Category: Transfers

Valletta sign Fusion Quest duo as Schembri joins from Depiro

As Valletta BC continues to extend its rosters for the men’s and women’s teams, the club has announced three new additions to the squads, naming Serbian player Sara Kankaras (women’s team) and Maltese duo Alexia Parnis (women’s team) and Darryl Schembri (men’s team) as the newest Citizen players.

Kankaras brings with her experience in her home country, having played with Vrbas Medela in the Serbian Druga Zenska Liga Srbije back in the 2017-18 season. Added to that was her stint with Fusion Quest last season before they opted out of MBA basketball over the summer due to financial difficulties.

“We can officially announce Sara Kankaras as a citizen player,” a club statement read. Sara used to play for Vrbas in Serbia where she won various national and regional titles. She was also part of the Serbian national team and grabbed many individual honours in her young career.”

A few hours later, the team announced local guard Parnis.

“We are proud to announce Alexia Parnis as a Lioness,” the Capital club said. 

“Alexia is a fast guard with vast experience in the Junior Categories where she was crowned champion in the Under-16 section.”

Parnis joins the team as another acquisition from Fusion Quest’s end. The former Luxol youth player made her return to basketball in January and will now be starting anew with Valletta as the team adds to its squad depth ahead of an interesting debut in the MAPFRE MSV Life Women’s League.

Schembri joins Citizens

Meanwhile, former Depiro Hoops player Darryl Schembri has joined the club’s men’s team, the Citizens have confirmed.

“We would like to announce Darrel Schembri as a Valletta Basketball Club player,” Valletta said in a statement.

“The 192cm player started basketball at the age of 7 years, he won the second division title two years ago and represented Malta in the FIBA competitions.”

Wolfe extends Malta stint to join Hibernians as part of double import signing

After finishing off their summer business when it comes to local player transfers, Hibernians announced a double import signing on Tuesday when they named former Mellieha Libertas forward Tedrick Wolfe and Derek Brown to their roster.

“We’re thrilled to have Tedrick Wolfe and Derek Brown join our Men’s Senior Team!” a club statement read.

“These two international standouts bring a wealth of experience and dynamic skills that are sure to electrify the court.”

Wolfe is no stranger to Maltese basketball after an impressive campaign with the Northerners last season where he reached the finals of the John Tabone Shield and the playoffs with Ian Terribile’s team after making his Maltese debut in last season’s Super Cup. 

With Mellieha, he may not have won any trophies, however, he was a force on the court as he started 22 of the 24 games he played for Libertas. He averaged 29 points per game across all competitions, making him one of the top scorers of last season’s entire Division One.

Wolfe also averaged 12 rebounds with close to two blocks per game while making close to three steals in every outing. 

However, with Mellieha waving goodbye to senior basketball, all of the team’s players sought different teams. While fellow imports Kwame Thompson and Alexander Peacock have both returned to the US, Wolfe will be leading his pack again under new coach Christian Narciso, another former Mellieha employee. 

Meanwhile, 6’0 guard Brown joins after his time in Canada with the Montreal Alliance who play in the Canadian CEBL.

The former Portland State Vikings player will likely be the Paolites’ starting point guard this coming season as the team pushes for a major upgrade to their squad and performance under Narciso who was appointed head coach in August. 

Starlites welcome Carson Newsome

Just a few days after announcing the signing of Kolten Mortensen, Malta champions Starlites showcased another import player when they named American swingman Carson Newsome to their roster on Sunday.

“Join us in giving a warm welcome to Carson Newsome, who will be joining our VisitMalta Starlites Naxxar roster for the upcoming season. Carson will be a great addition to the team due to his professional experience and work ethic,” a club statement read.

The 6’7 player joins after experience in Nicaragua with Jaguares de la UAM in the Nicaragua-LSB where he joined after stints with the Vancouver Volcanoes in US league TBL, Caballeros de Culiacan in the Mexican league, and the TBL with the Cincinnati Warriors.

This will be his fifth season as a professional player. He now joins a Starlites team that is stacking up in preparation for its debut in the FIBA Europe Cup this month where they are set to face Anorthosis Famagusta at the end of the month.

“I am personally looking forward to playing a different style of basketball,” Newsome told the club’s socials. 

“I have been playing in the Latin American market for quite a while so coming to play a European style basketball looks very fun at the same time. Looking forward to competing with Starlites and winning.”

Newsome is Starlites’ sixth summer signing after the club brought on Trevon Reddish-Rhone, Joe Davis, Andrew Aquilina, Max Curran, and Mortensen. While it is unknown if all these players will remain after September’s Europe Cup games, it will be interesting to see these players combine with the Starlites nucleus led by Ian Felice Pace and Kurt Xuereb who were confirmed as club co-captains back in July by coach Paul Ferrante. 

Nicholas Grech moves to Valletta as Citizens set for two import signings

Depiro forward Nicholas Grech is a new Valletta Basketball Club player, the club announced on Sunday.

“We are proud to announce Nicholas Grech as a Valletta Basketball Club player,” a club statement read. 

“Nicholas is well known in the basketball community, he has a vast experience in the senior and junior categories. He also was part of the national team and for four years, he represented Malta in the FIBA competitions held in San Marino, Andorra and Gibraltar.”

The signing was teased in a Valletta video hours before the signing was made official, with the club confirming the move as part of their summer transfer coup in which they have brought it than four players from opposing BOV Division One teams.

Grech will be moving to the Capital club in search of better minutes after being used as a rotation player by the Mtarfa club in the past few seasons. Last season, he was brought off the bench in all of the 12 games he was utilised in by coach Ruben Baldacchino across all competitions. 

Despite his limited minutes, Grech shot 33.3% from the field and the same percentage from deep and the Citizens will be hoping for this and more from the former Malta international as they look to improve on their debut season in the top division of Maltese basketball. 

Grech is the third announced new signing for Valletta this summer after the club confirmed the arrival of former Hibs guard Nick Vasovic, fellow guard Francesco Mifsud Bonnici who joined from Athleta. 

Valletta Import Signings

With former Athleta big man Piotr Stelmach (revealed by Malta Basketball earlier in July) together with American imports Lorenzo Anderson and Matthew Brown who are all yet to be announced, the team seem to have replaced last season’s star players who all departed after the end of their contract last season.

6’3 guard Anderson signed with the club late in August with the news confirmed by his agent at ASG Sports.

The Georgia native joins the team after a season in Kazakhstan with BC Irbis where he was part of the team that won the League Cup. Last season, Anderson averaged 17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in his rookie season as a professional basketball player. 

Meanwhile, Brown, a 6’6 forward, will also be joining the team after his time in the East Coast Basketball League (ECBL) with the SC Letitfly Webdogs after his college career in the NCAA Division Two at the Anderson Trojans and earlier with highschool team The Spartanburg Day Griffins where he shared the court with now NBA star Zion Williamson.

Unlike Anderson, it was the player himself who confirmed all suspicions on Sunday announcing the signing on his socials.

Valletta sign Maria Mifsud

After the confirmation of Sabrina Abugrin earlier this week, Valletta Basketball Club Women announced another signing on Saturday, naming Maria Mifsud to their roster.

“Another addition to our Women’s team is Maria Mifsud. Maria’s family roots are from Valletta and apart from the local experience she played in Australia with Parramatta Wildcats and Rooty Hill High School,” a club statement read.

“Her favourite player is Magic Johnson and she started basketball after watching a game on TV. Her positivity and dedication are an asset for the new Women’s team representing the Capital.”

Mifsud, a former youth player with Athleta, holds experience from years spent in Australia. Mifsud was on the books of Waratah Basketball League (WABL) side Parramatta Wildcats after her time with Rooty Hill High School.

She now joins the capital club as the team prepares for its debut in the MAPFRE MSV Life Women’s League after its introduction over the summer as the league’s sixth competitor after the addition of Athleta and the citizens covered the loss of Fusion Quest who opted out of the coming season.

Valletta sign Mifsud Bonnici as Savaya stays

Valletta Basketball Club have been a busy club this summer, as they push to make inroads into Division One and after the statement signings of Piotr Stelmach and Nikola Vasovic in July, the capital club announced on Friday former Athleta guard Francesco Mifsud Bonnici to their roster for the coming season.

“We are thrilled to announce Francesco Mifsud Bonnici as a Valletta Basketball Club player,” a club statement read.

“Cesco brings a huge experience with his portfolio.  He has won the under-19, under-23, three Second Division titles and a bunch of First Division cups.

“Francesco was also nominated Most Valuable Player in the under-19 category and next season will be his 10th season in the highest division. He also represented Malta in various FIBA competitions, including winning a gold medal with the under 16 and also a historic participation in the under 20 FIBA Division B.”

Mifsud Bonnici was part of the Athleta squad that proved itself to be the dark horses of the Division One Championship under coach Christos Kousidis.

The 25-year-old started 18 out of 20 games played with Athleta in all competitions last season. He averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 assists, with close to two steals per game as Athleta made it to the playoffs as the league’s third seed.

Savaya back in charge

Now Mifsud Bonnici joins a Valletta side that no longer looks like a team in need of direction after a shaky debut last season. The Citizens have since then rebranded and made significant additions to their squad in order to hit the ground running this time around. 

Earlier this week, the club reconfirmed technical director Harry Savaya to his role at the club where he will be taking on not only the men’s teams but also the newly introduced women’s team.

“We are thrilled to introduce the driving force behind Valletta Basketball Club — our Technical Director, Harry Savaya!” Valletta said in a statement.

“Harry brings with him a wealth of international experience and a history of top achievements. Among many successes in his career, he was crowned Jordan Cup winner, and during the South East Asian Games, he led the Cambodian national teams to gold and silver victories. With a remarkable career as a national team and First Division head coach, Harry has also earned the prestigious Coach of the Year title in four different countries. 

“With his unwavering commitment to excellence and a deep passion for the game, Harry will be leading both our senior teams in the upcoming coming season.”

Starlites announce Mortensen signing

It’s been a summer of introductions for Starlites as title-holders have so far welcomed no less than five players into their squad. On Thursday, they announced their fifth signing of the window when they named American forward Kolten Mortensen to their roster.

“Welcome to the Starlites community, Kolten Mortensen! Coming off a positive season playing in Germany, Mortensen will form part of the VisitMalta Starlites Naxxar Men squad this season,” a club statement read.

The Utah native joins the team after a season in the German ProB with BBC Coburg where he averaged 11.7 points and 27.5 minutes in 27 games played. Shooting 62.1% from close range and 75% from the freethrow line, Starlites will be hoping Mortensen can keep up his accuracy coming into the new season, and more importantly their debut in the FIBA Europe Cup qualifiers next month.

On defence, the 6’7 American 5.6 rebounds and close to a steal per game last season in Germany, having joined after his college basketball experience with the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers in the NCAA Division Two.

He now heads to Malta to join a Starlites team that will be defending all the trophies available in the local basketball league. 

“I’m pumped for the opportunity to join the Starlites organisation, and looking forward to getting out there and helping the team to continue having success,” Mortensen told the club’s socials.

Mortensen is the fourth import signing of the summer after the club announced fellow American Trevon Reddish-Rhone, Canadian Joe Davis, and most recently American Max Curran. Together with the confirmation of former Depiro player Andrew Aquilina, Starlites have now filled the void left by backcourt duo Alec Felice Pace – who departed to play in Germany – and Matt Attard, as well as import trio Kurt James – who moved to Athleta – Davonte Craven, and Christian Hinckson.

Starlites make their first appearance in the FIBA Europe Cup later on in September when they face Anorthosis Famagusta in the qualifying stage.

Valletta BC Women announce Sabrina Abugrin signing

After Malta Basketball’s report bringing to light the introduction of Valletta Basketball’s women’s team, the Citizens have now announced their first of numerous signings this summer, naming Maltese-Libyan player Sabrina Abugrin to their squad.

Abugrin is no new face to local basketball after having played in youth categories with Athleta and Hibernians. Now she returns to the local scene after having switched to Netball a few years ago, reaching new heights to be also named the Malta Netball national team’s vice-captain.

“We are proud to announce the women’s basketball team competing in the highest division of the Malta Basketball Association,” A Valletta statement read.

“Sabrina Abugrin will be joining us in this new adventure for the club of the capital. 

“She’s 176cm tall and her favourite basketball player is the legendary Kobe Bryant. She has vast experience in the junior categories with Athleta and Hibernians.”

The 25-year-old now joins a Valletta side that has been building up to its debut in the MAPFRE MSV Life Women’s League season under coach Harry Savaya and assistant Daniel Bugeja. 

Abugrin is one of many players returning to the game to join Valletta as sources have said the team will be comprised mostly of those returning players together with a few players from around the local league – including what is said to be two players from Fusion Quest, who opted out of next season – as well as a professional import player to complement the team.

From information seen by Malta Basketball, the team will also be playing under the name Valletta Lionesses.

Starlites sign US forward Max Curran

In a summer of preparation for the FIBA Europe Cup qualifiers, Starlites announced another player to their roster on Tuesday, American power forward Max Curran joining the team.

The 6’9 player was on the books of Portuguese side UD Oliveirense in his first season as a professional player after his time in the NCAA Division One with the University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC), Florida Southern College, and eventually the University of Detroit Mercy.

At Oliveirense, Curran was up against opposition like SL Benfica, CAB Madeira and FC Porto who all dominate Portuguese basketball every year. Nevertheless, Curran and his teammates made it to the semifinals of the Portuguese playoffs where their run ended against Benfica.

“A big welcome to Max Curran, joining the Starlites family all the way from New Hampshire, USA. Max joins our VisitMalta Starlites Naxxar Senior Men squad this season and will surely fit in well with the rest of the roster due to his versatility and experience,” a Starlites statement read.

Curran now joins a Starlites team which is stacking up for their debut in European waters as well as their defence of the quadruple they achieved last season under coach Paul Ferrante.

Speaking to the club’s socials, Curran showed his desire to bring home another title.

“I am extremely excited and blessed for the opportunity to play in Malta, and I am most looking forward to competing and performing at a high level all season, and helping bring home another championship for Starlites!” Curran said.

Nelly Lee Pace commits to Benedictine University Mesa

Maltese youngster Nelly Lee Pace will be continuing his American experience at college level this coming season after committing to NAIA side Benedictine University Mesa on a basketball scholarship.

This move, confirmed by NextUpRecruitment on Saturday, takes Pace back to the US after his time at Ascending Life Prep school last season. The former Depiro and Mellieha Libertas player however will be crediting his longer spell in the UK at Sheffield College as the biggest contributor to him securing what Malta Basketball can confirm was the winner of six offers the guard had received.

At Arizona-based Ascending Life, where he joined after three years in Sheffield, Pace spent six months in the National Basketball and College Preparatory Boarding Program.

Now Pace will be heading back to Arizona to play in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC), considered the highest NAIA league, with the BenU Redhawks under headcoach Frank Woodford. 

When reached out to by Malta Basketball, Pace said his goal for the new season was to win games.

“For anyone that knows me knows that since I was a little kid, it was my wish to play collegiate basketball in the United States, but unfortunately in Malta, we’re told it’s impossible and not worth it,” Pace said. 

“For me to defy those odds it truly means a lot, also the fact I have made numerous sacrifices – this is my fifth consecutive year being away from my family in the winter. 

“Coming in as a freshman at BenU, my goal is to help Coach win games – simple. I truly believe I can be helpful this upcoming season which will be a great start going into my Junior year and so on. 

“For any Maltese athlete of any sport, please keep your head high and don’t listen to anyone as the only person that knows what is best for you, is you.”