• Fri. Apr 26th, 2024

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British Basketball League: Fred Thomas extends stay with Bristol Flyers

Bristol Flyers can confirm Fred Thomas will return to the club for the 2019/20 season.

The American forward has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with the Flyers and becomes the second player to commit to the club for the upcoming BBL campaign.

Thomas played in all 33 games for Andreas Kapoulas’ side last season, leading the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game, including a season-high 32 points against Glasgow Rocks in April.

“I think I had a solid first year with the Flyers,” Thomas told bristolflyers.co.uk.

“Being in Bristol felt like a good fit for me – the fans, the organisation, the team and staff were all great.

“This is the type of league I fit well in – it’s physical and competitive and it’s right up my ally because I’m the type of person that likes to compete on both ends of the floor.

“I’m continuing to to work on my offensive ability on over the summer, but I will still be the same pest on defence.”

Switching from Norwegian top-flight outfit Kongsberg Miners in July 2018, Thomas led his former club to the 2017/18 BNLO Championship, whilst also being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The 26-year-old quickly became a highly-regarded figure at the WISE Campus and went on to receive the club’s 2018/19 Most Valuable Player award.

Head Coach Andreas Kapoulas commented: “It’s brilliant Fred has signed a new contract with the club.

“He can certainly fill up the stat sheet, but most importantly he will do whatever it takes to help the team win – whether it’s scoring the ball, grabbing rebounds or guarding the opposition’s best player.

“Last season he was our leading scorer and he’s the type of player we like to build our squad around.

“He learnt a lot during his first year in the league and the fact he already knows our system will be a key factor in our success this season.”