After over a combined decade at the club, Depiro captain Andrew Aquilina will be suiting up for a different BOV Division One team this coming season after getting his release from the Mtarfa club this summer.
Last season, under coach Ruben Baldacchino, Aquilina returned from injury to help his side win the final playoffs berth before the team fell to Mellieha Libertas in the semifinals.
The veteran guard started every one of the 21 games he played across all competitions for Depiro last season, averaging 6.6 points, four assists and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Now under new coach Sasha Dimitrijevic, Depiro seem to have a different direction in mind, having already brought over David Bugeja and Luca Stefanovic from Mellieha and Athleta respectively, while also extending the contract of US-import guard Cameron Cornelius for a third consecutive season.
Sources close to Depiro told Malta Basketball that despite the club wanting to keep hold of the senior team captain, it was Aquilina’s wish to have more minutes on court, so it was only fair to allow him to move clubs.
While his next destination has not yet been made official, it seems likely that Aquilina will be Starlites’ answer to the loss of back-court duo Alec Felice Pace and Matt Attard, after the pair left the Naxxar-based club to pursue overseas basketball this summer. Felice Pace has already signed with German Regionalliga West side CityBasket Recklinghausen, while Attard is currently in negotiations with clubs in Australia.
Such a move would come in handy for Starlites as they prepare for their debut in European competition in September when they play Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta in the FIBA Europe Cup qualifiers with Aquilina providing the experience within a roster that is mostly based on youth.
