two american imports: That is when I tried to get my Indian passport, but it never happened and ultimately that was why the deal fell apart.

Hoopistani: I have read that you now wish to connect the with basketball in India. Could you please talk about some of your future plans?

Patel: As far as promoting the game right now I am just trying to be an example for all young Indian basketball players that have a dream of playing in college and professionally. I know there is not many people that will put India and basketball in the same sentence but know if one person opens the door and lays the foundation then many more can follow.
I would like to play for the national team but unfortunately there is a rule that will not let me play unless I have an Indian passport. I have an Overseas Citizenship with India but that does not pass and since India does not let people have a dual citizenship like most countries my hands are tied.
India has the same potential to become a basketball power like China and they are starting to realize that potential. It is exciting to see the development going on and if I cannot play for the national team I would still like to be a part of this development in any way possible. Hopefully I can sit down and speak with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) soon about what opportunities they have and how I can help them.