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Bringing a World of Wisdom to His Home Team

Jackson Stent joins the legion of local talent supporting Canterbury’s hopes for a championship run by the Rams in 2022.

Canterbury Rams General Manager Caleb Harrison says that bringing together a team with strong hometown ties is an investment on the court as well as off.

The 6’8” forward will add value under pressure, plus volunteer his time coaching for the Canterbury Regional Basketball Foundation, through mentoring, in schools and the Mainland Eagles Academy.

“Jackson has an outstanding work ethic, recognised by a number of coaches. His commitment and consistency have come through since his early days – and regular early mornings – on the court.”

Jackson attended both Cobham Intermediate and St Andrews College early on in his education and then spent some of his high school years at Westlake Boys before finishing his secondary education at Middleton Grange School. He balanced his studies with selection to New Zealand U16, U17 and U18 representative teams.

He also spent time with the Canterbury Rams as a development player, and time with the Mainland Eagles Academy, where he credits Mark Dickel as an important influence.

In January 2016, Stent signed with NCAA Division 1 Nicholls State, part of the wave of young Kiwi players following a sporting pathway to scholarship educations. According to Harrison, Kiwi athletes such as Stent often prove to have the competitive edge and well-rounded profile that US college programmes demand.

“Jackson recognised the way that basketball can open up the world,” says Harrison. “He embraced opportunities from an early age. The experience took his game to the next level. And the game in New Zealand benefits from players who are willing to push themselves in this way – to learn and grow.”

From Nicholls State, Stent continued his studies at Casper College gaining two Associates Degrees, and then continued on to complete his Bachelor of Kinesiology and Masters of Business Administration at Houston Baptist University.  While completing his MBA, Stent served as Director of Operations for the men’s basketball programme at Houston Baptist.

Stent’s overseas education, sporting, social and academic, will benefit the stronger, wiser franchise the Rams intend to build.

“It’s great for basketball in Canterbury, especially when the talent comes home, bringing insights and perspective from the wider world with them.”

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