After a stint in the Japan B3 League with Tachikawa Dice, Malta international forward Aaron Falzon is set for a return to France to join NM1 side Besançon Basket on a one-year contract, the club confirmed on Wednesday.
Calling him the “piece that was missing to complete the puzzle of the BesAC 2024-2025 squad”, the club said in a statement that Falzon had ticked most boxes in their search for a new player ahead of the coming season.
“Laurent Kleefstra and the recruitment team eventually found this final piece, in the ‘four’ position, after exploring a very large number of leads,” the statement read.
“The coach was attached to a certain interior profile that was particularly able to respond to his defensive philosophy, but also in attack that could deviate from the circle and be effective behind the line at three-pointers.”
This is the third time Falzon will play in France after a short stint in his rookie season as a professional player with Etoile Angers, and more recently with Mulhouse following stints in the UK with the Leicester Riders and in Austria with the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions.
BesAC said they had gotten ‘excellent information’ about Falzon from former Mulhouse coach Lauriane Dolt, facilitating the decision to go with Falzon as their new forward.
Last season, Falzon was plying his trade in Japan where he averaged 10.7 points from a 52.9FG%, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 39 games played.
Following that, negotiations began for his next move which will now bring him back to Europe. The club said Falzon would be heading to Geneva on August 7 and would meet his new teammates the next day to “blend in as soon as possible” in the season’s preparation.
With the signing of Falzon and other players already announced by the club in recent days, the team will be working towards improving on a troubled campaign last season where they finished in the penultimate spot of Group B in NM1 with a record of 7-19 after the 26 games of the league campaign.