It’s a far cry from the cold snap gripping his homeland but Wagga Heat import Matt Brunell is ready to brave scorching temperatures and unfamiliar surrounds for his new side.
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The six-foot-eight American touched down in Wagga on Friday and has wasted little time getting accustomed to both the weather and his team mates.
“I’ve already met a few like Scooby (Scott Hare) and Zac (Maloney) for a shoot around,” Brunell said.
“Met (fellow six-foot-eighter) Matt (Pearce) too – I can actually see eye-to-eye with him.”
Hailing from pint-sized Cheney in Washington State, Brunell is unlikely to endure the same culture shock as Texan duo Khiani Clark and Shakera Barnes when they first arrived as Wagga Blaze’s imports last season.
However, the 31-year-old is tipped to make a similar impact on the court.
Brunell’s playing pedigree has seen him compete in Iceland, Honduras and Spain and Heat coach John Norman believes his new addition will play a major part in this year’s championship tilt.
“Obviously Matt will be doing some scoring for us but he also shares the ball really well and that was an attractive part of recruiting him,” Norman said.
“It really give us that multiple look-in and with the strong inside presence and guard presence we’ve got, we can also create space on the outside with that big man.
(Matt)’s an all-round package who can shoot it from deep and who’s willing to take on responsibility when it’s crunch time.
- Wagga Heat coach John Norman
“I think the other big part of his game is his presence – he’s very calm and pressure and sometimes you need that to get the job done.
“It doesn’t matter how the job gets done but we need someone with a cool head to get us there and I think Matt will be that guy.”
Wagga certainly isn’t Brunell’s first rodeo and the big man knows what will be expected from him, both offensively and defensively.
“I see myself doing both of those things, I mean, usually it’s the import’s job to be scoring but you also have to do everything,” he said.
“I kind of see myself in any role that the team needs and whatever that is, I’ll be doing that.”
One such role will take place largely off the court with Brunell set to run coaching clinics and school sessions during the year.
“It’ll be pretty cool coaching kids and volunteering in the local schools, that kind of thing.”
“I’m also really happy to mentor and just help out however I can.”
Though Maloney is still set to captain the side, Brunell’s big-game experience will also see him play a crucial role on the boards.
“He’s an all-round package who can shoot it from deep and who’s willing to take on responsibility when it’s crunch time,” Norman said.
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