Carl Wheatle – Angelico Biella & England Junior International – Hoopsfix Podcast #22

By Sam Neter on November 21, 2016

In this week’s episode of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sat down with England junior international and Angelico Biello’s Carl Wheatle.

The 1998 born guard/forward departed the UK in 2013 to sign a junior contract with the Italian club, having only been playing basketball for two years; fast forward three years later and he is playing in Italy’s A2 league with Biella. Loyal to the National Team, Wheatle has represented England every summer for the past five years.

In this hour long conversation, hear from Carl on:

How he first started playing basketball
How he initially balanced football and basketball, and how me made the choice to focus on hoops
What the impact of an early England call up had on his career
His assessment of the option to sign in Italy and why he chose to go
His thoughts on the European vs NCAA route
The transition to Seniors from Juniors this season
Why is it likely he will look to stay in Europe despite interest from US colleges for next season
Whether or not he feels he has made a big sacrifice to pursue a basketball career
His perception of the BBL
Whether or not a BBL club has ever shown any interest in him
What a typical day looks like
Whether or not he stays in touch with other young British players in Europe
How closely he follows the GB Senior Men
His role models in the sport and the impact of British players on his aspirations
Why he believes “being seen” is one of the most important factors in young players’ decisions where to sign
His aspirations for the future
And much, much more

As always, I’d love to get your feedback, come back after you’ve listened and lets get some discussion going in the comments.

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