The Plymouth Raiders have announced the signing of Australian guard Declan Soukup for the 2018-19 season.
The 24-year-old, who is also a British passport holder, becomes Coach James’ sixth signing of the summer, joining fellow Australian Josh Wilcher on the Raiders roster.
Soukup spent last season at NBL Division one side Reading Rockets, where he averaged 11.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 22 games.
Prior to the 2017-18 campaign, Soukup spent four years in the NCAA Division One and two at Bryant University and Assumption Greyhounds and played 28 games in the 2016-17 season, finishing with 308 points, 102 rebounds and 91 assists.
With a small taste of British Basketball under his belt, Soukup is excited for the opportunity to
meet up with his fellow team mates and give the fans something to cheer about.
“I’m extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to represent the Raiders this upcoming BBL season.
“Having heard nothing but great things about the Raiders’ fan base and after speaking with Coach James about his plans and aspirations for the club, the decision to commit was made easy.
“I can’t wait to meet my teammates and get to work in an attempt to bring some silverware back to Plymouth.”
Coach James added: “I’m delighted about the signing of Declan Soukup. Declan played for
the Reading Rockets last season in [NBL] Division 1.
“Historically, I have given players from this league an opportunity (Prezzie Blue, EJ Harrison) to play at the next level and they have gone on to be real quality players in the BBL.
“I’m confident that Declan will go on to have the same impact. He has a great Basketball IQ and sees and reads the game exceptionally well, creating easy score for his teammates whilst able to score himself when needed.
“He is a great addition to our team and is sure to have a good impact straight away at this
level.”
Soukup’s first game as a Raiders player will be against CEP Loreint on Raiders’ very own ‘Tour
De France’ with Coach James and the squad travelling to France for two pre-season encounters.