Bristol Flyers have made a significant addition to their roster with an arrival from the Canadian NBL.
The Flyers have signed 26-year-old Gentrey Thomas from Moncton Magic with the 6ft4in guard joining on a one-year deal.
Thomas led Moncton to their most successful season in franchise history in 2018/19, winning their first ever NBL Canada Championship with an overall record of 38 wins and 16 losses.
Last season he was named in the NBLC All-Rookie team of the year, posting 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
"I’ve always wanted to play professionally in Europe,” said Thomas.
"I did some research into the Flyers and I watched a couple of highlight videos from last season. I heard that BBL is physical, but I’ve been playing physical since I was young, so that’s nothing new.
"When I spoke to Coach Kapoulas, he said he wants me to come in and be a leader who can get the team on track to make the play-offs this year.
"I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Flyers and I can’t wait to get started."
Prior to joining the Magic, Thomas played two seasons of NCAA Division One basketball at UC Riverside, where he started in 21 games and averaged averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.
He becomes the eighth player to commit to Coach Kapoulas’ 2019/20 roster and will link up with his new teammates in September as Flyers begin their preparations for the upcoming season.
Head coach Andreas Kapoulas said: “He is an athletic guard who has the size and explosiveness to be a real difference-maker on the offensive end. His near seven-foot wingspan will also make him an elite defender in our league.
“He had an impressive rookie season in Canada, where he played alongside one of our former players Doug Herring, who had great things to say about him.
“He fits exactly what we’re looking for in a guard and we’re looking forward to welcoming him into the Flyers family."
