Former Pirate sets sail for Argentina

Dogs were barking incessantly at Trevon Young as he walked the streets of Colón, Argentina, a city in the Entre Ríos province, on Oct. 4.

He was trying to catch a cab and not having much success. “Hola, Hola!” he said to a passing cab. I could hear both the whirring of the car and the dogs through the phone.

“Ah, I missed it,” Young said.

Young is in Argentina to catch more than cabs, though. He’s trying to maintain a grip on his basketball dreams.

Young, a 2013 Braden River High grad who was named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Class 7A Player of the Year as a senior, arrived in Argentina on Sept. 19. The former East County resident was drafted to play for La Unión de Colón, a professional Argentine basketball team, after graduating from Eckerd College in May. As a senior Tritons forward, Young averaged 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and was named to the All-Sunshine State Conference First Team.

“It was a great feeling,” Young said of being drafted. “I knew something would go well for me eventually, I just didn’t know when. Waiting for it was nerve-wracking, but it’s a blessing. It’s great to know I have a home for at least the next season, a place to play.”

Argentine basketball has been a bigger shock to Young than the culture. Before he moved to East County in 2009, he lived in Wimauma, an unincorporated part of Hillsborough County that featured plenty of Spanish-speaking people and culture. Young said he never learned the language despite growing up around it and taking it in college, but he feels comfortable surrounded by it now. It’s a good challenge, he said, one that will finally force him to learn what he should have learned long ago.

Those barking dogs, though, look different to Young. In Wimauma, strays were animals to be avoided lest you get bitten. As a result, Young carried a healthy fear of the animals until he reached Eckerd, where students brought their dogs everywhere and Young saw how sweet they could be. He now has one of his own, he said, a blue-and-red-nosed pit bull named Simba.

In Colón, the “perros” (dogs) belong to everyone. Young said he throws them scraps of his dinner when eating at restaurants. They don’t bark in aggression, he said. They’re just saying hello.

By this point in our conversation, Young managed to hail a cab and was on his way to the gym for a workout. Things aren’t as friendly on the court as they are in the streets. 

Young said the Argentine league — Torneo Nacional de Ascenso — is more physical than any brand of basketball he’s experienced, so he’s been focusing on his chest and legs in the gym to add power to his base and to prepare himself for tons of contact.

So far, through preseason practice, the transition has been smooth, Young said. Almost too smooth — Young said he’s waiting for something to go wrong.

His appearance in Argentina may surprise area sports fans who stopped following his career after high school. Young originally signed with the University of Florida to play football, not basketball, as an offensive lineman. He transferred to Eckerd after one season, realizing his love of football didn’t match his love of basketball.

“I’m sure people are wondering, ‘What happened to Trevon?’” he said. “My head’s still focused on my dream, I just got sidetracked a bit. My mind wasn’t on the game I love. I’ve always wanted to play professional basketball. I still want to play in the NBA. If that doesn’t happen… we’ll see. We’ll assess after this year and see where I’m at.”

His first game is Oct. 19. If he wants to play professionally in the U.S., he will need a strong season to attract attention. I'll be keeping an eye on him and hoping he gets "muchas canastas" (many baskets) in Argentina.