There is a Canadian in Canterbury, England playing semi-professional basketball.
Cole Hobin, a former guard for the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team, spent five years with the Ravens and captured three Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championships during his tenure. He’s starting his new basketball career halfway around the world, where soccer, rugby, tennis, and the vast traditions surrounding sports, pubs, and hooligans are far-removed from the culture of basketball.
“The development is quite a bit behind North America’s, so it is definitely something to adjust to,” Hobin said.
He also said that the country as a whole definitely has a different outlook on the game.
The opportunity to play for the Medway Park Crusaders, a Division 1 team in the England Basketball National League (EBNL), came by way of Jesse Sazant, once an assistant coach with Dave Smart during Paul Armstrong’s tenure as head coach of Carleton’s program.
Hobin has had to be proactive to find a suitable organization to start his career after Carleton, and so followed his fellow alum when the opportunity arose.
“I only had a couple options, and so for my first time away from home for a year I figured England would be the best place in terms of adjustment,” Hobin said.
So far, it’s been a startling change from the world created by Smart and the Carleton Ravens, which seems to emit perfection perennially.
“We are underplaying right now,” Hobin said of his team, who have lost a number of very tight games this year.
“The good news is we only ever lose by less than 12. Frustrating as heck, but I think we will come out on top of it.”
Hobin is one of two imports that the league permits for each team, and although he is on a paid salary, not every player is. With his arrival to Canterbury, Cole joins a select list of CIS athletes to play basketball in Europe, and an even smaller list of Carleton alumni, which includes Kevin McCleery and Aaron Doornekamp.
Doornekamp, a member of Canada’s men’s national team, has played in the Lega Basket Serie A, Italy’s highest level of club competition, which has seen the likes of Canadian basketball icon and former national team coach Leo Rautins.
Playing professionally abroad is something that Hobin has set his sights on for the future and knowing McCleery and Doornekamp has influenced his desire to play in Europe.
“I would really like to play as [Doornekamp] did, for a top team in a top league in Europe.”
Hobin called his current opportunity with Medway Park a “stepping stone.” He said he understands the route to a high-level European league could be a long one, but said he’s “excited for what’s to come.”
For right now, in Cantebury, Hobin takes advantage of every opportunity to travel throughout England with the Crusaders. And though the level of competitiveness may be different than what he is used to, he is working hard to get better and prepare himself for when the opportunity to move up presents itself.
Hobin said an agent may make this transition more expedient but that is something that he needs to be more “deserving” of first. He knows what he has to do and puts it plainly.
“It’s on you to work and succeed, if you don’t, teams will just let you go and get someone else. You have to be shooting well and doing the things the club brought you there to do,” he said.
“Otherwise, you’re outta there.”
