For some, the idea of hopping on a 18 hour flight from the country of Georgia to Pennsylvania and rapidly assimilating to a new language, culture, academic system and lifestyle could seem overwhelming.
For Scotland Campus Sports´ Amiko Khazalia, who played at the prestigious Zaza Pachulia Basketball Academy prior to departing for the states, it is simply according to plan.
The 6-foot Class of 2019 prospect showed tremendous promise as a ball control point guard with outside shooting capabilities and a pesky on ball defensive prowess back in the homeland.
Coming to the United States was an opportunity to gauge his skill set against the game’s elite while subsequently getting better with the day to day workload.
With his improved handle and ability to make his teammates beneficiaries of his presence, Khazalia has developed a much improved feel of the American game.
“The style of basketball in America is different from where I’m coming from,” Khazalia explained.
“Everything is fast paced here. The game is faster and you need to make decisions very quickly. To come and play in the states was always my dream. I was curious to see how good I was and if I could take my game to the next level.”
Having learned the intricacies of head coach Blake Kingsley´s defense, Khazalia has improved considerably with that component of his game.
He’s done a notably better job of clamping down on both guard positions and applying pressure all across the court. Being more communicative and vocal throughout has been instrumental in accelerating his production rate.
“I’ve also improved at reading what the defense is giving me,” explained Khazalia. “It helps my decision making. It dictates whether or not I should go in for the layup, pass it off, or pop out and shoot a jumper.”
Buying into the around the clock devotion to strength and physical training at Scotland has also helped catapult Khazalia into a more reliable defender, with the added strength helping him keep guards in front of him.
“He’s got a steady desire to be great, he understands that it is all about steady work and trusting the process,” Kingsley said. “He’s improved on all facets of his game. He’s got good offensive instincts. He must continue to improve defensively.”
Khazalia is part of the international presence at Scotland Campus, which features a sharpshooting 6-foot-6 Australian guard in Louis Bleechmore, a 6-foot-7 Australian forward in Aime Ciza, and one of the top point guards out of Estonia in Johannes Kirsippu. Coming to Scotland also reunited Khazalia with childhood teammate and sharpshooting friend, Class of 2020 guard Luca Tsurtsumia.
