Lance Hurdle is happy to assist. Picture: KIRK GILMOUR
American import Lance Hurdle's on-court actions have already made a positive impression on his new Wollongong Hawks teammates.
Better still, the 25-year-old shooting guard with the catchy surname is saying all the right things off the court.
Sharing a few thoughts before his second training session with the Hawks yesterday, Hurdle revealed how nothing made him happier than setting up a teammate with a perfect pass.
He is looking forward to creating opportunities for Wollongong's bevy of three-point bombers.
"I like making plays for my teammates. I like making the extra pass and getting the assist more than the bucket," Hurdle said.
"That might sound a little cliched but I'm real serious about that. I like to make the 'Ooh ahh' pass rather than the score.
"I'm going to have fun playing with all these shooters and getting my assists up. Everybody can shoot. I've never been on a team where everybody can shoot it from deep."
Hurdle was recruited to take retired captain Mat Campbell's place in the starting five.
Standing 188cm and weighing 80kg, he is blessed with remarkable speed and quickness and should form a deadly one-two punch in the backcourt with fellow newcomer Adris Deleon.
"I heard a little bit about him," the former University of Miami star said of Deleon.
"I heard he's really good so I'm looking forward to playing with him.
"I like to play a fast pace. I rely a lot on my athleticism. I like to get up and down and have fun."
Hurdle grew up on the US west coast in San Diego and sees similarities with Wollongong.
"It's nice. It's a beautiful area. It reminds me a lot of San Diego and Miami with the beach," he said.
"I love the beach. I don't particularly get in the water too much, but I really like this area.
"I love the team. They've all helped me out a lot. Everybody's helping me get up to speed, from the coaching staff to the players to the front office."
Deleon is close to finishing his playing commitments in the Dominican Republic and is due to arrive in Wollongong in a fortnight.
