Canberra Gunners junior Glenn Morison will use a stint with the Cairns Taipans to give him the perfect preparation to dominate the United States college system next year.
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Morison has joined the Taipans as an NBL training player and could be thrust into the competition against men while he's still trying to finish his high school studies.
It's a massive step forward for the 18-year-old, who admits he was shocked just to make the Gunners squad for the South East Australian Basketball League.
Now he's training alongside the likes of Nathan Jawai, who has played in the NBA and was known as 'Baby Shaq', before moving to the California Baptist University.
That means Morison is also juggling his end-of-school year 12 assignments and exams with NBL training duties to kickstart his career.
"It's all been a bit surreal to be honest. I didn't even think I'd make the Gunners team this year," Morison said.
"I didn't think I was at that level yet. The Gunners didn't have many players which opened the door for me and here I am now.
"The main thing I took out of that season was just that I could compete at that level. This is definitely a step up, but I feel like it's been pretty good so far.
"I've always played basketball but I wasn't at a very high level. When I turned 16, that's when it started to turn for me."
The 208 centimetre forward bolsters the Canberra contingent in the NBL as basketball enjoys a boom era in the capital's junior ranks.
Basketball ACT has registered a record number of junior teams for the summer season and will use new venues to cater for the increased demand.
Darcy Malone has joined the Sydney Kings on a development deal while Jesse Wagstaff is a key cog on the Perth roster and former Gunner Anthony Petrie is making his comeback from injury in Brisbane.
Morison, whose older brother Iain is nearing the end of his US college stint in Joilet, hopes his basketball journey will take him to Europe or China.
Morison will join the California Baptist University team in May as they prepare to be promoted to Division I.
But first he's focused on helping the Taipans after former Canberra Cannon Jamie Pearlman recruited him to Queensland.
I don't know about the NBA, but playing in Europe and China is a high level so I'd like to go there. Also the NBL as well, I'm keen for that," Morison said.
"It's been a pretty crazy few months and I definitely feel like I'm improving. So we'll just see what happens from here."
