Basketball prospect Lauren Hainstock gives UPEI Panthers enticing mix of size and versatility
As basketball continues to shift towards a positionless game, versatile players have become more and more valuable.
UPEI’s latest recruit, Lauren Hainstock, is one of those players.
Hainstock joins the Panthers as a six-foot-one forward, who has the skill set of a guard but the size to compete inside against the conference’s best interior threats.
“Whether I need to get physical under the rim or shoot three-pointers from the perimeter, I think I’ve combined my physical and mental skills over the years to provide a wide range of possibilities for the team,” said the Kentville, NS native, who will study in the UPEI Faculty of Science.
As UPEI turns the page to a new era of Panther basketball—one filled with optimism and excitement—head coach Matt Gamblin has been hard at work assembling a roster that can play multiple ways and is unpredictable and difficult to plan against.
“Versatility and toughness are two of the most important factors we value,” said Gamblin. “The ability to play inside-out, stretching the floor while still being an inside threat, is an essential part of her game that we’re excited about.”
Hainstock showcased that versatility with Northeast Kings Education Centre from Grades 9–11 before finishing up at King’s-Edgehill (KES) Prep—considered to have one of Canada’s top comprehensive basketball programs—where she averaged 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Marc Ffrench, KES’s head coach and Director of Basketball Operations, believes the Panthers have a talented and productive player on their hands with the 18-year-old.
“Lauren’s length, combined with her ability to shoot the ball from three, creates mismatch situations that have to be accounted for by all teams she lines up against,” Ffrench said. “Playing for King’s-Edgehill at the prep level has helped her improve her defensive knowledge and understanding of elite-level offensive concepts.”
For years, Hainstock represented Nova Scotia on the hardwood and has become one of the province’s prized high school players. In 2019, she donned the province’s colours as a member of the under-15 team and was selected as a second team all-star at the U15 Canada Basketball National Championship in Victoria, BC. A year later, she competed for its under-17 team.
“Playing for Nova Scotia opened my eyes to what the sport could offer and led to many opportunities,” she said.
Some of those opportunities included being selected to participate in the 2020–2021 Canada Basketball High Performance U17 Woman’s Age Group Camp and being nominated for the 2020 BioSteel All Canadian Games—an NBA-sanctioned event that features the nation’s best high school players.
All that experience has led her to UPEI, where another opportunity awaits: a shot to compete for an AUS championship.
“I’m really excited to join this team and see if we can do something special together.”
