There was a polite round of applause as Illawarra Hawks players were introduced at St Mary's Star of the Sea College. Minutes later, LaMelo Ball arrived. And the building erupted with the sound of screaming teenagers. See more: Illawarra athletes shine at Australian All Schools Championships It's fair to say the potential No. 1 pick in next year's NBA Draft was a popular man as the Hawks visited the Wollongong college last Tuesday. The Hawks dropped by as part of their So You Think You Can Play program, which allows local students to play basketball against professionals. The students were competitive early and looked on track to cause an upset. However, some three-pointers from Tim Coenraad - combined with entertaining antics by Ball - guided the Hawks to the win. Afterwards, Ball said he was happy to get out and meet students at local schools like St Mary's Star of the Sea College. "It feels good, I believe they [St Mary's] have a great team. It's just fun to be out here though," he said. While you're with us the Illawarra Mercury is offering sport readers 20% off an annual digital subscription. Sign up to stay up to date with all the local sports you love for only $3 a week. Terms and conditions apply.