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CANTERBURY RAM Richie
Edwards has his eyes on a spot
in the Tall Blacks team to con-
test the world championships in
Spain in August.
Te 2m forward has returned
to Christchurch for the 2014
National Basketball League, and
playing in front of selectors eyes
week-in, week-out can only help
his claims.
I denitely feel like I should
be on the team, he said.
Te Rams have had an uneven
start to the season, with one win
and four losses, a record that
obscures how competitive they
have been.
Edwards said he hasnt lost
this much since he lef New Zea-
land as a teenager, and while its
been tough, he feels the team
has it within themselves to turn
things around.
He has been one of their lead-
ing contributors in the early
rounds, averaging 16 points and
six rebounds per game.
Edwards only arrived two
days before the Rams rst game
of the season, and he said get-
ting used to his new teammates
games had taken a bit longer
than expected.
Te Rams are in action twice
this weekend, on the road to
the Hawkes Bay Hawks and the
Manawatu Jets, who they beat in
Timaru last Friday, and Edwards
said hell be looking to bring
more energy.
My game can only get better
from here, he said.
Edwards rst arrived in
Christchurch from the United
States as a child.
He played basketball for Mid-
dleton Grange School, before re-
turning to the US with his family
as a teenager.
Tere, he plied his trade in
college basketball, playing in
division one of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association
competition.
He played for Valparaiso Uni-
versity in Indiana in the 2011/12
season, before transferring to
Arizona State University.
Te transfer meant he had to
sit out a years action, and he
nished his sole season at Ari-
zona State just weeks before he
returned to Christchurch.
In March, Arizona State
played in the end-of-season na-
tional tournament, known col-
loquially as March Madness, los-
ing in overtime to the University
of Texas in the rst round.
Edwards said that while he
thinks it would have been a more
memorable experience had they
gone deeper in the tournament,
it was something he will always
have and never be able to forget.
He was rst exposed to the
game as a little kid.
My Pa always had basketball
on TV, and just being around my
family and friends, who always
watched sport, I just picked it
up over the years, said Edwards.
While his eyes are on Spain
in August, Edwards has plenty
of experience representing his
country already.
He played for New Zealand
at the under-19 world cup in
Auckland in 2009, and at the
University Games in China in
2011.
He said it was amazing to be a
part of the under-19 world cup.
It was a great experience, and
being the host team we got a lot
of love, he said.
We had a good side, and were
a good representation of New
Zealand, said Edwards.
It was the same in China, with
the University Games oering a
chance to see athletes from all
around the world in a setting
similar to the Olympic games.
Now he just hopes he can do
it again.
!" $%& '!(&) 8lchle Ldwards has been one of Lhe leadlng conLrlbuLors for Lhe
CanLerbury 8ams, averaglng 16 polnLs and slx rebounds per game so far Lhls season.
PC1C: 8lchard Connelly lacebook.com/gamefacenz

Ram Iooks for spot in TaII BIacks