Cameron Gliddon, the captain of the Cairns Taipans and their recently named MVP has signed a 10-week off-season contract with Polish club AZS Koszalin.
So excited to be leaving for Poland on Thursday to join the boys in Koszalin. A dream come true ??? am I ready for 2 degrees celcius? ❄️❄️❄️
— Cameron Gliddon (@CammyGliddon) February 16, 2016
It was a conversation with Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis and the hopes of making the Olympic team that led to his decision.
“I decided that keeping my match fitness rather than taking a break was important, and Andrej encouraged me to consider this option as I chase a spot with the Boomers camp,” Gliddon via the Cairns Taipans website.
The opportunity became available after AZS Koszalin released Devon Austin, a 202 cm forward who played at the University of Manhattan and was averaging 7 points and 3.5 rebounds for the club.
Last season Austin helped lead AZS Koszalin to the Polish Cup Semifinals but the team has underachieved considerably this season currently sitting 9th with a record of 11-11.
This is the same league where former Cairns Taipans Daniel Dillon plays. Dillon currently ranks 4th in scoring (17.2 ppg) and 3rd in assists (5.4 apg).
“Playing in Europe has always been a dream of mine, so I’m excited at the opportunity to do so while hopefully improving my chances of Olympic selection,” he said.
He will complete the 10-week contract with the aim of returning at peak condition for the upcoming Boomers camp where the Olympic team will be selected.
The 26-year-old departs Cairns today to attend the NBL MVP dinner tonight, and will depart to Poland from there.
Gliddon is still under contract with the Taipans for another two seasons.
He led the Taipans in scoring with 13.5 points per game (46 per cent) in 2015-16, and was the team’s best shooter from outside (38.9 per cent) and at the charity stripe (87.5 per cent).
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
