"Great for the League": Ingles hails star teammate

Melbourne United pulled off one of the biggest signings of the Hungry Jack's NBL27 off-season on Wednesday, when they announced NBA talent Cole Anthony would be joining the club.

The 367-game NBA point guard, who is set to arrive in the coming weeks, completes United's roster for the fast-approaching season.

Fellow United recruit Joe Ingles played with Anthony in Orlando and knows how big of an impact he will make both for their club, but also the entire NBL.

"He can score the ball with the best of them," Ingles said during Wednesday's media call.

"[He's] super athletic getting downhill. I think over the course of the season I was there [in Orlando], he learned more and more how to be a point guard and get himself going, but also get the guys around him going as well.

"Obviously, defensively there will be an adjustment here, like it's a different style, he's not playing against six-foot-six point guards and stuff like that, so defensively he'll be great.

"He'll not just be big for our team, but also for the League it's great. Cole's a great dude."

Joining Anthony and Ingles on the United roster are fellow recruits Josh Oduro, Luke Travers, Sam Waardenburg, Sean Macdonald, Jensen Bradtke and Harry Neilson.

Those signings are joined by the returning Kyle Bowen, Christian D'Angelo, Chris Goulding, Shea Ili, Fabijan Krslovic, Malith Machar, Tom Wilson, as United chase a seventh NBL championship.

"The motivation when we talk to Cole is to win," coach Jacob Chance said.

"He wants to play in a serious program, and win a lot of basketball games.

"To have someone at his age, still 26, entering his prime, come in and be really motivated by winning and putting himself in a position that he thinks is going to help him achieve his individual dreams, which is to get back to the NBA and play at a really high level, that's an exciting time for our club.

"I mean, it [the signing] doesn't surprise me. We're a world-class organisation in a world-class League and people look at our club as a place they can come and really improve.

"When you hop on a Zoom with a kid like that and all he wants to do is win and play for a team that values the things that he does, it doesn't surprise me."

United open their season on Saturday, September 19 against Adelaide at John Cain Arena.