Basket rumors

James Bolden signs with KK Lovcen

James Bolden has signed with KK Lovcen of the ABA Liga 2.
The rookie comes from Alabama where he averaged 8.5ppg as a senior in NCAA.

Terry Larrier joins Norrkoping Dolphins

Terry Larrier is a new player of Norrkoping Dolphins, the swedish team announced.
Last year the former UConn forward averaged 7.6 points per game in G League for the Agua Caliente Clippers.

Chris Tawiah joins London Lions

The London Lions have gone full circle signing 6’10” Centre, Chris Tawiah who was developed by the Lions Junior programme in Milton Keynes

Discovered by Lions scout, Freddie Wilson, Chris Tawiah joined the Lions junior programme where he was honed by Nigel Lloyd, alongside other juniors like Jordan Spencer, Blayne Freckleton and Conner Washington. The young big made his debut in the BBL for the Lions in 2011, aged just 18, before then heading over to the United States to attend Community College in Iowa and then concluding his College career at Wiley College.

With experience in Europe, the explosive Tawiah hit 12 points and 7 rebounds in the Czech League with BK Lions Hradec in the 2017-18 season and then in 2019, 12 points and 10 rebounds in the Austrian League with Oberwart Gunners. Last season was cut short in Romania with Phoenix Galati.

Lions boss Vince Macaulay commented, “We had a particularly good group in Milton Keynes and Chris is an example of a fundamentally sound basketball player that can earn a living playing this game, here and abroad. He has diligently focused on his career, and I am very proud that he can again suit up for the Lions and bring some of his European experience to our campaign, he is big, tough and will put himself about, shall we say, for the cause.”

A grinning Tawiah said, “I’m really looking forward to getting this season started. The team we have assembled this year is full of legitimately talented players. Playing in elite European competitions is the environment I want to surround myself with and be amongst, and with Lions playing in the Champions League, it allows me to do that in the nation’s capital. London Lions which once was Milton Keynes Lions is the club that got me into basketball and provided me the foundations to become the player I am now, so having the opportunity to play for them on the professional level is something that I couldn’t turn down either.”

Fans will get to see the team for the first time on the 15th of September, when Basketball Champions League opponents, Neptunas Klaipeda will be the visitors

Fonte: London Lions.

Liam O´Reilly inks with JobStairs Giessen 46ers

Liam O´Reilly signed a one-year deal with JobStairs Giessen 46ers, the German team announced.
Last year the guard averaged over 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assist and 2 steals for ForexTime Apollon, in the top Cypriot Division.

Maccabi Tel Aviv signs Oz Blayzer

Maccabi Tel Aviv has signed Oz Blazer for the coming season. The 27-year-old Israeli forward (1.99m) has faced the Yellows in the Final Four wearing the Maccabi Rishon LeZion uniform for the past two years and will now wear the champion’s uniform after seven seasons in the Israeli league.

“I want to welcome Oz Blayzer to Maccabi Tel Aviv. He is one more quality player that will give great solutions to our team and will be part of our family”, Coach Giannis Sfairopoulos told maccabi.co.il. “Oz is an Israeli player who proved that he is ready for the next step and that’s why we wanted to bring him to our club”.

“I am happy and excited to come to Maccabi Tel Aviv”, Oz Blayzer admitted in his response to the club’s official website. “I am ready for the new challenge, to prove my place and fight for the team. There is no Israeli player who grew up here and does not know the meaning of a club like Maccabi. I’m already waiting to start and meet all the players and team. The thing I’m most looking forward to, and even already imagine it happening, is the return of the fans to the arenas and to meet the fans as a Maccabi player in the arena”.

Oz Blayzer, born in December 1992, is considered a strong and experienced forward who knows how to handle the ball and also score beyond the arc (43% and 41% from 3pt respectively in the last two seasons in the playoffs). He knows most of the current roster well and played with some of the players in the Israeli national team.

During the last season, Blayzer played with Rishon LeZion five times against Maccabi. In the first round in the city of wine he scored 11 points, in the second in our arena he finished with 11, in the third he provided 16 and 8 rebounds and in the fourth 11 and 5 rebounds. In the last final four final Blayzer scored 13 Points (3 of 5 from three) in 25 minutes of play.

Blazer grew up in Kfar Tavor (northern Israel) and grew up in the youth department of Hapoel Gilboa\Maayanot. In 2011 he was added to the senior team of Hapoel Afula. He then moved to Bnei Herzliya and was selected as the season revelation in 2013/14. After another season at the HaYovel Hall he moved to Maccabi Haifa, played three seasons in the green uniform and then moved to Rishon LeZion in the summer of 2018.

Last season Oz was a key part in Guy Goodes’ machine. With the vice champions he averaged 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and assists in 26.9 minutes per game during the regular season. In the playoffs he provided 11.3 points with 85% for 2pt and 41% for 3pt, along with 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25.8 minutes per game.

In the last playoff in the league, Blayzer was ranked 10th among the Israelis in the efficiency index, seventh in the 3pt percentage, 11 in rebounds and 11 in the plus-minus index. In the Rishon LeZion uniform in the EuroCup, he took part in ten games, started in five of them and provided 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. His highlight game was against Ulm with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 20 Eff.

Fonte: Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Rasta Vechta extends Josh Young until 2022

Rasta Vechta announced the extension of Josh Young’s contract until 2022.
The pointguard played 4 of the last 5 seasons with the German club.

Last year he averaged 12.8 points, 3.4 assist and 1 steals per game between BBL and BCL, shooting 45% from the field, 41% from long range and 76% from the foul line.

Golan Gutt returns to Maccabi Rishon

Golan Gutt signed a one-year contract with Maccabi Rishon.
The guard previously played for the Israeli team in the 2015/16 season.
Last year Gutt averaged 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for Ironi Nes Ziona.

BAXI Manresa, William Magarity part ways

BAXI Manresa and William Magarity have reached an agreement to end the player’s contract with the club.
Last year the Swedish big man averaged over 7 points and 3 rebounds per game between ACB and BCL.

Ratiopharm Ulm officially sign Aric Holman

Aric Holman (23) moves from the NBA G-League to Ulm and signs a contract until 2021.
The versatile big man out of Mississipi State spent his rookie season in G league, averaging 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for the Texas Legends.

Milenko Tepic signs with KK Mega Bemax

Milenko Tepic signed a one-year contract with KK Mega Bemax, the serbian team announced.
The veteran swingman spent last season between Italy (just 3 games for Varese) and Greece, where he averaged 4.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assist for Iraklis BC.

Gabriel Olaseni reportedly signing with Büyükçekmece

Gabriel Olaseni reached an agreement with Büyükçekmece, Levent Yavuz reports.

The big man out of Iowa spent last year with Frutti Extra Bursaspor, averaging 10.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

London Lions ink Kingsley Okoroh

The London Lions have added immense size to their roster with young Brit, Kingsley Okoroh standing at 7ft 1”.

The former Derby Trailblazer and GB International is trying to find a home that suits his style after a super college career at University of California. Graduating in 2018, Kingsley left his college, third all time in blocked shots and in the top 10 in the Pac 10 Conference with 201 career blocks. He averaged 6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in his final year.

Since college, the big man had a season in Leb Gold in Spain, with the Araberri club, playing 18 minutes a game and returning 6 points and 5 boards. After that the 19/20 season saw an inability to stick, now he has been tracked down by the Lions with a role to play.

Lions boss Vince Macaulay commented, “This is going to be interesting with Kingsley. He is so big and yet athletic with a nice soft touch, I believe in the right role he could be a key piece, he showed how smart he is at Cal University I think as with a lot of British players, he is a late starter and a late bloomer and we could see him really come to the fore with the number of games we will have to play this season – he is certainly going to cause a problem for many teams.”

Okoroh was delighted to be in London, “I’m happy to be a part of the London Lions organisation, we are trying to do something special this season and I’m glad to be a part of that! We have a strong talented group of players who are all ready to challenge for titles.”

Fans will get to see the team for the first time on the 15th of September, when Basketball Champions League opponents, Neptunas Klaipeda will be the visitors

Tickets and details of television coverage will come out nearer the date as we follow Government guidelines on indoor sports.

Fonte: London Lions.

Demetrius Denzel-Dyson joins Kataja Basket

Demetrius Denzel-Dyson signed with Kataja Basket, the finnish team announced.
The swingman spent last year between the G League and the Lithuanian division.