Shepparton Gators Atem Atem profile

Standing at 200.66cm Shepparton’s new recruit Atem Atem, 27, is blessed with superb athleticism normally reserved for those who can fill the small forward position — a position he grew up dominating.

That is because the versatile player can nail baskets from long range, wreak havoc on the inside and bring damage on the glass with both rebounds and put-backs.

Last week’s game against the Collingwood All-Stars showcased his ability to rain it in from downtown, making four of his six attempts, on his way to registering 31 points and seven rebounds.

But his move to the Gators has seen him feature at the four or five spots in the first two games of the season, which he confessed was a bit of a shake-up to what he was used too.

‘‘I’m used to playing as a small forward, because that’s where I have played most of my career, but in this team I’m one of the big guys, so I’ve moved into the four or five spot,’’ Atem said.

‘‘I prefer to pull up and shoot as opposed to dunking on someone, I know my range and I’m more comfortable with my jump shot.

‘‘I don’t mind it at all, that’s the easy part because a lot of big guys my height don’t like leaving the post and guarding me at the arc.

‘‘I’m just happy to do my role for the team, play good defence and then hopefully hit the scoreboard on the offence.’’

Atem has featured in many league’s around the country, playing in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and has even spent time with NBL side, the Adelaide 36ers.

His remarkable basketball journey started in high school after his teacher introduced him to the sport as a teenager. His his journey did not start there, with Atem and his family fleeing war-torn Sudan when he was a child.

Atem revealed he was happy he found Shepparton, having played and lived in two major cities in the past few years, and he could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of playing in front of the home crowd for the first time.

‘‘I’ve got used to being in a small town, having lived up in Brisbane and Adelaide recently,’’ he said.

‘‘Everybody is really friendly and I’m enjoying my time in Shepparton and hopefully I can bring some success to the community starting this Saturday night.

‘‘We just need to make sure that those 12 home games we play, we lock them in and get the win for not only us but for the fans as well.’’

The talented basketballer highlighted the importance of building team chemistry despite the team’s disadvantage of a limited preseason together, as well as the recent loss of import Jerron Jamerson.

‘‘This season we know we need to gel quickly and make sure we can build our team chemistry as fast as possible,’’ he said.

‘‘We’ve all never played together and it’s hard to jump straight out on the floor with guys you’ve never played with, especially with the limited preseason we have had.’’

You can watch the Shepparton Gators’ newest recruit in its round three Big V action against the Keysborough Cougars tonight at Shepparton Sports Stadium from 7.30pm.