Kyle Wiltjer Class of ’11 Journal Entry

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I just finished finals. Glad to get that off my chest. I also just had my last summer league game with Jesuit. My friend Jack (Grodahl) was getting boards like usual. Most underrated player in the nation. No one can guard him one on one. Hope my big friend Jordan (Akwenuke) has a quick recovery. He had a nasty fall in the last session of EYBL in LA, and left with a concussion after he had a seizure. It was scary and we are all praying for him. We need him badly because he surveys the D so well and is a great shot blocker. He has been doing everything he can to come back. Yesterday, he told me he was doing pull-ups and sit ups all day. Along with numerous ball handling drills in the garage. Next year we are going for our third state championship in a row, which has never been completed at the 6A level in Oregon. After our first two championships, we got a lot of recognition at our school. For example, theirs a kid in my grade named Ryan Benson who is a huge fan of mine. He is always asking for pictures with me. I hope he reads this because I appreciate him being such a loyal fan and following my progress over the years. The fans are what make basketball so fun.

Just went through customs on my way to Toronto. Crazy how much security they make you go through. I am on my way to the U18 Jr. Canadian National team tryouts. I got off the plane and it was straight to practice. I got there with 10 minutes left so I was able to watch. There was a lot of talent in the gym, which made me excited to start playing with them in the next couple of days. Unfortunately, I had to miss the first 3 days of tryouts before today because of my school’s finals. On the way back to the dorms, I walked with a kid named Sim Bhullar. He is the biggest person I have ever seen, standing at 7’ 4”. He would even make my dad feel small, who is 7 feet tall. At dinner, he filled his tray with two plates of food and finished it all. First day of training camp starts tomorrow.

The first couple of days of camp have been very tough. We have been doing two a days, which are tough on your body. I am getting through it because we have an amazing coaching staff. The trainers make us do warm-ups and cool downs/icing every practice. In between practices, I try to go back to the dorms to rest. However, the beds we have are like 6 feet long and my legs hang off the edge. I cannot imagine how Sim feels when he sleeps.

Today the coaches made the finals cuts and I am now officially part of the team. It is an honor to be part of this because we get to represent Canada. Although I was born in the U.S., I have dual citizenship because my dad is from Canada. The reason I chose to play for them was because my dad played for the national team and my sister, Jordan Adams, currently plays for the senior women’s national team. I look up to both of them, so I wanted to be just like them and represent my dad’s country. In addition, they were both successful and enjoyed the experience.

I just received an invitation to play in the Jordan Brand All-Canada classic game up here so I am looking forward to playing in that. It is going to be played in the Air Canada centre where the Toronto Raptors play at. We are on our way to a hotel right now, and glad to get out of the dorm beds. Game is tomorrow night.

Shout out to my boy Myck Kabongo, he is going crazy in the locker room right now. We are all excited for the game, over 6,000 people in the arena right now.

Game was crazy. The crowd was loud and our team came from behind. I played good and most importantly I got a key stop at the end and we ended up winning by 1. Tomorrow Myck and I are leaving for NBA camp at the University of Virginia.

NBA top 100 camp was a great experience. There were many NBA guys there so it taught us a lot on and off the court. Some pros that were there were Ime Udoka, Antonio Davis, Theo Ratliff, Maurice Evans, and my coach, Jerry Stackhouse. During the games, I was able to play against some of the top competition in the nation. Another thing I enjoy about these type of events, is we are able to meet a bunch of new people, that have the same dream of playing professionally some day. Tomorrow morning, we leave for Toronto for a couple more practices before San Antonio. There we are trying to qualify for the FIBA world championships next year.

I enjoy traveling and playing basketball, but I also miss home. I miss my little bro Sam, who is probably still on the driveway shooting like he was when I left or playing his PSP that he never lets leave his sight. He is going to be a great player some day because he loves the game already, constantly talking about the NBA. I also miss my sister, Ariana, who is an absolute beast in volleyball. She is going into the 8th grade next year and she is already 6’3”! I wish her the best of luck next weekend because she has a big tournament in Reno. I also miss my parents. I know if they could, they would be at everyone of my basketball events.

I have a busy summer ahead of me. After San Antonio, I have a couple days off. Then after that I am going to Lebron James Skills Academy. Straight from there, I am meeting up with my AAU team, the Oakland Soldiers, at the Peach Jam. Then we are going to Vegas and maybe LA after that. I am thankful to God for allowing me to play the game I love everyday. And I know I am going to work hard everyday to help me reach my potential. As far as recruiting, I’m staying open right now and hope to create a top 5 to 7 schools after the summer. Well I’m about to start packing for San Antonio, so thanks for reading everyone. Maybe I will see some of you at some of the events.