Young Sunshine swings while United re-sign Kicks; import on the way
In the NBL's continuation of signing season, the Townsville Crocodiles and Melbourne United have secured the signatures of important pieces in their quest for season 2015/16 supremacy.
Mitch Young has crossed the Queensland rival line and ventured south from Cairns to the land of the Crocs. Young is Townsville's first signing (joining already contracted Mitch Norton) of the season, with the side having starved off elimination fighting voluntary administration.
Last season with the Snakes, Young was underused averaging just 2.7ppg and 2.1rpg backing up the likes of Alex Loughton, Stephen Weigh, Cameron Tragardh and Torrey Craig. The 23 year old prospect hopes to prosper in his new colours and with star Todd Blanchfield making his way to Melbourne, Young will be set for a much larger role flourishing under head coach Shawn Dennis.
“We tried to recruit him two years ago and missed out when he went to Cairns, so for us it’s really just turning back the clock a couple of years,” - Townsville head coach Shawn Dennis.
In addition to Blanchfield's Melbourne arrival, United have secured the lucrative signing of Daniel Kickert. Kicks has re-signed with the Melbourne based team for another year, after bursting onto the scenes last season with his highly efficient three point shooting; something which, at times, bailed United out trouble throughout the year.
The Melbourne based club, who are still gradually going through their rebranding process, will continue to use Kickert as a cornerstone of their franchise.
'Kicks' however, along with United, may not have lived up to the hype many had built up both within the club and those looking from afar.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge of putting Melbourne basketball back to the top of the NBL, and achieving the goals that I set out for myself and the team last year" - Kickert explained.
Melbourne's roster is once again taking shape and looming as one of the clubs to take notice of. Import Stephen Holt is expected to be announced shortly, as per David Pick via Twitter.
https://twitter.com/IAmDPick/status/608259915359002624
Holt is a 23 year old guard out of Saint Mary's, a well known American college in Australia thanks to the likes of Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and even Mitch Young and Daniel Kickert mentioned above.
He went undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, before playing with the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Summer League and then signing an unguaranteed contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers; the team who he played one game for in the 2014/15 NBA Preseason.
Holt was last seen playing for Canton Charge in the NBA D-League, where he played 49 games, starting 44 of them. He averaged 10.94ppg in 29mpg over that span, including 3.1rpg and 3apg.