Taipans key part of Froling’s growth
BEFORE turning professional, Townsville junior Sam Froling credits a month spent training with the Taipans as a “learning curve” in his young career.
The 19-year-old big man will play his first NBL game in the Far North in his rookie season this Friday night after missing the Illawarra Hawks’ first northern trip earlier this season with an ankle injury.
The Townsville-based Froling’s parents are regulars in FNQ when Harry and the Adelaide 36ers visit and there is every chance they will again make the drive north.
While still at the Australian Institute of Sport, Froling, and close mate Kody Stattmann, spent a month training with the Snakes in Aaron Fearne’s last season in charge.
The emerging centre would go on to spend a season with Creighton in the US college system before signing with Illawarra, and says the month with Cairns was an eye opener.
“I just wanted to train somewhere with the Crocs being gone. It was really good as an experience to spend a January holidays with the club,” Froling said.
“Going up against guys like Nate Jawai every day, him walking me under the basket and scoring every time.
“It was a learning curve, but I really enjoyed it, and being in Cairns – I spent a bit of time there and really love it.”
Froling is closely following Stattmann’s second season at Virginia after first playing with the former Cairns Marlin in under-14’s.
The bottom of the ladder Hawks are 3-0 against the finals-bound Taipans this season and will be looking to complete a season sweep on Friday evening.
“We need to force them into shots they do not want to take,” Froling said.
“We need to execute our stuff on offence, making sure we are running smoothly. But we need to make sure we have fun too, that is a whole part of it, if we have fun, we will win games.”
Taipans coach Mike Kelly understands the task at hand with the Hawks this week.
”They have beaten us three times, we have no reason to be complacent, we are not in the play-offs yet,” Kelly said.
“We can and need to play better against Illawarra.”
What Froling’s off-season looks like is yet to be decided, with a strong chance he could turn out for Townsville in the first ever NBL1 North, as well as workouts in the USA.
“I have been talking to them and a few clubs, nothing cemented just yet,” Froling said.
Meanwhile, Taipans guard Jarrod Kenny was yesterday selected in an extended Tall Blacks squad of 14 for Round One of FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers next month.