This season, Naperville has not one but two standouts on the boys basketball courts who hail from outside of the United States.
This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln.
Australian native Ethan MacDermot plays shooting guard for Benet Academy, the defending 4A state champions, while Ghana native Darlin Aghomi plays center for Neuqua Valley.
MacDermot made the move for a chance to excel in the sport he loves.
“My uncle, who lives here, and my aunty, they said the best decision for me if I want to play college basketball would be to live with them and come play here. I want to play college and then play professionally,” said MacDermot.
A chance to shine in a new spotlight
Moving to the United States gives athletes like MacDermot a chance to be seen up close by college scouts and grow their games by learning a different style of play than international ball.
“It’s a lot more athletic here. Back home, it’s a lot more fundamental…. Back at home, it was a lot more like I had to be the main guy on the team. Now here I’ve got tons of good players around me, so I just have to adjust to it, play more of a role and step up when I need to,” said MacDermot.
MacDermot had his sights set on high school hoops from the start.
Learning a new game
But Aghomi, despite his 6’10 frame, did not focus on basketball until he moved to the U.S. with his family, with soccer being the more popular sport in Ghana.
“Basketball is not taken seriously. Basketball is barely in schools, barely any games…Even the facilities for basketball are really poor. I was in one of the most expensive private schools, and I was still having barely any basketball focus, but the soccer field was amazing because they take soccer really seriously,” said Aghomi.
But while in Ghana, he kept a close eye on the American sports scene.
“I used to watch the NBA, college football, I used to watch all the way in Africa. It might be a late night because of the time zones, but if I was free, Friday night, no school the next day, I just stay up, watch Duke, Jared McCain, watch NBA games, Wembanyama, just watch Spurs and other people play,” said Aghomi.
Now both Aghomi and MacDermot are enjoying their experience here in the U.S.
“I think that’s the great thing about Ethan, he came in, and he fit in right away. Like the guys really, took to him well. He was great friends with a lot of the guys on the team, and that’s really the important thing. It’s about the experience as much as it is about the basketball. And he’s made some lifelong friends, so that part of the experience has been unbelievable, “ said Benet Academy head coach Gene Heidkamp.
“In practice, outside of practice, when we hang out, we always have strong bonds. We’re more than teammates, we’re brothers, we’re all friends, and that always helps going into the game, and I like that,” said Aghomi.
Fitting in on and off the court
While fitting into new team environments, MacDermot and Aghomi are part of programs experiencing tremendous success on the hardwood. Benet and Neuqua have a combined two losses on the season, with both teams holding 20-game winning streaks that extend back to the start of December.
Though they’ve found their footing on the court, off the court, some experiences in their new country require some adjusting.
“It’s 95 in my country, so my dad doesn’t want to be here anymore; he wants to go back, because it’s zero degrees here,” said Aghomi.
“The food here is… one thing I’d say is a lot sweeter. I wouldn’t say it’s as good, but I’ve kind of adjusted,” said MacDermot.
But both agree that giving basketball a shot here in the U.S was a move worth making.
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