Rockets go down under to sign up Declan
AUSTRALIAN Declan Soukup has become Reading Rockets’ fifth signing of the summer.
Rockets, who get their season underway later this month, have already added Tim Gill, Jerrod Hendricks, Sydney Donaldson and Jonny Foulds to their 2017/18 roster.
And 6’3 combo guard Soukop is due to arrive in the UK later this week following the end of his native season with Dandenong Rangers in the Australian SEABL.
Soukop, who is a British passport holder, previously spent four years playing for Bryant University and Assumption Greyhounds in the NCAA in America.
“We are really pleased to bring in Declan to our team and feel he is an excellent fit to the squad we already have,” said Rockets head coach Manuel Pena Garces.
“He has a very versatile game and is in great shape having only just finished his season back in Australia.
“We have felt for a while we need to bolster and strengthen the group and by adding Declan to the mix we have taken a great step in doing so.”
And in further good news for Reading, fellow summer signing
Gill has finally secured a visa to make the move over to join his teammates.
Rockets have been in pre-season action with games against Team USA Select, Fyllingen and Essex Leopards, in preparation for the campaign beginning on September 24.
But it has been a youthful line-up for those matches, featuring only four senior players.
“We have had a really good preseason in terms of training and games,” said chairman Gary Johnson.
“The guys that are in have done well so far. “There is still a lot of work to do and that will be the challenge for the coaching staff over the next couple of weeks as the squad comes together and we possibly look to add one more player to the fold.”
He continued: “Our focus has been to have a deeper squad than last season as well as maintaining our philosophy of promoting and developing young talent.
“We feel we have definitely taken some positive steps in this off-season and now we are looking forward to really competing and working hard during the season.”