Josh Rogers has re-joined his boyhood club Bristol Flyers ahead of the 2019-20 British Basketball League season.
The 6’8″ forward returns to the WISE Campus seven years after he left his childhood team and has signed an initial one-year deal.
Born in Bristol, Rogers came through the ranks at the Flyers and graduated from the SGS basketball academy, making his senior debut in September 2011 at the age of 17 in NBL Division one.
He went on to sign a full athletic scholarship with Carson-Newman in NCAA Division two, making 110 appearances during his collegiate career, posting an average of 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in his senior year.
Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, Rogers said: “It feels great to be back home where I first started playing basketball.
“I went to the Saturday morning sessions when I was aged 11 and played for the Flyers through all the junior age groups.
“The club is completely different now, but there’s still parts that haven’t changed. When I came back last season with London City Royals, I still saw the same volunteers that were there when I was at the Flyers seven years ago.
“It’s a surreal feeling to be back, but it’s something I always wanted to happen.”
Rogers signed his first professional contract with Hapoel Beer Sheva in Isreal’s second tier, where he played a single season before a move to London City Royals in September 2018.
The 25-year-old made 21 appearances in the BBL last season and was a key part of the Royals’ BBL Trophy-winning squad, which also reached the BBL Play-Off final at London’s O2 Arena.
“It’s very pleasing to see Josh return home to Bristol,” said Coach Kapoulas.
“He certainly adds depth and experience to our roster, but most importantly Josh understands the values and standards of our programme.
“He’s a great role model for our young players coming through our junior programme and his professional experience in Israel and the BBL have made him a more rounded player.
“It’s great to see him return to our environment ready to help our programme this season.”