When they say the sky is the limit regarding Claremont Spartans forward Ethan Boag, they are not far wrong.
The Grade 10 starter on the senior basketball team stands at six-foot-eight and at the age of 15 years, he is still growing into that lean body that currently tips the scales at 175 pounds.
Just imagine how powerful Boag might become once he fills out that frame after three years of senior hoops.
Spartans coach Brandon Dunlop 鈥� and any potential university or college suitors 鈥� certainly look forward to it.
鈥淚nstead of practising, I think we should take him to restaurants and feed him so he can, hopefully, get a bit bigger,鈥� Dunlop said jokingly.
Dunlop is dead serious, however, when it comes to discussing the young recruit, who last year played junior with the Spartans and was also a part of the Vikes Nation program.
鈥淗e鈥檚 six-eight, it鈥檚 hard not to start someone that tall, but he also has the experience as he played with Vikes Nation a year up last summer and he鈥檚 made leaps and bounds this year, so it鈥檚 a no-brainer for me, to be honest,鈥� Dunlop said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 always in the right spots [defensively]. He leads our team in blocks, no doubt, and I can count on him offensively.鈥�
Boag is averaging just over 13 points per game, his latest outing was a 14-point performance in a tight 75-74 loss to Belmont on Tuesday, the Spartans鈥� first regular-season loss to now sit 4-1 on the year. They will play the No. 1-provincially ranked Oak Bay Bays tonight at Claremont, which will be a big challenge.
Boag was also a first-team all-star at the recent G.P. Vanier tournament where Claremont lost to Nanaimo District Secondary by two points in the final. Overall, the Spartans are 11-3 with the other loss coming to double-A No. 1-ranked Brentwood College.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun so far,鈥� Boag said of his start to the senior year. 鈥淚 was thinking of playing junior, but I think senior was probably a better decision. I played junior last year and I didn鈥檛 do as well as I wanted to, probably because I wasn鈥檛 as confident. This year, playing up, there鈥檚 definitely a change, but it鈥檚 definitely been a better decision.鈥�
Boag says the height in the family comes from his mom Tina鈥檚 side in which his grandfather Douglas stands between six-foot-three and four. The height has paid off for Ethan.
鈥淏locking is definitely fun,鈥� said Boag, whose slam dunks in warm-ups are easily achieved. He can also shoot from the outside. 鈥淢y game has progressed a lot since Grade 9 and I鈥檓 happy to contribute to the team in winning and in points.
鈥淭hree years here in senior should help a lot in the next couple of years to come. That鈥檚 the goal,鈥� he added of ultimately playing university ball. 鈥淚f I can get an offer from the States, that would obviously be great, but UVic would be a realistic goal.鈥�
In fact, his Vikes Nation coach 鈥� Josh Mullen 鈥� is an assistant with the UVic Vikes.
For now, he focuses on becoming a stronger player on a team that should compete for the second quadruple-A berth to provincials from the Island, along with Belmont and Cowichan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to the week because Belmont and Oak Bay will show us where we stand with the South Island,鈥� said Dunlop, who is happy with the 11-3 record, which could easily be 12-2 if not for Tuesday鈥檚 one-point setback.
鈥淥ak Bay and Brentwood are the cream of the crop [on the Island],鈥� said Dunlop, himself a former Vike. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a young group with only three Grade 12s. We鈥檙e seeing where we stand right now.
鈥淭o be honest, the whole group is a great group. We鈥檝e got great leaders and with the strength of the Grade 9s and 10s coming up through junior, I think we鈥檒l have three or four good years happening in the next little while.鈥�
The Spartans are led by Shak Nasim, who has been an all-star at every tournament the Spartans have been in so far, and Noah Jefferson and Dylan Smallwood, who are the Grade 12 vets. Unfortunately, Smallwood fractured his ankle and is out for another three-four weeks.
Meanwhile, Boag is growing not only into his body, but his role.
鈥淚 have slowed down a bit,鈥� he said of his height. 鈥淭here was one year where I grew almost seven inches. That was Grade 7 to 8, I think. It was crazy. I went from just under five-foot-nine to six-foot-three.鈥�
He also wears a size 13 sneaker.
鈥淭hank God, one more size and I would have to special order,鈥� he said with a laugh.
