IN THE GAME: New Miners recruit Lucas Walker in action for the Melbourne Tigers last week. PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES
FLASHY National Basketball League forward Lucas Walker is tipped to make a big impression with the Ballarat Miners this season.
Ballarat Holden Miners coach David Flint already has high expectations of the 28-year-old, which the Miners unveiled yesterday as their latest recruit.
“Lucas complements our current playing list and adds an enormous amount of versatility to the group,” Flint said.
“In my opinion, Lucas will be the best NBL player playing in the SEABL this season.”
Walker has billing at the Melbourne Tigers as a highlight reel on court, with the vertical jump of a puma – as exhibited in the NBL’s slam dunk contest this season.
At 203-centimetre tall he has averaged 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 18 minutes for the Tigers this season.
But Miners fans will have to wait at least until round three, a home game against Bendigo on April 3, to see Walker in action.
He will arrive at the Minerdome at the end of Tigers’ season, which is still indefinite as the Tigers are yet to cement a finals spot.
Walker, who hails from Launceston, played college basketball in the United States with Australian Boomers star Patty Mills at St Mary’s in California.
This follows court-time with Montana State Billings in the US from 2004-2006.
Walker graduated from St Mary’s in 2009 and moved to be with family in Melbourne where he signed with the Tigers in 2010.
He was named in the CLEO Bachelor of the Year top 50 for 2012.
The Miners pre-season is well under way with recruits Kris Blicavs (Sunbury), Chris Smith (Mt Gambier, SEABL) and Australian-based American Matt Hanson already hard at work fine-tuning their games and working in the Ballarat community.
Ballarat Miners open their season against Mt Gambier at the Minerdome on March 16.