Mersey Tigers are set to field one of the youngest teams in the BBL this season with the financial constraints imposed on new head coach Tony Walsh forcing the club to dip into the lower reaches of the domestic scene.Â
American-born guard Mathew Jackson arrives from Belfast Star while Manchester product Josh McGinn returns to the UK after a season in Italy at Cestistica.
Ryan Gallagher has experience of the BBL from Cheshire Jets but Walsh concedes that with imports yet to arrive, he will be relying on unproven talent.
“The team we will be putting on the floor will be young and hungry since we want to secure opportunities for the development of mainly locally born players who hail from the north-west,” he said.
“It’s also important that we continue to strengthen links with Liverpool who currently compete in the English Basketball League Division Four.
“But, we will of course be adding to our roster with import and European players in coming days and that will significantly help raise the standard and experience of our team.”
Tigers have handed contracts to no fewer than eleven British players including Anthony Woods, a 22 year old shooter who last played out of the European basketball academy in Belgrade, Serbia, 18-year-old Jack Hudson who is from Liverpool, plus Kieran Forsythe is a 27-year-old who was with Warrington Wolves.
In the forward spots, Manchester -born Osemweggie Semi Ebogbe has been with Mansfield Giants, Chris Carroll has stepped out with Loughbrough and Sefton while Chris Bigley, David Ulph and Niall Mullan all step up from Division Four where they played with Liverpool.
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