''OK, here we go again.'' That is what Lorenzo Romar first thought when he learned there was some 2.08m, 118kg teenage basketballer in New Zealand hoping to play college basketball in the United States.

But after watching just three minutes of Sam Timmins' game tape, the University of Washington head coach was suddenly filled with a sense of urgency.

Steven Adams' name popped into his head and his ''antennas went up straight away''.

He did not want to be the coach who missed the next big thing to come out of the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Romar quickly got the recruitment process under way and signed the 18-year-old in April.

Timmins will join the Huskies next year.

Initially, Romar had some doubts when he was was approached.

''So I'm thinking, OK, here we go again,'' Romar said.

''He is probably [more like] six-six [1.98m] and 200 pounds [90.7kg].''

But he decided to follow up the tip and is pleased he did.

''I saw film on him and I probably watched his film for three minutes and realised `Oh, my goodness, this doesn't happen to us; this happens to everybody else'.

''We get tips but very rarely are they who they say they are. Sam was in fact as tall as he said he was. He was as good a player as they said he was and really did have genuine interest in Washington. Those three coming together don't happen a lot.

''I think the sky is the limit. He could play at the highest level and the highest level I know of is the NBA.''

The Otago basketball community, of course, has known about Timmins' considerable skills for a lot longer.

He made his debut for the Otago Nuggets in 2013 when he was just 15, becoming the youngest player in the franchise's history.

He took the record off his mentor, former Tall Black Mark Dickel.

But it was his effort for Otago Boys' High School at the national secondary schools championship last year which really got him noticed.

''Slammin Sam'' drained 26 points and grabbed 23 rebounds to help lead the school to victory.

He also helped New Zealand reach the final 16 of the 3x3 basketball tournament at the Youth Olympics in China last year.

The centre is from excellent athletic stock.

His father, Brendon Timmins, played 74 games for the Otago rugby team and 42 games for the Highlanders.

His grandmother, Sandra McGookin, was a six-time New Zealand javelin champion, and his mother, Karen Timmins (nee McGookin), played netball for Southland and coached Otago age-group teams.

As far as Romar is concerned, Timmins is the complete package and it is why he was prepared to travel all the way to Dunedin just to spend two days with his new charge.

Timmins is a year-13 pupil at Middleton Grange School but only moved to Christchurch this year to link up with the Canterbury Rams when the Otago Nuggets pulled out of the National Basketball League.

He remains an Otago lad at heart and having his new coach visit him and his parents has suddenly made his imminent move to Seattle seem closer.

''It is all feeling a lot more real just talking to him today and what he has planned for me while I'm over there,'' Timmins said.

''It is just going to be a step up in all areas. The level of competition is going to be beyond anything you could reach in New Zealand.

''It is intimidating because you are not sure what it is going to be like, but mostly it is exciting.''

Timmins has to finish school first and the timing of his departure is still being worked through.