Hewitt Taking His Game To The Next Level
8/29/2019 10:48:00 AM
For over 15 years, USA Select Basketball has developed and fostered contacts oversees for the purpose of helping generations of former collegiate players continue their careers by playing professionally in Europe. USA Select handpicks a group of individuals for their international tours and, this year, the 2019 edition will feature none other than former Whitman Blues sharpshooter Joey Hewitt.
Hewitt met his new teammates in North Carolina for an intense three days of practice and concluded the pre-tour training camp on Tuesday, Aug. 28. The squad is now in the midst of a 14-game, 21-day journey through England, Wales, Scotland and Norway.
Whitman coach Eric Bridgeland, Hewitt’s coach for four years, knows how well-deserving this opportunity is. “Joey is a pro, a special player. You don’t have the success our program has enjoyed without the special ones. Our whole family is excited for him.”
USA Select will play top-notch competition from the Welsh National Team to the three-time British Basketball League champion Leicester Raiders. But a Sept. 6 game at Loughborough University will have a special significance to Hewitt. Professional contracts are no guarantee, and should things not work out on the court, Hewitt has been accepted and will attend Loughborough in the fall of 2020 seeking his masters in sports psychology.
Hewitt had a sensational career at Whitman, suiting up for the Blues from 2015-19 and leaving as one of the program’s all-time greats. Hewitt was a three-time all-NWC selection and earned NABC and D3Hoops.com all-region honors as a junior and senior. He exited Whitman ranked in the top five in career points and three-pointers made.
It’s no rest for the weary for the young group of hopeful professionals. The tour tips off with the 2019 Howell Shield Elite Basketball Tournament, an eight-team tournament running from Aug. 30-Sept. 1.
Fans can follow USA Select Basketball and the tour on Twitter (@usaselectbball), Instagram (#usaselectbasketball) and Facebook (USA Select Basketball).