| 06 February 2010
Daniel Cheledinas is one of the scorers at the high school level in Washington. Cheledinas is currently leading his King's high school team alongside teammate Ryan Hoff. These two players will most likely get to showcase their talent at the 1A State tournament if their team plays up to its potential. We got a chance to talk to Cheledinas about his season so far. Check out the interview after the jump!
First off, congrats on your season so far. What were some personal and team goals you set at the start of the season?
Our goal as a team this season is to win a State Championship. We've been working hard for this season all through the Summer and fall to give ourselves an advantage, so hopefully it pays off in the end with a championship. My personal goal is to be an all around player and do whatever my team needs me to do to win.
How has the season been going so far? Do you guys look like you're on track to take the championship?
Our season started off on a high note with big victories over Blanchet and Archbishop Murphy. From there we went on to play some great competition in California which gave us valuable experience for the rest of our season. Unfortunately recently we came down with two injuries to two of our key players. Fortunately we still have a large portion of the season so playing without them will make us a better team in the end. We still have a long way to go to get to where we want to be at the end of the season but if we keep working hard we can do it.
Why do you have such a great passion for basketball?
I have such great passion for basketball because it is a sport that I have always played since I was little and it is the one I eventually picked over others when I got to high school and needed to narrow down what sports I participated in.
Who is your biggest competition in the league this season?
In the Cascade conference, the league we play in, our biggest competition is Coupeville because they are they only on other 1A team besides us in our league. In the state our biggest competition this year is going to be Vashon Island. They are the defending state champs and have players that create matchup problems for us.
What is it going to take to beat the defending state champs?
To beat the defending champs we are going to have to get better as a team in every game we play this season. We are also going to have to have to keep our composure in the fourth quarter of games, something we havent been doing very well recently.
Who is the best player you've ever played against or played with?
Over the years I have played with many good players. The best high school player I have played with was probably josh smith from kentwood. One of the best shooters I have ever played against was Garrison Carr from Issaquah high school who played at American University a few years ago.
What's the college situation looking like?
I have some schools on the west coast taking interest in me. I'll probably make a decision sometime after the season on what I am going to do next year.
Thanks for your time Dan.
No problem.
