Kyle Zunic's dedication on and off the court in the west has paid dividends, with the Shell Cove talent signing a fresh new deal with the Wildcats on Tuesday.
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Zunic penned a contract with the club last September following a successful stint in the US college system with Winthrop University, where he led the Eagles to their first NCAA tournament in four years. He originally returned to Australian shores as a development player, but will now be elevated to Perth's main roster.
The 23-year-old made 16 appearances for the Wildcats in his debut campaign, and is in line for more game time in the coming seasons.
"Kyle came in from day one and showed professionalism and maturity beyond his years and gave us a level of confidence that the way he works, and the leadership he's shown from a development player position, is someone we want in a Wildcats uniform for a long time," Wildcats general manager of basketball operations Danny Mills said.
"From what we saw last year, what we've seen in the off-season and in the NBL1, we're confident Kyle will take the next steps going into next season to be a productive player for us."
Zunic - who made his Boomers debut in three FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Japan earlier this year - joins the likes of last year's MVP Bryce Cotton, Mitch Norton and Luke Travers in re-committing to Perth for the 2022/23 season.
The promising guard said he was now ready to take the next step in his NBL career.
"It was an amazing opportunity to come over and play as a development player and see my game grow throughout last season. It was an unbelievable experience, and the goal always was to progress forward and make an impact on this team and I'm so glad that I'm able to be here for another couple of years to grow my game throughout this contract," Zunic said.
"I feel like I'll bring that energy, that defensive mindset to the program, and I'm excited to get going and get started. I've always been a defensive-minded player, and I just want to contribute to the team as much as I can with the abilities I have, and I'm continuing to work on my offensive game to be more dynamic."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
