Edmonton hoops star turning heads on Team Canada

Sixteen years old is pretty young to be having the time of your life.

But for Jasper Place High school student Ben Krikke, he's living a dream he's been working towardsince he was a small kid.

Krikkehas now been in Toronto for a full weekas one of two players west of Ontario to crack the lineup for Team Canada's 12-player roster for the upcoming FIBA U16 Americas Championship in Argentina.

'I think I've adjusted quite well'

The learning curve has been steep for the six-foot-seven Grade 10 student, but he said it's not anything he can't handle.

"I think I've adjusted quite well.It hasn't been too tough. I'm hangingin with these guys for sure," added Krikke. "It means a lot to me because I've been working for this opportunity for quite some time now."

With his selection,Krikke becomes the first Albertan picked fora Canada Basketball men's team for a major international championship since Edmonton's Jordan Baker competed at the Pan American Games and FISU Games in 2011.

Krikke credits the hard work he's put in to help him get to this point. A lot of thatcomes from his father Kent, a phys ed teacher and former college basketball player himself who shared his love of the game with Ben at a very early age, he said.

Michael Jordan tips

"I went to my dad's basketball camp when I was four or five.I just always loved the game, running up and down the floor with the older guys and just playing the game,"Krikke said.

Ben's fatherKenthas been hosting those basketball summer camps for 18 years in Edmonton.But there's something else along the way Krikke discovered that helped shape his game.

He credits his father's Micheal Jordan DVD set for helping him hone his skills.

"That DVD, we've had that for quite a while," saidKrikke.

"It has Michael Jordan's greatest games, plays, top 10 dunks, top 10 everything. I like to watch that and I've always re-watched it," he said.

"I think I've learned a lot of footwork from watching those videos and a lot of moves and a lot of hustle."

'The full package'

"It blows my mind that he was in junior high last year, " said Burrows, who practically stumbled upon the big kid after Krikke walked through the doors at Jasper Place Highas a 15-year-old.

"He walked in and changed our program immediately, " added Burrows, who watched Krikke become the go-to offensive and defensive player on his team.

"He's kind of the full package.He's got the skill, he's got the size, he's competitive, he's driven, he's academic, polite, he's respectful," he said. "He's got all those tools that you hope that your kids have."

Invaluable experience

"We couldn't be more excited for him that he fits in with the Ontario kids who typically dominate the selection for any of the national teams, " said Paul Sir, executive director of Basketball Alberta.

"We're hoping Ben's experiences will translate back here to show other kids that if you apply yourself, if you work hard, if you have the ability, you're going to have a shot at getting the same kind of opportunities that Ben had."

Krikke and his national teammates tip off against the hosts at the FIBA Americas tournament June 14.

Once he's back in Alberta, he'll again suit up for Team Alberta at the CanadaGames in Winnipegat the end of July.