RSA - No socks, no undies for South Africa's Denyssen

SOUTH BURLINGTON (ABA) - South Africa captain Quintin Denyssen made his name at the University of the Witwatersrand scoring a lot of points from three-point range, and with stunning dunks.

Now the 6ft 7in forward is hoping to "score socks and underwear". That’s what Sports Illustrated journalist Alexander Wolff revealed on www.vermontfrostheaves.com, the website of the Frost Heaves team he has set up that is a new entrant into the American Basketball Association (ABA) this season. Wolff will be writing regular columns in the magazine on the progress of his new project.

Denyssen, 25, travelled all the way from Johannesburg to try out for the team and while he arrived safely in the beautiful New England city, his luggage did not.
That prompted Frost Heaves coach Will Voigt and his assistant, Wayne Lafley, to head out in search of supplies on his behalf. Things did not go according to plan.

"The discount stores they had in mind were all closed," Wolff wrote on the website. "Determined to score some socks and underwear, the two lay in wait outside the employee exit. When a worker left, they dashed inside. Before anyone knew what was happening, coach Lafley demanded to see the manager, while Coach V headed straight for the men’s department. Mission accomplished — brazenly so."

Denyssen was one of 70 overseas players invited to South Burlington, Vermont, to take part in a training camp but just one of 19 to make the trip. With the Frost Heaves still drawing up their roster, Denyssen is still waiting to learn whether it was all worthwhile.

By PA Sport