Big V | Best joins Bushrangers

The recent high-school graduate said he was excited to join up with Reid, Kego and Annett ahead of the 2021 season.

“I’ve been hanging to get back into basketball, I'm really keen,” Best said.

“I've played against Lachy in CBL and he’s a real impressive talent. I'm looking forward to playing with both Lachy and Jamal.”

Progressing through the junior talent pathways from the age of nine, it was Best's previous working relationship with Annett through the Wallan Basketball Association that paved the way for the teen's first playing contract.

“Hayden contacted me and said he was coaching this year, and said he wanted me on the team,” Best said.

“I said I'd come and have a look and a bit of a run around, then did a couple of trials and one-on-one sessions with Hayden and then signed a deal with them.”

In what will be his first year playing Big V basketball, Best is hopeful the step up in competition will be the first of many.

“I want to try to get as fair as I can in basketball, playing in Melbourne and hopefully going up through the ranks - Big V, then hopefully up to NBL1,” Best said.

“Hopefully Big V is a stepping stone for me to get to where I want to go.”

With the long lay-off between basketball seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Best, who is currently playing CBL with Seymour Blasters, said the return to the floor had had its challenges.

“It’s been hard to get back into it, but its now feeling better,” Best said.

“The first couple weeks were scratchy and very unfit. It's just going to take time to get back to where we were nine months ago, but hopefully we get there.”

With North East Bushrangers’ training now under way, Best said he would continue to work on his finishing at the ring but was confident in what he would bring to the team.

“Just stretching the floor, my three-point shooting - I pride myself on defence, so that's what I try to bring to the floor on game day,” he said.