The Melbourne Tigers have secured the prized signature of Australian Boomer Wade Helliwell.
Helliwell has been on the radar of numerous NBL teams over the course of his extensive European career, however he has chosen to join the Tigers on his return to Australia.
Helliwell has signed a two-year deal back in his home state of Melbourne after spending the past nine seasons playing in premier European leagues Italia Serie A and Greek Heba 1.
Helliwell started his senior career with NCAA Division 1 College the Charlotte 49ers before moving on to the NBL where he played with the Brisbane Bullets. Helliwell won the 2002 NBL’s Most Improved Player award with the Bullets before heading over to Europe to play in Italy and Greece. During this time he played with Italian basketball powerhouse Rome for three years and played a lead role in central Italian team Rieti’s 2007 championship that took them to division one for the first time in more than 20 years.
A local hero in Rieti, Helliwell is more recognised in his adopted country, Italy, than in Melbourne. Helliwell has also been a regular member of the Australian Boomers squads over the past eight years, and was a member of the 2006 FIBA World Championship team in Japan.
Helliwell had the following to say upon signing with the Melbourne Tigers.
“Playing with Melbourne is something I’ve always wanted to do, after speaking with Al Westover during the past months and seeing the line up we’ve put together for season 2010/11, now was the right time. It’s exciting for me to be home and especially to be on a team like this. Our size is going to be a huge factor, we’ll have a similar setup to the top Greek teams where I’ve just finished so I feel really comfortable coming in. With this line up in the NBL - we are going to give opposing teams some real problems.”
Helliwell plans to bring some of the European basketball culture, tough and disciplined, to the Tigers.
“Every practice is like a game there, the competition for minutes is so fierce, you practice like you play, often twice a day seven days a week”.
For many teams, including Rieti and Montegranaro in Italy, basketball is their number one sport.
"Everyone follows it, the whole town, and if you play well and win you’re a town hero, if you lose, you had better not go out to eat – it’s a lot of pressure, so there is no option - you win or you’re out, there’s no short cuts,” says Helliwell.
The Greek national league rings a similar tune, with five seven footers at PAOK (the team Helliwell played with last season). Training sessions look like Euroleague games as players show their best looking for time on court. Having just finished with PAOK and securing their spot in the European ULEB Cup Championship for 2010/2011 last month, Helliwell is fit and, with no down time, will start preparations for the upcoming NBL season with the Tigers this week on Wednesday when he will join the Tigers at a training session in Sandringham.
Tigers Head Coach Al Westover was elated with the addition of Helliwell to the Tigers squad.
“We are rapt to have Wade on board. He is an experienced seven footer who we are hoping will have a major impact on our team and on the league. He is a veteran and his inside presence and leadership combined with some of the other guys we have is invaluable. Wade completes our bigs and will enable us to have at least two seven footers on the court at all times.”
Along with Helliwell (212cm) the Tigers have Luke Nevill (216cm), Matthew Burston (211cm) and Cameron Tragardh (209cm) to boast one of the biggest front courts in the NBL. The Tigers have also signed Tommy Greer (200cm), Lucas Walker (203cm) and Bennie Lewis (203cm) who, with their versatility, will likely see minutes at numerous positions.
With the Tigers bigs signed the focus has shifted to the guard positions, where the Tigers have already signed import guard Eric Devendorf. There are two positions left on the Tigers roster, one being the final import slot which the Tigers are planning to use for a point guard. Tigers veteran Daryl Corletto is on the short list of 7-8 candidates along with 2009/10 squad member Mike Rose.
Further Tigers signings will be announced as they occur and Tigers memberships and ticket information will be available in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to www.tigers.com.au for all the latest information.
