Heat add power up front with Naramata big man

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Facing bigger, faster, and stronger competition in the ultra-competitive Canada West men’s basketball league, The UBC Okanagan Heat have added a big power forward to its roster.

Ben Hindson—a six-foot-8 225 pound post player from Brentwood College—has decided to attend UBCO next season as the university steps into the CIS, the highest level of Canadian university sport.

Hindson is a dual sport athlete (basketball and rugby) but has decided not to follow in the footsteps of both his brother and father, and will play basketball. Ben’s father, Robert Hindson, or ‘Ro’ as he is more commonly known in rugby circles, will be inducted this August into the BC Rugby Hall of Fame for his long and outstanding career playing for Canada’s rugby team.

Ben will use both his size and his rugby training to be the low post player that the Heat will need in Canada West.

“I think I can be a big presence down low; especially on the defensive end of the court," said Hindson. "This is what the coach is looking for me to do next year.”

Heat coach Darren Semeniuk agreed

“I couldn’t agree more, Ben is very astute in understanding his role for the program,” said Semeniuk. “I’m looking for the classic post; a big guy that will eat up space controlling the paint and boards for us. Hopefully he will be able to grab a rebound, make a solid outlet pass, and start the break for us.”

In Hindson's senior year at Brentwood he averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game, leading his high school team to a bronze medal at the AA Provincial Championships.

The finish earned Brentwood its first ever provincial basketball medal. Hindson's  high school coach, Blake Gage, himself a former professional basketball player, said big Ben had a good year.

“Ben was arguably the best big man we saw this year and was a dominant force at the AA provincials where he was selected as a first team all-star," said Gage. "He has only been playing the game for a few years, but he has excellent basketball instincts and controlled games for us at the defensive end of the floor this season."

A resident of Naramata, Hindson will be entering the Bachelor of Science program in the fall and found UBC’s Okanagan campus an easy choice.

"The opportunity to play CIS ball was definitely a factor in the decision making process. It's a chance to go up against the best universities in the country,” he said.  “To be honest, campus location and basketball were more the deciding factors in my decision.”