Territory basketballer Lachlan Shipway to hone skills at Central Maine Community College

A LOT has happened for Essington shooting guard/forward Lachlan Shipway in the space of just two years, culminating in a dream opportunity to play at Central Maine Community College

Essington shooting guard/forward Lachlan Shipway will play at Central Maine Community College, and will leave for the university on the US east coast, in August. Picture: Keri Megelus

A LOT has happened for Essington shooting guard/forward Lachlan Shipway in the space of just two years, culminating in a dream opportunity to play at Central Maine Community College.

Shipway will leave for the US east coast in August, and follow his friend and former star Ansett guard Freddy Webb to a college which has built a strong bond with the Darwin Basketball Association.

The Cannons big man is only 18 and has the basketball world at his feet.

That wasn’t the case two years ago.

But a simple conversation with his father – Cannons assistant coach and DBA life member Gary Shipway – set in stone a dream which has now been realised.

“Freddy my best mate, always talked about college and showed me what it was,” Shipway told the NT News.

“I didn’t know what it was. Two years ago I said to my dad ‘should I consider going to America?’

“Once Freddy went, I said to Dad I wouldn’t mind going over.”

Webb made an instant impression on Mustangs coach Dave Gonyea, picking up the team’s 2017-18 Most Improved Player award.

“Freddy loves it over there and tells me all about it,” Shipway said.

“Because I’ve already got Freddy over there and (DBA executive officer) Kerri Savidge’s nephew Cam Duncan, they were able to talk to the coach about me and show them who I am.

“The coach has already got a link to Darwin and he had a look at me. I was really fortunate I got the chance.”

Shipway, who was the second leading three-point scorer (33 made) in Darwin’s Junior League Championship last year, will study computer science while at Maine.

“I’m super excited. It’s very cool,” he said.

“I’ll probably never get to the NBL, but I definitely want to continue playing basketball.

“I want to pursue some opportunities in the league in Europe. I know some of the Razzle imports who went over there and I’m almost at that level.

“That’s why I want to study computer science because it’s the type of area where I can make money online.

“I’ve been starting to learn Spanish as well. My goal would be to travel through basketball and see where it takes me.”

Shipway admits he has had weight issues, and his frame blew out again after ankle surgery when he was sidelined for two months last year.

But working out every morning now has him in good shape and, like Webb, ready to fire in the US.

“Now I’ve got the strength where I’m playing defence on (Essington big man) Deola D’Brown at training,” Shipway said.

“I came out of last training with a ripped singlet.

“I can go up against any one of these players in the (Darwin) league, and I’m not intimidated to think ‘I’ll give it my best shot because I train against Deola’.”