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Player Spotlight – Pedro Ellery

The end of the EABL regular season is right around the corner but there’s still time to squeeze in another spotlight piece, taking the opportunity to ask a budding EABL player what makes them tick, how they got into basketball, their goals for this season and beyond, and much more.

This week, we’re off to Myerscough to speak with one of the league’s top shooters, Pedro Ellery

Name: Pedro Ellery

Position: Shooting guard

Team: Myerscough College

Tell us a little about yourself:

Born and raised in Nottingham, I’m from a predominantly football background with both my uncle and cousin playing for Notts County.

It meant I started out playing football before I was introduced to basketball, though a shout out to Pops too, who has a background in Karate being a black belt!

I’ve been playing basketball now for six years, taking it seriously in year eight when I started playing for The Nottingham Hoods at junior level.

How and where did you first get into basketball?

Fortunately for me, I went to a secondary school which had an ABL team (Nottingham Academy).

I was first introduced to the sport in year seven and lucky for me our year had a mentor who enjoyed basketball and would organise sessions each week, mainly for fun.

As I got older, I was told about the basketball academy and started to attend multiple sessions a week with proper coaching.

Can you a remember a moment when you decided basketball was something you wanted to play more seriously? What happened?

My closest friend at the time was going to an U14s Nottingham Hoods trial and I decided to tag along.

I didn’t know anything about playing Jnr. NBL, I just thought it would be fun.

After the trial, I was handed a letter saying I had made the team. At the time I didn’t realise everyone was handed the same letter, but it was enough to get me hooked on the sport.

What have been the biggest challenges of your basketball career so far? 

The toughest challenge I’ve had to face so far is losing the entirety of a season and half of another due to the COVID restrictions.

Spending a lot of time at home instead of at Myerscough training each day in a competitive environment was hard.

Going to the park and hooping outdoors is only fun for a small amount of time, it becomes a lot harder to stay motivated and being by yourself most of the time, you don’t have that other person to compete with.

Who is the toughest player you’ve faced? What made them so difficult to play against?

The first person that comes to mind is Great Osobor. Luckily, we played on the same team so when it came to game time I didn’t have to be on the opposing end but in practice he was definitely the toughest to cover.

People can have the height and reach, but he uses his better than anyone I’ve seen and he has the ability to cross up his defender, which is so difficult to guard.

(Myerscough College)

What are your current goals for the season?

Team goals for this season are to make a deep run in the EABL play-offs and stay competitive in D2. Coming from a historically successful programme it’s important not to drop the high standards we’ve set for ourselves.

Individual goals for me would be to continue performing well for Myerscough, gaining recognition for being a top junior player in the country, hopefully leading to being selected for the Hoopsfix game at the end of the season.

Do you have any plans or goals for next season?

It has always been a dream of mine to earn a full scholarship to the US.

Only a small percentage of players from the UK have been able to achieve it and an even smaller percentage from Nottingham, making it a really humbling achievement if I were to complete this goal heading into next year.

What are you currently working on to take your game to the next level?

Right now, just working on becoming a more complete, well-rounded player, specifically improving on the defensive side of the floor.

There’s a lot of players who are great at scoring the ball but few are really elite defenders so this is an area I want to improve the most, becoming a better two-way player.

What advice would you give someone who is just getting started in basketball?

Enjoy the moment!

Starting out in basketball is when you first develop that love for the game, the moments you probably enjoy the most because you aren’t getting caught up in how you’re performing and the intense environments you may be involved in in the future as you develop in the sport.

Cherish the moments when you first start in which you can play most freely without pressure and expectations.

Who is your favourite basketball player and why?

My favourite basketball player is the best shooter to ever play the game, Steph Curry.

Personally, he’s the most exciting player to watch, his shot making ability is something very few can even come close to, making him one of the hardest players to guard.

His background and story is also very inspiring. He wasn’t highly ranked, receiving zero offers from major schools in College but still achieving a Hall of Fame career.

It’s very easy to see why he is such an inspiration to a lot of aspiring basketball players.

Main image credit – Myerscough College

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