Buccs pair to miss start of the NBL1 West season as they look to follow pathway to USA

As the NBL1 West season approaches and the Buccaneers prepare to get their season underway two of their young stars will not be there on opening night as Tomas Dobson and Harry Evans get ready for America.

After a three-year hiatus on travel due to the COVID pandemic, Aussie Prospects is returning to the USA to showcase elite Australian basketballers at prominent recruiting tournaments.

The squad of prospects are formed with players who have represented Australia in international competition and/or represented their state at national competitions.

Dobson most recently helped WA end a two-decade title drought to take gold at the under-20 national champs, while Evans represented the under-18s last year.

The major recruiting tournaments in the USA have various brackets of competition with top brackets reserved for shoe company teams, elite travelling teams and teams such as Aussie Prospects who have a good reputation for quality.

Evans and Dobson were most recently involved in helping Pumas win the Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association premiership.

“I’m so excited. I’ve never been to America before, it’s one of my dreams, hopefully, we could possibly get some college attention,” Evans said.

“Playing over there is so much different; people are taller, they are faster and better and I think it’s just going to be so cool.”

The pair will leave on April 1, which is when the Buccs begin their 2023 season and will miss the first three weeks of the NBL1 West season.

The most recent Buccs to transfer over to the US college system were Alex Ducas, who went to St Mary’s, and Aidan Gardiner (Montevallo University).

Ducas is about to begin March madness with St Mary’s and is on the Wildcats’ radar having shot 41.8 per cent from downtown and averaging more than 12 points a game.

Fundraising efforts have been underway throughout the year to help fund the pair’s USA trip, with the major event coming this Saturday as the Geraldton Basketball Association hosts a trivia night.

Adult tickets are $20 with concessions $15, with a silent auction and raffle also taking place.

Tickets can be bought via email natashaharradine@live.com or over the phone 0458 478 554.