WILCHER HOPS TO FLYERS

Bristol Flyers have signed Josh Wilcher from the Plymouth Raiders on a two-year deal.

The British/Australian point guard has played five seasons in the league, making over 100 BBL Championship appearances.

 Last season Wilcher made just ten league appearances for Plymouth, averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 assists per game, whilst leading the league in free throw percentage, shooting 94% from the foul line.

“I spoke to Coach Kapoulas a lot about the club’s plans for the future and there’s exciting times ahead with the plans to build a new arena, so I can’t wait to be a part of it,” he said.

 “I’ve got some interesting memories of playing against Bristol over the years, so It’ll be cool to be on the other side of it now.

 “Bristol have been a team that’s been in and around the play-offs for most of their BBL career, so I’d like to help them move up the table and add to the core players that they’ve brought back this season.”

 

Image: JMP/BS

Manchester Giants have signed American guard Sam Cassell Jr – the son of three-time NBA champion and current LA Clippers assistant Sam Cassell.

With overseas edperience in Spain and Germany, he is expected to link up with the returning Jack Hudson in the backcourt.

Head coach Danny Byrne said: “A signing of this magnitude signals a step-change in what we are trying to do as a club, and in our effort to put Manchester Giants back on the map. Make no mistake about it, we would not be bringing Sam here if he did not tick all of our boxes during the scouting process.

“We found no other player with a comparable IQ for the game, with size, experience, and the ability to both score and facilitate from the combo guard position.

“I expect leadership from Sam this season, and I am really looking forward to seeing how he operates alongside Jack Hudson in our backcourt, and with the other pieces that we have put in place.

“A number of teams in the recent past have started a British point guard alongside an American combo guard to great effect – noticeably Bristol as they made a run to the BBL Cup Final last season. With the emergence of Jack last year we felt confident that we could have success with that too, and it’s what has enabled us to pursue this signing.”