University of Victoria Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp describes prize recruit Diego Maffia as a 鈥済enerational player.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a stretch to say that,鈥� said Beaucamp, after announcing the Oak Bay High star will play U Sports basketball for the Vikes.
鈥淎 player like Diego doesn鈥檛 come along every year 鈥� maybe once every 10 years. He is one of the best shooters to play sa国际传媒 high school basketball. He can score.鈥�
Maffia proved that this year by setting the all-time sa国际传媒 high school single-game scoring record with 96 points. He also had a 67-point game this season and scored 53 points against the Belmont Bulldogs in the Island Quad-A championship game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a relief for me that I could stay here,鈥� said Maffia.
鈥淚 wanted to pay back the people who helped me in the city. The goal is to win sa国际传媒 West titles and get to nationals and take it from there. It鈥檚 been a couple of years now for UVic from being there.鈥�
And there is so much more to Maffia鈥檚 game. He moved with his family to the Island from his native Brazil in Grade 9. Also a standout for the Bays in soccer and volleyball 鈥� going to the sa国际传媒 championships in all three sports he played at Oak Bay 鈥� Maffia鈥檚 natural athleticism has been a boon on both court and field.
鈥淗e has a real feel for the game that is hard to teach,鈥� said Beaucamp.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not the fastest guy, he but can play at different speeds.鈥�
Six-foot-one point guard Maffia and six-foot-nine power forward Liam McChesney from the Charles Hays Rainmakers of Prince Rupert who鈥檚 headed to NCAA Div. 1 with Utah State, were the two most sought-after sa国际传媒 boys high school basketball recruits this year.
鈥淲e have made it our mandate to keep the best players at home,鈥� said Beaucamp.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not always easy with the opportunities they have, both north and south of the border. But we鈥檝e kept the best player in sa国际传媒 at home.鈥�
UVic鈥檚 backcourt, which already includes fourth-year outside gunner Scott Kellum, could be hard to handle.
鈥淭hat gives us a lot of different options and we鈥檙e excited to explore those,鈥� said Beaucamp.
鈥淒iego has faced so many different kinds of defences trying to stop him from scoring, that he has turned also into a playmaker, and has the ability to pass. Diego can play both the one- and two-guard positions and that certainly doesn鈥檛 hurt any team鈥檚 perimetre game.鈥�
