What a difference a year definitely makes. This time last year, the Singapore Slingers were busy trying to solidify their hold on a playoff spot. This year, they’re busy with preparing for the start of the season. The AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) decided that the season will now commence from January to June to ensure that FIBA-sanctioned tournaments do not coincide with the league’s schedule.
The Singapore Slingers, Singapore’s First and Only Professional Basketball Club, also took the time to prepare and improve their roster. During the off season, the Singapore Slingers traveled to Broome and Perth in Western Australia to participate in the 1st Cable Beach Invitational Tournament and train with the Australia National Basketball League’s (NBL) Perth Wildcats. The Singapore National Team, comprised mainly of players from the Slingers, also played in the SEABA and SEA Games. With more games under their belts, the Slingers also reinforced the team with new imports: Donald Little, Louis Graham, Don Dulay, and Vaughn Canta.
At a towering 6’11”, Donald Little, a Cincinatti Bearcat alumni, played with the AirAsia Philippine Patriots last year and averaged 12.3 points, grabbed 14.0 rebounds, and an astouding 3.3 blocks per game. Prior to joining the Singapore Slingers, Little strutted his wares in Mexico and Ecuador. Louis Graham, a 6’7″ all-around Forward, played for Georgia Southern in the NCAA and averaged 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks. Graham, who has a 7’2″ wingspan, logged minutes in Austria, the NBA D League, Portugal, and Israel before joining the Slingers.
A pair of Filipinos (who were both raised in the United States) round up our import cast. Don Dulay, born and raised in California, played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for the Welcoat Dragons, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, and the Alaska Aces. Dulay, a solid guard and known for his streak shooting in the PBA, hopes to take the ABL by storm with his killer-crossovers and long range shots. Vaughn Canta, who was in the PBA’s Shopinas.Com Clickers roster last year, is an athletic Guard/Forward with a mean lockdown defense. Canta was ranked in the Top 100 players in California coming out of High School. Vaughn played for Cosumnes River College prior to joining the PBA Draft. He has played for the San Miguel Beermen and Barako Bull Energy Boosters in the PBA, and for PBA D League Finalist Cebuana Lhuillier.
Local Singaporean Veterans Pathman Matialakan and Steven Khoo will fill out the Forward spots. Pathman averaged 3.36 points and 2.79 rebounds in 14 games for the Slingers last year. Steven, who played in 18 games, averaged 4.11 points per game. 2nd Year Forward Sheng Yu Lim has vastly improved through his hard work during the off season. Guard Desmond Oh, who started for most games for the Slingers at the Guard slot, will look to solidify his contribution from last year’s 3.56 points per game. Wong Wei Long will man the Point Guard slot to relieve Don Dulay. Also returning to the team are Han Bin Ng and Jin Hong Tan, who scored the Slingers’ 1st 100th point game. Teen Sensation Delvin Goh will also see some action on the Forward/Center slot.
“I am pretty happy with this year’s roster with the 4 new imports and our local boys”, said returning Coach Neo Beng Siang. “Our Singaporeans have more confidence in themselves now after the international games they played in after the last season ended. They have also showed consistency in their performance in those games they played. The ABL is getting tougher, and this challenges the team and myself to further improve and get better. We will work hard together to get to where we want and to pose as a strong challenge for the Championship title” added Coach Neo, who looks to improve on his squad’s previous season’s performance. The Singapore Slingers took the eventual Champions Chang Thailand Slammers to a deciding Game 3 in the Semi Finals.
General Manager Michael Johnson believes that they have put together a good mix of youth and experience in the 2012 squad. “We should be able to entertain with our athleticism and speed, and we will have fans on their feet throughout the season,” emphasized Johnson. The Slingers General Manager who has been with the squad since its inception further said: “Season 3 of the ABL will be the toughest competition yet, with all teams bulking up their roster from the previous 2 seasons. We feel that on any given night, we will be able to match with any team in the league and in the end challenge for the Championship.”
