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The Ashley Kitchen Interview (England)

Updated: Feb 15, 2023



Name: Ashley Kitchen


Hometown: Northampton, England


Height: 6-6


Position: Small Forward


High School: John Madejski Academy


Graduation Class: 2023


Status: Committed to Northern New Mexico College (2/3/23)


Ashley Kitchen is a 6-6 wing from Northampton, England. He's a senior at John Madejski Academy, and plays for the Reading Rockets in the Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL). I discovered Kitchen from watching his junior season tape, and got in contact with him. But, throughout our process the young man has been nothing but unique as I see a lot of potential within him. From his on court presence as a bigger guard, very well spoken and a lot of respect given mutually, Kitchen checks a lot of boxes that any college or professional program would need. Enough of me typing though, let's let Kitchen have the floor *laughs*. Hopefully you caught that, but seriously I caught up with the British hooper in an interview about growing up in Northampton, his junior season and expectations heading into the EABL season.

 

Ashley Kitchen Interview

When did you start playing basketball?

  • "I started playing basketball at around the age of 10 at the Northants Basketball Club."


Describe how you are as a player from the skill standpoint?

  • "I’m a good shooter. Over the last couple of seasons, I have developed the ability to get to the rim and finish. I am also someone who can play multiple positions as a wing, or a stretch four. I also bring length defensively, which helps me to get a good amount of steals and blocks."


How was life growing up in England?

  • "It’s not a very interesting town. I was never really experiencing new things, or doing anything out of the ordinary. I spent most of my life playing sports both at school, and outside of school. Northampton is a very good town for sport as it has many clubs for any type of sport that you could want to play. I often surrounded myself with other athletes, and that helped me to always be well behaved and hard working. My family also enjoys sports, so they were always more than happy to help me pursue whatever sport I wanted to play."


How was your junior year?

  • "It was a very strong year of development for me. I had a new coach who was very good at refining my skill set, and helping me develop day after day. I had a solid season in the EABL, and in the minutes I got for our division 1 men’s team I scored efficiently."


You’re still at a very early stage of your career. What kinds of things are you doing to make yourself the best player you can be?

  • "My training schedule means that I’m training twice pretty much every day. Then I usually play 2 games per week and sometimes 3. I also use the gym multiple times per week as both are in my scheduled gym slots and in my free time. I also like to watch a lot of basketball. At all different levels such as the Euro League, BBL and obviously the NBA. By doing this, I can learn lots of different in-game reads that I can try to add to my own game."


Which basketball player do you look up to and why?

  • "The main player that I look up to is Kevin Durant. Not only is he my favourite player to watch entertainment wise, but he also shows different ways to score against all types of defences. His competitive spirit is also a big thing that I look up to from him because he does everything he possibly can to help his team win."


Who do you look up to as role models?

  • "My main role models are my parents. This is because even though it’s not in sport, they work as hard as possible every single day without any complaints. They motivate me to never stop working as they have put everything they have into providing opportunities for me."


As you’re now at the age where you’re starting to look for college basketball opportunities, what factors do you ideally look for in a college?

  • "My only preference when looking for colleges are places where the coach has a plan of what type of player he wants to develop me into. I want to try and find a programme that can maximise my potential. And, to help me develop to a level where I can look at starting a pro career. Wherever that could be!"


I know the season has been ongoing in England, but what are you looking forward to throughout the season?

  • "One of my main goals this season is to continue to produce consistently in our Division 1 team. Another goal for me is to prove myself as a dominant player in the EABL. For my team goals, I want to help push our academy team to a playoff spot and then try to put together a strong playoff run to prove our entire team’s potential."


Thank you Ashley for taking the time to talk with me this morning. Do you have any words of encouragement or motivation for people? Any last words?

  • "Just to always work hard and be grateful for any opportunities that you receive."



Ashley Kitchen - Junior Season Highlights (2021-2022)




Contact Tyreese Smith



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