Brown signs first two players
First-year coach, GM adds Newton and Bol to roster
New Albany Patroons general manager and head coach Will Brown has signed his first two players, 6-foot-3 combination guard Ja’quan Newton and 6-9 power forward/ center Thik Bol, The Basketball League franchise announced today.
Newton scored 1,145 points at the University of Miami from 2014 to 2018. As a sophomore, he helped the Hurricanes reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in 2016. He hit a 40-foot shot at the buzzer to beat North Carolina in 2018.
Newton, who is from Philadelphia, played professionally in Poland and was in training camp with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm in 2019.
“I am really excited to welcome Ja’quan to the Albany Patroons,” Brown said in a news release. “He has the ability to impact the game not only by scoring, but also by getting his teammates involved. He played at the highest level of NCAA D1 basketball, as well as European and NBA G League experience which will be very beneficial in the TBL. Ja’quan brings the combination of talent and character that we want representing the Albany Patroons organization. I am confident that he will have a positive impact on our basketball team, our organization, and the local Albany community.”
Bol played two seasons at Southern Illinois, where he made the Missouri Valley Conference’s Alldefensive Team in 2017.
He blocked 76 shots in 2016-17, the third-most in a season in the school’s history.
Bol, from Omaha, Nebraska, led the nation with 4.9 blocked shots per game as a freshman at Iowa Western Community College in 2014-15.
Bol most recently played professionally in Spain during the 2019-20 season.
“Thik is an incredible athlete and defensive presence,” Brown said. “He is the type of player that will be able to anchor our defense while he is on the court. Offensively he finishes above the rim with exciting highlight reel dunks and will be a fan favorite. He has valuable professional experience playing in a very competitive league in Spain. We’re excited to welcome Thik to the organization.”
The Patroons hired Brown, the longtime University at Albany head coach, in October.