Hope native and Southern Arkansas University Mulerider basketball player Justin Stuart, recently competed for the USA Athletics International in Spain. Stuart along with several other players from the United States such as Boston, New York and California competed against the best teams in the game of basketball, in Spain.
The USA team with Stuart was made up of eight players who went undefeated with a record of 5-0 against teams in Spain. Team USA defeated teams from Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia. Stuart scored in double-figures with 25 points against Valencia with team USA winning by three points, 76-73.Stuart along with his teammates all met in New York to fly out to Spain for competition against their best players in basketball.
As Stuart seized the opportunity to play in Spain, he loved the experience there. He was able to meet new people, learn about historic events and eat at food places in different cities. According to Stuart, over in Spain, there are restaurants the same as the United States such as McDonalds and Burger King, but the food tasted different.
Overall, he enjoyed playing with his teammates and developing friendships while being overseas.
“This was a good experience. Things were different over there like the hotels, and the people. It was good experience to play basketball with other guys and we didn't practice. I was able to tour all the cities, and did some cite seeing.
At times it was hard to score, but I was able to adjust,” said Stuart.
He also was impressed of the way his team competed and won since they didn't have practices.
As Stuart gets ready to enter his senior year at SAU, he looks forward to the 2010-2011 basketball season. He hopes they'll have a winning season.
As a Mulerider, he's a three year starter, pre-season first team All-Gulf South Conference member. During the past season, he averaged 10 ppg., and five rebounds ppg.
As a sophomore, he averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game.When he was a Hope Bobcat, he was a starter at the forward position and received All-Conference and All-State honors.
Before he started shining in the game of basketball, his older brother, Marlon Stuart also was a great basketball stand out at Saratoga High School. Marlon won back to back state championships during the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. He received All-State honors and graduated from Saratoga High School in 1997.
