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= Visit insidehalton.com for more coverage NEI NShatar cont for rors corer ------ K s a dream come true'; . Sharma Bishop Reding basketball standout commits to University of Western Ontario STEVE LEBLANC sleblanc@metroland.com \ r "Aryan Sharma's grand- father may hail from the land where cricket is num- ber 1, but was only too hap- py to help foster a passion for another sport during one overseas visit. "He built me a net (out- side the. house) while he was here from India when I was eight," recalled the now 17-year-old Miltonian. "It's been a fixture ever since. I've spent countless hours practising my shot on it and my friends and I have had so many pickup games out there." With a deep-seeded love for basketball as far back as he can remember, the six-foot-five, 180-pound Bishop Reding standout would often lose track of time while shooting hoops in his driveway - or on the courts of nearby St. Peter or Chris Hadfield schools. Said Sharma, "My friends would go home and I'd still be out there around nine or 10 (at night). I wouldn't have my phone actually on me so my par- ents would have to drive by and bring me home." That all-consuming fo- cus has met with plenty of : individual accolades and team success - and is now about to take Sharma tothe university ranks. A well-rounded small forward who excels in the classroom as well as on the court, he recently commit- ted to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs after a lengthy recruiting period that included seri- ous consideration of a few other schools - like McGill and York with strong health sciences programs. "It's a dream come true (signing with Western)," said . Sharma, offering thanks to both coach Mar- ko Juricic and his wife Marcie from the Halton Basketball and Bishop Reding's Dan Seixeiro with helping him prepare for the next phase of basketball, adding "I couldn't be here without them." Noting that a strong bal- ance between academics and athletics made West- ern the ideal fit for him, the honours student boasts a basketball resume that in- cludes back-to-back Onta- rio Cup D1 wins with his club team, a trip to OFSAA in Grade 11 and a slew of LOWEST PRICES GUARANTEED SINCE 1955! 2 Club/UPlay' tournament wins and all- star nods. Last simmer was espe- cially prosperous, with Sharma leading the UPlay Halton team to LeBron James Classic Tournament gold - netting 37 points in the final - and being the team's top scorer in a sec- ond-place finish at the CNIT Invitational. Said * Western head coach Brad Campbell, "Aryan, is an athletic for- ward who can -score and pose mismatch problems for opponents. My initial thoughts (of watching him play) were what a great ath- lete he was and how he can impact the game in differ- ° ent ways." Having coached Sharma since he was 11, Juricic stressed that it's not just his physical prowess and scoring touch that make him a great addition for the Mustangs. "With my teams I've tried to promote and build a culture of togetherness, trust and accountability, but most importantly hard work. Aryan immediately embraced this philosophy. 'He understood that this would make him the best player he could possibly PAPER! VISIT US ONLINE AT BADBOY.CA TO VIEW ALL BAD BOY RNR be." : While a natural on the court from day one, the soon-to-be Reding gradu- ate - who averaged any- where from 25 to 35 points during his high school ten- ure - said he's made signif- icant strides in his leader- ship and basketball IQ over the past year or two. i jhe incredible work eth- however - has never whi much develop- ment. ' "I'm the most competi- tive person I know, and not just in basketball," admit- ted Sharma, who always carries a $25 Superman coin - a gift from grandpa - while in practice or compe- tition, and must always be the last guy to take a shot in the pre-game warm-up. When he's not dominating on the court he's helping give back to the sport as an assistant with the Under-14 Milton Stags. "I'm just not going to stop or settle." Though joining a team that'll have pretty much ev- eryone back from .a 16-9 (second best of OUA West) season, Sharma is optimis- tic about his chances of get- ting some significant play- ing time right away. Campbell also believes Staringey Xi? TSE TE Protect your home and Family! Call us now! | 905.876.1941 of Bishop Reding photography class Aryan Sharma (right) competes with the Bishop Reding Royals this past season. that's within reach. "The transition for in- coming high school players can be tough, but with Ary- WE WILL REPLACE AND atl eR: SPECIALISING IN RESIDENTIAL PEST MANAGEMENT an's combination of size at his position and skill we think he can be an immedi- ate impact." Follow us on 8) @HRPC info ; __ Follow us on [fi] @infoHRPC HALT N REGION Pest Control h EFT GE 8102 ¥ Aen 'Aepsiny] | uoidweys ueipedys uo | Q S--