Huntley-Hatfield leaves Juventus Utena
Juventus Utena has parted ways with Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, with the two sides mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.
The club stressed that there were no complaints regarding the American’s dedication, work ethic or effort during practices. However, both sides recognized that the partnership was not working as hoped and decided to move on.
«We really have no complaints about the player’s dedication, work ethic or effort during practices. Sometimes things simply don’t work out. Both sides understood that, so we sat down, talked about it and decided there was no point in continuing», team manager Eimantas Skersis said.
Four games in Lithuania
Huntley-Hatfield played four games in the LKL, averaging nearly 18 minutes per contest.
The American big man averaged 2 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist, while posting 2.75 efficiency rating per game.
Emmanuel Nzekwesi joins the team
Juventus Utena has simultaneously announced the signing of Emmanuel Nzekwesi, a 29-year-old, 203cm Dutch big man and member of the Netherlands national team.
Nzekwesi spent last season in Romania with CSM Oradea.
He averaged 14 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.9 minutes per game in the Romanian league.
In the FIBA Europe Cup, he averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.4 minutes, along with a 16.7 efficiency rating.
Skersis: «We had been monitoring him»
Skersis explained that Juventus Utena had already been monitoring Nzekwesi before last season, but CSM Oradea’s offer was significantly stronger than what the Lithuanian club could afford at the time.
«Emmanuel is a physically strong player who is not afraid of contact and can finish effectively close to the basket. He brings energy on both offense and defense, which is exactly what our team needs», Skersis said.
The team manager also highlighted Nzekwesi’s experience in strong European leagues, stressing that experience is one of the areas Juventus Utena needs most.
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