Soukop Blaze-ing ahead

By Jarrod Potter
CRANBOURNE basketballer Declan Soukop is Queensland bound, after receiving an offer to train with the Gold Coast Blaze from head coach Joey Wright.
Soukop, 17, of Carrum Downs, who is feeling worse for wear after injuring his shooting wrist at the five-star basketball camp last week, impressed Wright with his limited game time to secure a training spot with the Gold Coast Blaze in the National Basketball League.
“Joey Wright (Gold Coast Blaze coach) offered for me to go to the Gold Coast after I’ve finished Year 12,” Soukop said. “Hopefully, I get to train with the senior team for a bit, before heading to college.”
Soukop has received attention from a couple of colleges already, with Niagra College and Louisiana Tech the first to express interest.
“I’m looking to field offers from colleges pretty soon, but they’re probably about a couple of years away,” he said.
Having played for the Dandenong Rangers for three years and represented Dandenong in the Victorian Junior Boys Championship, Soukop’s experience with basketball will see him in good stead when he heads to the Gold Coast.
Whether or not he plays for the Blaze, Soukop is focused on forging a career at the highest levels of professional basketball.
“I’m hoping to play professionally anywhere,” Soukop said. “The NBL is pretty good now so that would be a great league to play in.”
From fielding college offers, the question of what to study at the tertiary level is secondary to Soukop’s basketball ambitions, but he’s keeping his options open.
“I’m not too sure,” Soukop said. “I might study something like business management.”