Sweet Virginia calling for Kody
Cairns teenager Kody Stattmann’s dog-eared passport will add a few more stamps in the coming months, with the basketball prodigy committing to play and study at a major US college next season.
Stattman (left) is bound for the University of Virginia with the young basketball star choosing to play in Charlottesville with the Cavaliers on a full athletic scholarship next year.
The St Augustine’s College student has waded through numerous offers from major US college programs but decided to further develop his game under Tony Bennett at the Atlantic Coast Conference school.
Stattman, a versatile guard with a solid outside jump shot, said he can’t wait to get started.
“I knew they were one of the best programs in college basketball,” he said.
“The coach (Bennett) was talking to me all the time and I realised if the coach is ringing me every day, he really must want me.
“Hopefully I can go over there and get a good experience through college and get what I want in terms of basketball things.
“The coach made me really excited to go to Virginia.”
The Far North junior will not leave for his freshman season in the US until July next year, giving him the chance to play another QBL season with the Cairns Marlins.
Stattmann was one of the Marlins’ shining lights in season 2017, adding a distinctive flair while coming off the bench in his rookie season.
Cairns Taipans head coach Aaron Fearne thought highly enough of Stattmann to play the Cairns junior in a number of preseason games this month.
The Stattmann name is synonymous with basketball in the region with Kody’s mother Tonya and aunt Chantelle both Cairns Dolphins.
Stattmann’s great aunt, Rayleen Decker née Lynch, was the first Queenslander to represent Australia in basketball.
“It is a big decision so we had to make the right one,” Stattmann said.
“Everyone in the family is excited about the decision, which is a great thing.”
The teenager got a taste of what’s to come last night, playing Whittier College with the Cairns Taipans academy at the Fish Tank.
It’s not the first time basketball has taken Stattmann overseas. In July he represented Australian at the FIBA Oceania men’s Under-17 Championships in Hagatna, Guam.