Hynes Commits to Frank Phillip College

Ballarat Miner Will Hynes has signed a National Junior College Athletic Associations Letter of Intent to attend Frank Phillips College in Texas, the USA from August 2022.

Hynes who has had a breakout season in the NBL1 South averaging 18 minutes a game has also continued to play with the Ballarat Miners Youth League team and helped the team to a Grand Final series victory with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists across both games.

Hynes is excited about this new opportunity saying “I think it’s a great chance to be able to travel and play the sport I love. I am excited to be heading off with a Championship under my belt after winning the VYC Youth League Grand Final and now shifting my focus to college.”

Hynes is enrolled in a Bachelor of General Studies degree which allows students the ability to pick courses based on their post-graduate goals and apply past learning to create a customised degree. It allows students to prepare for careers in education, business, agriculture, and more without the limitations of a traditional degree.

Hynes is enrolled in a Bachelor of General Studies degree which provides terrific pathway opportunities for athletes within the sport but also academic pursuits.  

Basketball Ballarat’s Director of Coaching and Head Coach of the Miners Men Luke Sunderland said “This is a great opportunity for Will to continue his recent good form. He was instrumental in our NBL1 season and getting the chance to play in one of the top Junior College Conferences in the USA alongside and against Division 1 college talent is only going to make him a better player.”

Sunderland added “Will has high ambitions for himself over the next few years and this experience will help him reach those goals. It is a testament to his character and work ethic and I’m looking forward to following his college season over our summer break.”

Hynes left for Texas on Wednesday morning and is expected to start classes straight away. Hynes commented, “It’s all been quite a rush, as there was a delay with American Visa and it wasn’t supposed to be granted until October, however, I was lucky enough to get a priority visa and collected it early this week before flying out to Borger, Texas.”

Hynes added, “I plan to come back after my college season with Frank Phillips College and return to Ballarat where I hope to have improved as a player and make more of an impact so that the Miners can make the finals next year.”

The Ballarat Miners will continue to review the 2022 NBL1 South seasons before shifting their focus to planning and preparing for the 2023 season.