State Basketball League 2020: championship coach Dayle Joseph excited about new-look Geraldton Buccaneers

UPDATE: Tonight’s game between the Geraldton Buccaneers and Goldfields Giants has been postponed until further notice, after Basketball Australia released a statement strongly recommending competitions around Australia do not proceed. Geraldton Buccaneers coach Dayle Joseph is looking forward to seeing his new-look team come together for the 2020 State Basketball League season. The reigning champions kick off their season on Saturday, March 14, with a match in Geraldton against the Goldfields Giants, with two new restricted import players and two new unrestricted players, as well as some new local signings. “(We) look forward to seeing what they bring,” Joseph said. He said guard Shaun Stewart’s experience playing in the SBL with Mandurah Magic for the past two seasons had given him a solid reputation in the league. “Considering some of our losses at the guard spot, Shaun’s a big plus coming in to play that one-two guard spot,” he said. “Shaun’s an experienced player in the competition, so we know what we’re getting a little bit.” He said Stewart’s 2018 SBL player of the week award, which came against the Buccs in Geraldton, showed his promise. “They beat us up here, he played an enormous game,” Joseph said. He said guard Kyle Roach, from California, was also a welcome addition to the roster. “Kyle is going to add some things we need in our team,” Joseph said. “Kyle will be a solid defender with us, he’ll be able to take some of the best guards the other teams offer. “He’s very quick, very fast. “Kyle gives us some versatility — he’ll be able to get to the basket to do his scoring and he can knock down shots when he needs to.” Joseph said the team might be “a bit rusty” early on after personnel moves in the off-season. But he said the team were confident they had the right players. “One of the big things we try to make a priority is making sure we’ve got good guys coming in as far as their personalities go,” Joseph said. “Shaun came highly recommended, not only for Mandurah basketball, but what he brought to the community. “We’re hoping for the same thing. “Kyle is a friendly guy who plays with a bit of fun, (and) that’s really important (to) mix and mingle with the team.” Tip-off is at 7.30pm at ActiveWest Stadium.