Basketball: Craig shoots for lofty goal

Whangarei's Megan Craig has high aspirations when it comes to basketball - making it pro.

It's just as well the 20-year-old has been blessed with the genetics to do so, and the opportunity to as part of her University of Albany scholarship in America.

Craig stands at 2.04m, and is the second-tallest female player in American college basketball at the moment. She dwarfs fellow tall Northlanders such as Ian Jones, who stands at 1.98m, and Taniwha captain Bryce Williams, at 2.02m. But, there's more to Craig than meets the eye.

The former Kamo High School student is back in town to visit family and have a break, although that hasn't stopped her visiting her former school to have a chat with students, before heading back to America to continue her journey to becoming pro.

"I do it for my family," Craig explained. "I want to be as successful as I can to help provide for them, so if I could go pro that'd be awesome.

"[To become a professional basketballer I need to] obviously finish school. I believe I'll probably pick up an agent at some point and hopefully get into the WNBA or go to Europe.

"I know there are a lot more opportunities there. But then I guess when I want to go and what point in time [is the hard thing], and choose a good agent. So long as you basically show your skill, and how good you are, keep working out and they'll [agents] basically find you a team."

Craig's goals align with Steve Adams, the brother of NZ shot put champion Val Adams. He is trying out with NBA teams in the hope of being picked in the draft.

"[Steve Adams is] a good friend of mine. Hopefully, he's going to help bring it [basketball's popularity in New Zealand] up. I'm going to try to do it for the female side.

"He's 7-foot. When my parents came over they went to see his game ... Mum and Dad enjoyed it and gave him some pineapple lumps from my personal stash. So we've got a deal going that when he goes to NBA he'll get me some tickets to games.

"I'm so proud of him, especially coming from being a kid who was on the wrong side of the tracks in Rotorua."

Craig is studying communications and her transition from basketball in Whangarei to America has gone through many phases. She has had to change the way she thinks of basketball, from a fast and physical game to more skill and knowledge based.

She added that her rise to becoming an American college basketballer was purely by accident, after her New Zealand age-group coach asked a friend in America if she needed a tall girl for her team.

Next up for the tall Northlander is a trip back to America before returning in July to try out for the Tall Ferns.

Tall sports

• 
  Megan Craig, 2.04m
• 
  Bryce Williams, 2.02m
• 
  Pero Cameron, 2m
• 
  Ian Jones, 1.98m
• 
  Tim Southee, 1.91m