By Sarah Mather
Kadie Riverin started playing basketball at the YMCA when she was in Grade 3. Now in Grade 12, the Ottawa teen has played for Team Ontario, is a prospective point guard for next year’s junior national team and has Canadian and American universities scouting her.
“I would like to play on the national team one day and just go as far as I can with [basketball],” says the 5-foot-10 Riverin, who currently plays for Glebe high school and the Gloucester Wolverines.
Last weekend Riverin and teammate Marian Hussein represented Ottawa at a recruit camp in Toronto. Several universities from the United States showed up to scout the top 60 high school basketball players in Ontario.
Riverin said she and Hussein were late for the camp after they got lost in Toronto. There was only one scout left when they arrived.
This last scout, from Rice University in Texas, approached Riverin and said he liked what he saw and was interested in recruiting her for next year.
“I’d consider [Rice]. But I’m not sure if I want to go to school in the States or stay in Canada,” says Riverin.
Angela Orton, head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Guelph is also interested in recruiting Riverin.
“She’s a great player, and certainly someone we may contact in the future,” says Orton.
Riverin’s favourite move is her baseline drive with a pump fake. She jumps and pretends to shoot but instead holds onto the ball and takes her shot a moment later. The defender swings at her first fake, leaving her open to make the shot.
Last summer Riverin played for Team Ontario. She participated in a junior development program which selected the best basketball players to form six regional teams. These six teams then competed in a four day tournament where the provincial team was chosen — Riverin was selected.
“It was awesome. We won nationals, beating Alberta by one point,” says Riverin.
She also trained last August with the junior national team. It was a 10-day training camp for Canada’s top 20 players under the age of 17. Twelve of these players will be selected to play for the junior national team next summer.
Murray Shoup has coached Riverin for the past four years on both the Glebe high school team and with the Gloucester Wolverines.
“Her chances for the junior national team are very good,” he says. “Reports back say she will probably be the starting point guard.”
Currently Riverin is playing for her high school team and the Wolverines to recuperate from an intense summer. But she is excited to be playing with her friend Hussein on the Glebe team. “We play well together,” says Riverin.
The Wolverines are a local team for young players who want to continue playing basketball. Last year, the Wolverines placed in the top 10 of nearly 100 Ontario teams. Shoup expects the team to place in the top 10 again this year.
Shoup says there is no forcing Kadie to push forward with her basketball skills. “She’s always enjoyed the game. Kadie quickly found out she had skills others didn’t have so she knew to have fun, she’d have to go higher,” says Shoup proudly. “I just let her know where and when to go and she’s there.”
“Basically, I just play for fun, for the love of the game,” says Riverin.