MATTHEW Dellavedova is quickly establishing himself as one of central Victoria’s greatest sporting products.

Dellavedova is putting his home town Maryborough and the Bendigo Junior Braves on the map in the United States.

The announcement this week that Dellavedova is one of the best 11 college point guards in the United States is a remarkable achievement.

In many ways college basketball in America is as big as the NBA.

There are 344 teams in division one of the college basketball system.

In the spotlight we find a young man from Maryborough who is the only non-American point guard to be nominated in the best 11 in the country.

Stunning effort when you think about it.

That speaks volumes for Dellavedova’s skill, work ethic and leadership.

Not only is he gaining respect for his on-court ability, the basketballer has a 3.61 grade point average as a psychology major at Saint Mary’s College in California.

That puts him in America’s top student-athletes for combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

College basketball star, A-grade student and, potentially, by the time July comes around, an Olympian with the Australian Boomers.

Inspiring stuff for any young central Victorian basketballer who wants to put in the hard yards like Dellavedova has.

If Matthew Dellavedova is not a household name in central Victoria now, he will be very soon.