SRB - Katic commits to Tigers

TUBINGEN (BBL) - Serbian center Rasko Katic has signed a new three-year deal with Walter Tigers Tubingen.

Katic, who finished second in the BBL in rebounding with 9.5 boards per game, had attracted the attention of several clubs before committing to the Tubingen outfit.

"We're very happy that we'll see Rasko Katic in Tubingen for the next three years," said club president Roland Oppermann.

"We are planning on building a strong team around him for next season,

"No other club in the BBL has been able to lock up this kind of top player for this kind of time frame."

The 26-year-old averaged 14.1 points - second for the team and 18th in the league - while his 15 double-doubles tied him for first in Germany.

The 6ft 10in Katic, who arrived in Tubingen in 2005 from Egronom Best Nis, acknowledged his decision had been a tough one.

He said: "I've thought a lot about this in the past couple weeks, if I should stay in Tubingen or not.

"I had good offers from Spain but it was important for my family to feel welcome. And that is clearly the case here in Tubingen."

Meanwhile, BBL outfit ratiopharm Ulm have signed LeBron James' high school team-mate Dru Joyce III.

Point guard Joyce played for four years and won three Ohio state titles with James at St Vincent-St Mary high school before attending the University of Akron, where he averaged 10 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season.

Bayer Giants Leverkusen, meanwhile, added 19-year-old twins Ben and Tom Spoler - both Germany Under-18 internationals last summer - to their squad for next term.

Tom Spoler had 22.4 points in Germany's Under-19 NBBL league while Ben averaged 18.3 points (13th best). Both also were in the top 13 in rebounding - 10.4 for Tom and 9.1 for Ben.

In other moves, New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig acquired playmaker and scorer Domonic Jones from relegated Karlsruhe; TBB Trier brought in 21-year-old

Greek Konstantin Karamatskos from the Ludwigsburg system; and power forward RT Guinn re-signed for another season with Eisbaren Bremerhaven.

Also, center-power forward Anthony Washington from joined Paderborn from Portland State University, and EWE Baskets Oldenburg signed Dan McClintock from French club Nancy.

Dave Hein
FIBA