[19 NOV 09] CRUSADER NEWS

 Stephen Danso Interview

By Adam Manning

Summer recruit Stephen Danso says he is hoping to play a major part in Crusaders offensive sets this season after last week’s impressive solo scoring performance.

His 19 point haul in the fourth quarter at Derby Trailblazers, along with a scoring average of 21 in his first five games signifies that the 6’4 guard has settled quickly in Scott Neely’s side after playing five games so far.

“I’ve always been able to score, it’s just something that I’ve always been able to do,” claimed the Coventry University student.

“It’s a sign that I’ve settled in. It’s just getting used to Scott’s system and the players. There’s never been a problem  with Scott’s system and me not being able to play, it’s me understanding the plays and understanding where I’m getting my shots from and now I’ve figured that out 100 per cent.

Now that he has set himself a solid foundation to build upon as the season goes on, it’s about fulfilling personal targets to improve his contribution to the team.

“I’ve set a couple of goals when I was talking to Scott, to shoot a higher percentage from the three point line, just to be consistent and stretch out the defence, so if I start making my three point shots defenders will have to play me tighter to prevent me shooting those, and that’ll open up other areas of my game like going to the basket which I like to do” he revealed.

He put this theory into practice against Trailblazers, and the pressure of needing to get his side back into the game against a 30 point deficit didn’t seem to phase the London youngster, which is perhaps an effect of the his wealth of basketball experience.

“Fourth quarter we need to pick things up” said Danso, trying to explain his miraculous ten minute offensive contribution.

“We picked it up defensively, and from then I just knew that I had to bring the team back. I had to score the way I know I can score, so I just started getting into a rhythm knocking down shot after shot, and we came to within seven or eight points by the end”.

“We were just running offensive sets, and I was scoring out of those sets. It was nothing specific that the coach told me, it was just about penetrating the defence mainly. They were in the zone for a long period of the game where they clogged the middle to prevent penetrating, but I’m used to penetrating gaps, that’s what I’m good at. Mainly I was getting my points going to the basket and drawing fouls”.

As for his past playing pedigree, the Crusaders guard highlighted his stint in Spain with the UK’s Midnight Madness summer basketball competition that has helped him the most in excelling his game. Danso was one of twelve players that was able to represent an institution that has around 5,000 applications for trials every summer that against sides from around the world.

“For the first time in a while I was playing against people who were better than me, so it was a good experience” said the former Barking Abbey Academy and Hackney Community College player.

“It just showed me what I need to do to play at that level, we weren’t far off, but there’re little things that we needed to do to play at that level. The physicality and speed of the game and it’s just good experience because in this country I’m used to playing against people that aren’t quite as good as me or are on the same level as me” he added.

As for how his move to the Crusaders came about, his studies was the deciding factor.

He said: “I finished college in London, and I was planning to go over to the States but it never went through. So I went through UCAS clearing and Coventry University was one that accepted me. I also have a friend aswell that plays for the Crusaders, Ryann Samuel told the coach about me, so I then emailed Scott and he took me to training”.

Danso’s first experience of playing basketball only reinforces the thin line between basketball growing in this country from the grass roots, or continuing to struggle to make an impact in the UK.

“I started playing when I was thirteen, and I used to play football before that, I was football crazy, a Man Utd supporter! Then one time I was just staying in playing computer games and eating. My brother went to the park with his friends, and I decided to go with him, and then they were playing basketball and the first shot I took I made it. I think from then I started to love the game, and then that summer I was playing eight to nine hours a day by myself just shooting around.

And as Danso hails from Stratford, East London where the Olympics is going to be held in 2012, a word was also mentioned for what he thinks will happen to the popularity of the sport he loves.

He said: “Basketball’s already becoming more popular and with the help of people like Luol Deng, an NBA player from South London, Pops Mensah-Bonsu from North London, we’re getting more known names playing in higher leagues. It will motivate people to want to play basketball with people to look up to”.

 

                          

  Main Menu | News | Stephen Danso Interview   19 NOV 2009