Malta international Nathan Xuereb has re-signed with Luxol for yet another season, sources tell Malta Basketball.
Xuereb, who joined the Violets last summer after 13 years at Athleta had a solid first season under coach Duncan Fenech despite missing out on a spot in the playoffs. At Luxol, the 22-year-old played 20 games last season across all competitions, averaging 17.2 points a game.
The Pembroke-based club is yet to announce this extension. However, it was already looking like their way forward last season, with Xuereb playing a key part of Fenech’s roster as his playmaker. In fact, Xuereb was second in scoring for the team behind American big man Tariq Woody, the pair both starting every game they’ve played. While Woody opted to depart from the club towards a move to Serhedci PIK Baku in the Azerbaijani League, Xuereb rejoins the team led by Malta’s national team coach for another bout this coming season.
Sources have told Malta Basketball that the Malta guard has settled in well at the club with an extension being his top priority at this stage of his career despite interest from other local clubs this summer.
Xuereb has, this summer, been part of the Malta national team contingent in Andorra for the FIBA european Small Countries championships where Malta finished second. He was the team’s starting point guard for all five games played averaging 9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
With Woody already gone and Xuereb secured, Luxol will be pushing for reinforcements to aid the young nucleus and the experience of JP Schembri and Marko Matijevic.
Last season, Luxol finished in the penultimate spot of the BOV Division One in spite of a good start to the campaign, as priority seemed to be revolving around development of the younger core of players. One awaits to see what changes will be made this coming season.