The final piece of coach Josh Waight’s puzzle is complete and the Shepparton Gators’ 2024 Big V championship squad is finalised.
Six foot-eight (207cm) forward Devin Thomas, hailing from Indiana in the United States, has put pen to paper with the Gators.
“He’s an exciting prospect,” Waight said.
“Devin is our final signing, the squad is all done and dusted.
“We were able to be very patient and pick the guy we wanted and who suited our needs the best.”
Waight said Thomas was versatile on both ends of the boards.
With the ability to score at the rim and cash in from long range with a deadly three-point shot, paired with the skill set and size to guard multiple positions on defence, Thomas will fit in nicely to an already deep Gators roster.
Waight said he’d had exciting conversations with the coaching staff about different line-ups, given Thomas’ ability to play with another big man or operate as the centre.
“There’s a different size at the next level (the championship), so having bigger bodies is huge,” he said.
With Benalla big man Lachie Kego returning for another season at 207cm as well, Shepparton’s own Nick Dodd running it back at 198cm and 201cm Kiwi sharpshooter Dylan Wilkie returning from his one-season hiatus, the Gators are big.
Include Canadian import Jayden Coke, also at 201cm, and Shepparton has replaced Derek Murphy’s athleticism and ability to play above the rim and then some.
Waight said pairing the experienced 28-year-old Thomas with the 24-year-old Coke would benefit both the players and the team, given that this is Coke’s first semi-pro season.
Thomas previously played college basketball for Indiana State before going to Europe, playing for Leverkusen in Germany last season.
When asked what the most exciting thing about Thomas was, Waight said his ability to score the ball in so many different ways at his size.
With the season starting in April, Waight was keen for his imports to arrive and join the squad and see how the group looked playing together.
“We’re going to have a very competitive environment with minutes up for grabs,” Waight said.
“I’m open to how that looks, we’ve got a lot of different guys and a lot of different options, so it’s very exciting.”