Sheffield Beach’s Chadley Hargreaves shoots hoops with the country’s best

Sheffield’s Chadley Hargreaves is one of the country’s most exciting basketball prospects and has dreams of playing in America.

The 17-year-old recently earned a call-up to the South African U18 team and still has another year of U18 eligibility in 2024.

A star player for the Northwood High School first team, Hargreaves has lived, breathed and dreamed about the sport since becoming hooked in Grade 5.

“I was mainly a soccer player as a kid and wanted to do that, but had some time to think about it when I tore my anterior cruciate ligament while playing rugby,” said Hargreaves.

“My older brother loved basketball and kind of got me into it and it has been my main sport ever since.”

Standing at 6′ 4″ (1.95m), Hargreaves towers over most school aged players in South Africa and has been utilised at every position from point guard (typically the shortest player) to centre (typically the tallest).

But under the guidance of Northwood first team coach and North Coast basketball proponent Kent Vanderyacht, Hargreaves has been trying to focus on the small forward and shooting guard roles.

Such is the height of professional players that 6′ 4″ is undersized for most positions, and unless a late growth spurt hits, he will likely play as a guard should he go overseas.

“I plan on going to America once I finish school. That is where the best players are and I am hoping to get a scholarship to go to college there,” he said.

Everything is trending in the right direction so far, with Hargreaves already Northwood’s best player, having started in the first team since Grade 9 and now competing with the country’s best.

He had previously represented KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in the U16 age group, but his call-up to the national team after a recent inter-provincial tournament in Bloemfontein will be his first time in green and gold.

“I played really well for most of the tournament, averaging about 20 points with the KZN team on the way to the final. But I only scored three in the final and fouled out as we lost to Gauteng and I want to get back to that stage to prove myself.”

Hargreaves was selected to the tournament’s all star team which is expected to be the starting five for the U18 SA team.

He will meet up with a group of 24 others (six from KZN) selected to an initial camp, after which the team will be cut down before they face continental opposition.

Africa has produced some top players in recent years, including last year’s NBA MVP Joel Embiid from Cameroon, and strong performances against African teams will be noticed.

Hargreaves will no doubt try and channel the abilities of his favourite player, Kevin Durant.

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