After having been tight-lipped about new additions to their squad, Luxol have finally announced their first import signing of the summer, naming American guard Darron Howard to their roster for the coming season.
“It’s been a busy summer for Luxol Basketball Club as we gear up for the new season, and now it’s time to start announcing our new signings. We’re excited to kick things off by welcoming Darron Howard, a talented guard from Alabama, to our team for the 2024-2025 season,” a club statement read.
“With his skills and determination, Darron is sure to make a significant impact on the court.”
6’2 Alabama native Howard will be on his first European expedition after having played in the Indianapolis-based league TBL last season with the Rocket City Flight where he averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as the team’s starting point guard in the nine games he played.
He brings with him accurate shooting – a common trait sought by coach Duncan Fenech. Last season, Howard shot 55.9% from the field, 35.1% from deep, and 90% from the freethrow line.
Before his first professional experience in the US, Howard was a NCAA Division Two player at King University where he played his last season with the Tornadoes in 2023.
Now he joins a Luxol team which is set for a summer project in hopes of a better run in the BOV Men’s Division One. Last season, Luxol struggled in the latter stages of the campaign, missing out on the playoffs as the penultimate team in the league, ahead of Valletta Fighters.
Such an issue can be attributed to internal issues with last season’s import player Tariq Woody, who was said to be unhappy at the club, and with the feeling mutual among the club’s admin and coaching staff, Woody was dismissed, leaving the club without a suitable replacement at a crucial stage of the season.
A year after that signing, Luxol will be aiming to hit the target with their new acquisitions, together with the extension of Malta international Nathan Xuereb, who re-signed earlier this summer, and who looks to have fit in particularly well with the squad and the club’s followers. Xuereb looks most likely to continue being the focal point of the roster build this season as Luxol work on more blocks to their lineup.
