Christchurch Cougars net Kevin Smith
GEOFF LONGLEY – Stuff.co.nz
The Christchurch Cougars have bolstered their squad for the coming national basketball league season by signing a recently naturalised New Zealander American Kevin Smith.
Smith, a mobile 1.93-metre forward, spent a season each with Waikato and Hawke’s Bay in 2007 and 2008 before playing in leagues in Australia below the Australian national league.
Married to a New Zealander, Smith, 29, received his naturalisation papers recently and the Cougars won the battle among several teams who were chasing his services.
Cougars coach Craig Hickford said they were aware that Smith’s citizenship had been due to come through and that he should be an ideal acquisition to the squad.
“We did plenty of checks on him through people at Waikato and know that he is a solid citizen and will contribute to the community,” he said.
Smith averaged 19 points and eight rebounds a game in his two seasons in the league in New Zealand.
Despite better figures in the South East Australian Basketball League and Big B leagues he could not crack a place in the Australian league with many teams having players of his size and skill.
Hickford believed he had chosen the Christchurch Cougars because he liked the look of the programme.
Hickford said Smith should fit in perfectly with the team’s game plan for an up-tempo style.
“He gets up and down the floor well, is strong defensively can play high around the hoop and will be creative. He offers us a lot of flexibility.”
Cougars general manager Andrew Gardiner believes signing Smith gives the team a player of Tall Black stature.
Smith arrives next month after finishing work in Auckland while the Cougars first import signing, the similarly-sized Javari Williams, arrives by the end of this month.
That leaves the Cougars with one more import spot to fill which Hickford said would be taken by a big forward capable of playing the power forward and centre roles.
“We are looking to round the team out with a bit of size and an explosive guy in that position,” he said.
With a number of leagues in the United States and Europe coming to an end the Cougars had a number of players they could choose from.
