Harrison Pennisi boosts Churchie’s chances of taking out their rivals
He’s a towering big man, who has been identified as a future Olympian, and his recruitment could have just given one of last year’s premiers a boost that might be impossible to beat. FIND OUT WHY HERE.
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MEET the towering recruit and potential future Olympian who could turn the GPS Basketball competition on its head.
Already having shared last year’s premiership, Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) made possibly the biggest addition ahead of this year’s campaign by adding Townsville big man Harrison Pennisi.
Not only is Pennisi the son of a former NBL player, but he has already been selected for national programs, alongside current teammate Kobe McDowell-White and is expected to represent Australia at the FIBA Under-17 World Cup next year.
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And his coach – Australian basketball legend and current Brisbane Bullets assistant coach CJ Bruton – believes he is a future Australian Boomer.
However, the Year 11 student joining Churchie is even more significant considering his team will have to deal with another nationally identified big man, in Gregory Terrace’s Geordan Papacostas, if they would like to be outright victors in 2020.
“Harry is a huge addition for us, he’s a future national player, I’ll come out and say it right now, that’s what I think he is,” Bruton said.
“With him coming in and also Kobe McDowell-White coming up, we have two nationally identified players on our team.
“It gives us a different type of player to try and deal with someone like Papacostas from Gregory Terrace because he’s legit as well. He’s big, can shoot from the outside, is good around the basket, he can do a lot of things.
“But now having Harry, it gives us a bit more length and side to deal with someone like that.”
Churchie’s quest for another GPS premiership started off with a dominant 141-59 victory over St Joseph’s Nudgee College.
And Bruton said Pennisi’s addition boosted the depth on his side as they try to repeat.
“We want to win outright this year,” he said.
“That’s the goal, you always want to win it outright.”
Bruton also said having Pennisi (Year 11) and McDowell-White (Year 10) would allow Churchie to be successful for years to come.
GPS BASKETBALL 2020: ROUND 1 RECAP
Churchie 141 def St Joseph’s Nudgee College 59
St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace 105 def Ipswich Grammar School 74
Brisbane State High School 103 def Brisbane Boys’ College 60
Toowoomba Grammar School 108 def Brisbane Grammar School 38