Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: From Across the Pond: Getting to know Cameron Hildreth
11/16/2021 11:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
College decisions are arduous under normal conditions, but the 2021 recruiting class had it even more difficult because official visits weren't allowed during the early onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The vast majority of first-year players across all sports never had an opportunity to visit the campus of the school they selected.
That's a tough proposition for anyone but consider the added impediment for a prospect from the United Kingdom, like Wake Forest basketball's Cameron Hildreth.
Not only did he not get to visit campus, but he also entered the recruiting process not really knowing all that much about Wake Forest and had just cursory knowledge of the ACC, the premier college basketball conference in the country.
The connections between Hildreth and the Wake Forest basketball staff were all made virtually, largely through Zoom meetings.
"This was one of the more difficult things," Hildreth said. "We messaged all the time and Zooms had been a major thing for us. We built each other's trust. It was kind of like a relationship that built quickly, especially with (assistant) Coach (Brooks) Savage. The relationship I built with him over that time allowed me to trust their whole process."
"Speaking with Coach Forbes, you could tell he's an amazing guy. He's experienced and is a great mentor. He will get on you in practice, but then compliment you when you do something well. The relationship we've built both on and off the court has been great. He knows he can trust me, and I know I can trust him. That's great to have as a coach and a player."
The adjustments have continued for Hildreth since he arrived in Winston-Salem early this summer.
"The adjustment started off kind of difficult, being across the world," he said. "The time difference was a big factor to take into consideration. Then on the court, it's the pace of the game, the way they want you to catch the ball and the different footwork. So, the adjustment kind of took me a few weeks.
"The coaches have been great. They helped me understand what I needed to be doing and how I needed to change my game, to adapt to the different types of basketball."
When Forbes shared his top-five players from the summer, he ranked Hildreth fourth. The freshman is likely to be an integral piece in the rotation this season for the Demon Deacons.
"Summer was great for me," Hildreth said. "It was sort of a test before we got into the full preseason. I came in not really too sure about how I was going to perform, knowing it was a different form of basketball. I think (director of sports performance Mike) Starke did a great job with me, and I did everything that was asked of me in the weight room. I was really pleased with how my body developed to get much stronger, and that enabled me to perform better on the basketball court.
"I put on some muscle and weight, which helps me not get bullied around as much. It's a more physical game here. That has helped my performance on the court a lot."
Hildreth played for the British U16 National Team and competed for the Worthing Thunder in the National Basketball League (England) Division One for the 2019-20 season. He averaged 11.1 points. 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game in eight contests for the national team in 2018. He was able to move up a level into the British Basketball League last season.
"The biggest preparation for me was playing against men," Hildreth explained. "Back home I was playing a lot of junior basketball. Then I've always been a guy who plays up. The NBDL was division one, which enabled me to perform, play well and expose myself to some tougher competition. Then I had the opportunity to move up with the Surry Scorchers in the BBL.
"That opportunity was great for me. It allowed me to play the highest level available in England and play against guys who have already played four years of college. Playing against those guys and playing with guys who have already done what I was about to embark upon was a big benefit for me."
The biggest differences Hildreth sees so far in American college basketball and what he was used to in the United Kingdom is the pace of play and physicality. His teammates, along with the coaching staff have helped him get acclimated.
"The team is getting along really well," he said. "We have great chemistry off the court, which enables us to play really well together on the court. Everyone is coming into a new environment, but I'm even more new because I'm coming from the UK.
"The whole team has been welcoming to me and I've already got some great friends on the team. The coaching staff has been welcoming. Everyone made sure I had everything I needed to help it feel like home. Where it's new for everyone else too, they were already used to American life, and that was different for me."
A skill that often becomes a necessity to fine-tune at Wake Forest is time management, and Hildreth is finding that out rather quickly.
"Our day is filled all the time," he said. "Just trying to balance the time to make sure I get my schoolwork done and I'm ready for practice. And then you have to get time to switch off everything and enjoy your social life."
Hildreth was around the game of basketball at a young age, watching his father Daniel play for the Worthing Thunder and Brighton Bears in what was then the British Basketball League. He talks to his father via FaceTime as much as possible.
"It's difficult with the five-hour time difference, but we try to make it work," Hildreth said. "Since I've been over here, we've talked a little less about basketball and more about life in general. He's been my coach my whole life, so it's a big change to not be coached by him. He's one of the main reasons I'm here. I owe him a lot of gratitude."
When the Deacs laced it up against William & Mary in the season opener on Nov. 10, the team was able to surprise Hildreth with a visit from his father now that COVID travel restrictions have loosened up.
"I have always been extremely excited to play my first college game, especially with this team. The surprise of my dad being here was really good. I haven't seen him in a long, long time. It was great fun. It means a lot to me to have him here."
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That's a tough proposition for anyone but consider the added impediment for a prospect from the United Kingdom, like Wake Forest basketball's Cameron Hildreth.
Not only did he not get to visit campus, but he also entered the recruiting process not really knowing all that much about Wake Forest and had just cursory knowledge of the ACC, the premier college basketball conference in the country.
The connections between Hildreth and the Wake Forest basketball staff were all made virtually, largely through Zoom meetings.
"This was one of the more difficult things," Hildreth said. "We messaged all the time and Zooms had been a major thing for us. We built each other's trust. It was kind of like a relationship that built quickly, especially with (assistant) Coach (Brooks) Savage. The relationship I built with him over that time allowed me to trust their whole process."
"Speaking with Coach Forbes, you could tell he's an amazing guy. He's experienced and is a great mentor. He will get on you in practice, but then compliment you when you do something well. The relationship we've built both on and off the court has been great. He knows he can trust me, and I know I can trust him. That's great to have as a coach and a player."
The adjustments have continued for Hildreth since he arrived in Winston-Salem early this summer.
"The adjustment started off kind of difficult, being across the world," he said. "The time difference was a big factor to take into consideration. Then on the court, it's the pace of the game, the way they want you to catch the ball and the different footwork. So, the adjustment kind of took me a few weeks.
"The coaches have been great. They helped me understand what I needed to be doing and how I needed to change my game, to adapt to the different types of basketball."
When Forbes shared his top-five players from the summer, he ranked Hildreth fourth. The freshman is likely to be an integral piece in the rotation this season for the Demon Deacons.
"Summer was great for me," Hildreth said. "It was sort of a test before we got into the full preseason. I came in not really too sure about how I was going to perform, knowing it was a different form of basketball. I think (director of sports performance Mike) Starke did a great job with me, and I did everything that was asked of me in the weight room. I was really pleased with how my body developed to get much stronger, and that enabled me to perform better on the basketball court.
"I put on some muscle and weight, which helps me not get bullied around as much. It's a more physical game here. That has helped my performance on the court a lot."
Hildreth played for the British U16 National Team and competed for the Worthing Thunder in the National Basketball League (England) Division One for the 2019-20 season. He averaged 11.1 points. 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game in eight contests for the national team in 2018. He was able to move up a level into the British Basketball League last season.
"The biggest preparation for me was playing against men," Hildreth explained. "Back home I was playing a lot of junior basketball. Then I've always been a guy who plays up. The NBDL was division one, which enabled me to perform, play well and expose myself to some tougher competition. Then I had the opportunity to move up with the Surry Scorchers in the BBL.
"That opportunity was great for me. It allowed me to play the highest level available in England and play against guys who have already played four years of college. Playing against those guys and playing with guys who have already done what I was about to embark upon was a big benefit for me."
The biggest differences Hildreth sees so far in American college basketball and what he was used to in the United Kingdom is the pace of play and physicality. His teammates, along with the coaching staff have helped him get acclimated.
"The team is getting along really well," he said. "We have great chemistry off the court, which enables us to play really well together on the court. Everyone is coming into a new environment, but I'm even more new because I'm coming from the UK.
"The whole team has been welcoming to me and I've already got some great friends on the team. The coaching staff has been welcoming. Everyone made sure I had everything I needed to help it feel like home. Where it's new for everyone else too, they were already used to American life, and that was different for me."
A skill that often becomes a necessity to fine-tune at Wake Forest is time management, and Hildreth is finding that out rather quickly.
"Our day is filled all the time," he said. "Just trying to balance the time to make sure I get my schoolwork done and I'm ready for practice. And then you have to get time to switch off everything and enjoy your social life."
Hildreth was around the game of basketball at a young age, watching his father Daniel play for the Worthing Thunder and Brighton Bears in what was then the British Basketball League. He talks to his father via FaceTime as much as possible.
"It's difficult with the five-hour time difference, but we try to make it work," Hildreth said. "Since I've been over here, we've talked a little less about basketball and more about life in general. He's been my coach my whole life, so it's a big change to not be coached by him. He's one of the main reasons I'm here. I owe him a lot of gratitude."
When the Deacs laced it up against William & Mary in the season opener on Nov. 10, the team was able to surprise Hildreth with a visit from his father now that COVID travel restrictions have loosened up.
"I have always been extremely excited to play my first college game, especially with this team. The surprise of my dad being here was really good. I haven't seen him in a long, long time. It was great fun. It means a lot to me to have him here."
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