Young basketballer Jon Brill has become the first Port Pirie person to win male athlete of the year award with the South Australian country high performance squad.

He was up against 30 other male members of the squad from country towns all over the state.

The squad have one training session together each season, and at that session two weeks ago Brill was announced as the winner.

Fellow Port Pirie player Nelson Magor is also on the squad, and the two train together once a week. They also travel to Kadina once a month to train with players there and Whyalla.

The squad’s focus is basketball, and gives the elite basketballers of country South Australia access to free coaching from professional coaches.

The 16-year-old St Mark’s student said being a part of the squad is “kind of like sponsorship,” and he hopes it may open the door to a professional basketball career.

“I would love to make the NBA (National Basketball Association), or probably play for my country or in the Olympics,” he said.

“I’d like to aim for London, but 2016 would also be ok.”

But in the mean time, Brill hopes to be selected for the national country basketball team, which could take him to play against teams from Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The season started in February this year, and Brill said he has enjoyed being a part of it.

“I will most likely be in again next year,” he said.

With only two weeks left of the squad’s season, Brill can now focus on playing his second season with Port in the A grade men’s competition.