Site search
sponsored by
sponsored by
36°F 
Tuesday October 7th
Tuesday October 7th 
| Welcome, Guest |
|
| LOGIN | Become a Member | What's This? |
Please enter the following information:
| Email: | |
| Password: | |
| Remember Me | |
|
Forgot Password?
Become a Member |
Close Window |
Jobs
Autos
Real Estate
Classifieds
Search local dealer inventory and private seller listings
Search for homes by MLS, classified listings, rentals, and much more!
ENLARGE
Talk about a match made in basketball heaven.
Matthias Weissl swears he had no idea just how deep Roaring Fork High School's boys basketball tradition ran when he picked the school as part of the exchange program that has him studying in the states.
"I looked up every single state," said Weissl, who traveled halfway around the world from Austria to attend the Carbondale school.
By the time he pared the list of possibilities down to two, it included just two states - Connecticut and Colorado.
He obviously chose the latter.
"It's beautiful here," Weissl said. "Austria is almost exactly the same, except for here the altitude is different. It's four times as high as where I'm from."
It didn't take long for Weissl to take note of the thin Rocky Mountain air.
"I went for a run for an hour after I first got here and, after 50 minutes, I was dying," he said with a laugh.
By the looks of his play on the basketball court, the hoops-loving Austrian is fully adjusted to his new environs. In his United States basketball debut on Friday, the senior guard poured in 24 points against Steamboat Springs. He returned to the court the following day and dropped 15 on Battle Mountain.
Weissl's game extends far beyond his shooting touch. He's demonstrating excellent court vision with his knack for finding the open man as a passer.
Torrey Udall, the Rams' 6-foot-8 center, is thoroughly enjoying his new teammate's presence.
"(Matthias) makes things happen," he said. "He makes things easier for me. It's great to have a guy that knows the game. He came from Austria and we can tell he just breathes basketball. He talks about it all the time."
It's not like Roaring Fork is ever really in need of players. Something must be in the water there in Carbondale, because the hoops talent pool never seems to run dry. The Rams have gone 52-0 in the Western Slope League and haven't missed the Class 3A tournament since Roger Walters took over as head coach in 2003.
Looks like Roaring Fork is tooled for another big run in 2007-08. With two 6-foot-8 posts and a roster full of better-than-capable players already in tow, along comes Weissl.
Again, the senior guard insists he knew nothing of the school's prestigious history when choosing his U.S. destination.
"I just really wanted, as a child, to go to the U.S. I always watched the NBA, college," said Weissl, who played club basketball back in Eastern Europe. There aren't school teams.
So far, Weissl is a perfect fit for, as he puts it, the "more physical" brand of ball he's seen at the high school level. And a perfect fit for his new teammates.
"I just love this team," he said. "We have really good chemistry."
Contact Jeff Caspersen: 384-9123jcaspersen@postindependent.com
Matthias Weissl swears he had no idea just how deep Roaring Fork High School's boys basketball tradition ran when he picked the school as part of the exchange program that has him studying in the states.
"I looked up every single state," said Weissl, who traveled halfway around the world from Austria to attend the Carbondale school.
By the time he pared the list of possibilities down to two, it included just two states - Connecticut and Colorado.
He obviously chose the latter.
"It's beautiful here," Weissl said. "Austria is almost exactly the same, except for here the altitude is different. It's four times as high as where I'm from."
It didn't take long for Weissl to take note of the thin Rocky Mountain air.
"I went for a run for an hour after I first got here and, after 50 minutes, I was dying," he said with a laugh.
By the looks of his play on the basketball court, the hoops-loving Austrian is fully adjusted to his new environs. In his United States basketball debut on Friday, the senior guard poured in 24 points against Steamboat Springs. He returned to the court the following day and dropped 15 on Battle Mountain.
Weissl's game extends far beyond his shooting touch. He's demonstrating excellent court vision with his knack for finding the open man as a passer.
Torrey Udall, the Rams' 6-foot-8 center, is thoroughly enjoying his new teammate's presence.
"(Matthias) makes things happen," he said. "He makes things easier for me. It's great to have a guy that knows the game. He came from Austria and we can tell he just breathes basketball. He talks about it all the time."
It's not like Roaring Fork is ever really in need of players. Something must be in the water there in Carbondale, because the hoops talent pool never seems to run dry. The Rams have gone 52-0 in the Western Slope League and haven't missed the Class 3A tournament since Roger Walters took over as head coach in 2003.
Looks like Roaring Fork is tooled for another big run in 2007-08. With two 6-foot-8 posts and a roster full of better-than-capable players already in tow, along comes Weissl.
Again, the senior guard insists he knew nothing of the school's prestigious history when choosing his U.S. destination.
"I just really wanted, as a child, to go to the U.S. I always watched the NBA, college," said Weissl, who played club basketball back in Eastern Europe. There aren't school teams.
So far, Weissl is a perfect fit for, as he puts it, the "more physical" brand of ball he's seen at the high school level. And a perfect fit for his new teammates.
"I just love this team," he said. "We have really good chemistry."
Contact Jeff Caspersen: 384-9123jcaspersen@postindependent.com
Other Top Items
|
Related Articles
|
Most Recommended Articles
|
Comments
