Back in town: Shepparton Gators have announced some familar faces and some new faces ahead of the 2024 season.
Shepparton Gators have announced more recruits as they continue to bolster their squad for the Big V championship season in April, Shepparton’s first season in the state’s top basketball league in two decades.
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Following on from the re-signings of Kiwi sharpshooters Josh Kooiman and Dylan Wilkie and the signing of Canadian import Jayden Coke, the Gators have secured some more familiar faces and a new one.
The leadership team will be returning, with captain Matt Bartlett, vice-captain Sam Beks and head coach Josh Waight all running it back this year.
They will be joined by defensive workhorse, bench spark plug Tom Frame again, and the club’s reigning defensive player of the year, Nick Dodd.
Back-up guard Jordan Munro will also return after an impressive off-season, winning the Country Basketball League north east division with Beks.
Waight said he had a versatile group with different skill sets.
“We’re rapt to have those boys back, they’re valuable pieces,” Waight said.
“We’re excited to see them challenge themselves at the next level and I know they’re excited for the challenge as well.”
While all these signings are crucial, many were expected following a division one grand final win in 2023.
The same cannot be said for Benalla big man Lachlan Kego, who the Gators have confirmed has re-signed with the club after making a splash in his debut campaign with the side.
Long arm of the law: Lachlan Kego doing his best Kareem Abdul-Jabbar impression.
Photo by
Tegan Fairley
The Benalla big man was a sensation for Shepparton last year, having a brilliant second half of the season, saving his best for last with unbelievable back-to-back performances in the finals on the way to a title belt.
Beks recruited him from the Benalla CBL team to come to the Swamp last season and it’s been “operation Kego 2.0” this off-season, as the club successfully convinced Kego to don the red and navy once more.
Waight said Kego’s ability to protect the rim and lock down defensively was crucial for the team, but he was most intrigued by his offensive upside.
“He’s a big piece of our puzzle,” Waight said.
“He just improved leaps and bounds offensively last year and I’m excited to see him continue to improve at the next level.”
The Gators have also signed the 2022 CBL north east MVP Tyler Best.
A good resume: Tyler Best receiving his 2022 CBL north east MVP award.
The young forward is 198cm and in his early 20s, currently playing college basketball in the United States.
Waight said it was great to bring in a player with such potential who was also from the region, with Best originally from Seymour.
Best won back-to-back CBL north east titles with Seymour Blasters in 2021 and 2022.
Waight said Best and Coke were great signings to build on the Gators’ foundation and focus on the defensive end.
Shepparton Gators 2024 squad (so far)
Matt Bartlett: guard
Josh Kooiman: guard
Tom Frame: guard
Jordan Munro: guard
Jayden Coke: guard/forward
Tyler Best: guard/forward
Sam Beks: forward
Dylan Wilkie: forward
Nick Dodd: forward/centre
Lachlan Kego: centre
“We’ve got some elite defenders, but also a lot of guys that can stretch the floor and shoot the three,” he said.
“Wilkie and Kooiman coming back gives us a lot of shooting, so we’ve got a lot of different and interesting line-ups we can run.
“The shooting just opens everything up, a lot of different driving lanes and adjustments other teams will have to make.”
Waight said the depth of his squad was a blessing and a curse because the coaching staff would have a lot of “hard decisions to make”.
He said it was a blank slate this season, with minutes up for grabs to the best performers at training.
Waight also eluded to the potential of another import signing, meaning the squad may not even be finalised yet.
“We’ve got a great squad,” Waight said.
“We’re not going up to the championship to make numbers, we’re there to compete.
“The goal is to push for a finals spot in our first season and go from there.”
