The University of Idaho men’s basketball team added a new freshman to the team in April. The new freshman is six-foot-one guard Hunter-Jack Madden.
Madden played for Shore School in Sydney, Australia in high school, and last year he played as a Developmental Player for the Sydney Kings. A Developmental Player is a player that is associated with a professional team in order to improve their skills, but they do not play professionally.
Madden’s decision to come play in Moscow for the Vandals was influenced by the UI men’s basketball coaching staff.
“The coaching staff were very upfront, and they gave me an opportunity,” Madden said. “A lot of Australians have come to the Big Sky and had success, so I wanted to have the same opportunity.”
The decision to bring in Madden was heavily influenced by his offensive playmaking ability and the energy that carried him. UI Men’s Basketball
Head Coach Zac Claus and his staff started recruiting Madden in Australia after Doug Novsek, UI men’s basketball associate head coach, had a previous relationship with the Sydney Kings as a member of their coaching staff.
“We became very intrigued with his offensive ability of being able to handle the ball and shoot it, knowing what he had gone through last year as a Developmental Player,” Claus said. “Having the chance to talk to one of the Kings’ assistant coaches and the GM about (Madden), and ultimately getting to know him as a person has been great. He’s a wonderful addition to our program.”
Madden is adjusting to life in Moscow since it’s the first time he has been away from home and his family. Madden has begun practices with his teammates as he starts to familiarize himself with the playbook and the team.
“One of the guys that has been helping me out a lot is Damen, just helping me out with plays and getting comfortable,” Madden said. “Because you watch film every day, or every day I can, it’s been easy to fit into the team with the coaches’ help.”
In his senior year of high school, Madden led his team in scoring, rebounding and assists with 24.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. His performance led to Madden getting selected to the All-Australian Schoolboys Team. Because of his performance in high school, Madden got the opportunity to play as a Developmental Player for the Sydney Kings.
“It was a great experience, after I finished high school I went on a week and a half road trip around Australia with the team,” Madden said. “They let me come on as a Developmental Player, and I got to work with guys like Andrew Bogut and Xavier Cooks. Those were crazy experiences but I got so much better. I learned how to carry myself as a professional in the way I act. I’m taking more care about rolling and stretching after practice and eating a variety of foods. These were all things I hadn’t thought about before when I was playing.”
Madden said he would have never gotten as far as he has without his family. He credits his grandparents and his mother for helping to motivate him to make it this far.
“My grandpa is definitely my number one fan when it comes to basketball, but my mother and grandma just want me to get an education, and that’s what they care the most about,” Madden said. “All of them are my role models, and they’re the reason why I’m here in Moscow.”
Armin Mesinovic can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @arminmesinovic.