They both are 6 feet 4 inches tall. Tadtman said the international recruits often bring strong fundamental basketball skills to America because they typically concentrate for years on playing the game. American children, in contrast, often involve themselves in many sports, he said. Plus, Tadtman said, international recruits generally are taller, an advantage in basketball. Martina Mihailovic, a Yugoslavian player for Cloud County Community College, said her childhood dream was to play basketball in the United States.
Life is better over here.
Junior colleges often are stepping stones that provide international athletes the opportunity to advance their game at NCAA Division I universities, Nixon said. But the international students are learning more than basketball. Nixon said the team has pulled together to help her, and in turn, Sy has helped the team advance to the national basketball tournament. On the basketball court, international students learn American-style basketball, which often is more physical than they have known. Here, players must rely more on strength and power.