Buccs sign second import

The S&K Electrical Geraldton Buccaneers have completed another major signing in their bid for 2017 State Basketball League championship glory.

After successfully re-signing Jackson Hussey and New York-born and bred import Maurice Barrow in recent weeks, the club has landed the services of exciting forward Dwayne Benjamin, who will fill the remaining import spot on the roster.

Benjamin, who originally hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, comes to the Buccs after playing college ball for Oregon University prior to this season.

The Ducks, who sit atop the Pac 12 standings (18-2), are ranked ninth nationally and are renowned for their excellent basketball program.

Buccaneers general manager Andrew Horstman said he was excited about how Benjamin could contribute to head coach Ray Evans’ structure. “Dwayne hails from the highly regarded Oregon University and is an extremely mobile and athletic player,” he said.

“His versatility enables him to play a number of positions comfortably and he is an excellent offensive threat.

“Dwayne is an aggressive finisher and offensive rebounder who loves to run the floor.

“Most pleasingly, though, is the fact that he also fits our main criteria of being a willing defensive presence and he will be joining the team within the next four weeks.”

The process of landing such a major signing cannot be done alone. A mixture of Buccs coaching and front office staff worked meticulously watching hours of film, pored over pages of scouting reports, spoke with college-based coaches, and interviewed Benjamin himself.

The end result is an excited Evans, who believes Benjamin will be a real asset on both sides of the ball.

“We had a good chat with him and are confident he will be a real asset to our type of game style,” he said.

“He’s prepared to move up and down the court and buy into our defensive system. He also has a bit of a background in gridiron, where he played as a wide receiver.”

Evans said the Buccaneers would aid Benjamin’s transition from the US to Geraldton and provide a supportive team environment for him on and off the court.