Basketball: Breakers bring in US import to help turn their season around

The New Zealand Breakers have signed up an American import and discarded two players from their Australian National Basketball League roster as they continue looking for a winning formula.

Mike Chappell, 25, was a standout player in last year's ANBL while playing for the Canberra Cannons. He ranked in the top five in the league for scoring averages and three-point shooting percentages.

The 2.05m Chappell averaged 21.3 points a game in 21 matches for a struggling Cannons side and is expected to have an immediate impact on the Breakers.

Casey Frank and Brad Williams have been released from the club.

Breakers general manager Peter Chapman said the signing was designed to add firepower to the side, who have won just two of their first 12 matches in their debut season.

"While winning isn't everything, it certainly has a major impact on establishing the club in its inaugural season," Chapman said.

"For that reason we took the only option open to us and that was to bring in a player with top credentials to give us more firepower on the court."

Breakers head coach Frank Arsego, who took over from Jeff Green, who resigned last weekend, said there was a need to address a deficiency in a certain area of the team's play: "Mike's got a lot of ability and also possesses the skills to complement other players in the side.

"What's almost as important is that he's a terrific person, a great guy to have around the club.

"He also knows the NBL, the travel involved, the schedule, the other teams and players."

To make room for Chappell the Breakers have parted company with forwards Frank and Williams to leave 10 fully contracted players.

"Casey and Brad have given their best for the club and it was a tough call to let them go," Chapman said.

Chappell becomes the Breakers' second US import, alongside centre Iona Enosa.

"We're only allowed two imports, which meant we've had to let Casey go," Arsego said. "We need a big centre like Iona so that meant there wasn't a spot left for Casey.

"I also wasn't really comfortable with having 11 fully contracted players when you can only use 10 on your playing roster."

Chappell had an illustrious college career at two US universities, Duke and Michigan State.

He won an NCAA championship title with the Michigan State Spartans in 2000 and was part of the Spartans' NCAA Final Four team the following year. He also led the Duke Blue Devils in three-point shooting as a freshman (43.4 per cent).

Chappell can play at forward or at shooting guard and is an offensive threat with the ability to score both as a pure shooter and a slasher to the basket.

As the fifth best ranked three-point shooter in the ANBL last season, he hit 48 of 116 attempts from beyond the arc at 41.4 per cent.

Chappell is expected to arrive from the US early this week and the Breakers are hoping to clear to play his first match for his new club against the Hunter Pirates in Newcastle on Friday.

- NZPA