The Sudbury Five made a pair of announcements Wednesday morning, introducing their first two players at the team's new home for practices.
Cambrian College will be the Five's home for practices and training, as the school and the Sudbury Wolves Sports and Entertainment (SWSE) have entered into a partnership.
"We started to talk about this partnership in the spring, talking with (team owner) Dario (Zulich) and (SWSE CEO) Scott Lund about how we can develop a partnership that focuses on our community, on sports, and of course, on our students," said Alison De Luisa, associate vice-president, student and employee development with Cambrian College.
"We signed this deal in the summer and are thrilled to be part of it and are really excited to see Sudbury grow and develop and to start the Sudbury Five. The team will be practicing in our gym, they'll be using our fitness facilities, even that you've chosen Cambrian College as your location to make your announcement today, means a lot to Cambrian."
Team owner Dario Zulich has stressed the importance of partnerships within the community, evidenced by the Wolves entering into a partnership with United Way to form Wolves United last year.
"I'm so proud of the partnership we've formed with Cambrian College," said Zulich. "This is more than just us having a practice facility, our partnership is integrated further, we share the same values of striving for intelligence, integrity, hard work and having fun."
With their home court at the Sudbury Arena and a practice facility at Cambrian College, the Five introduced a pair of players who will be taking to the hardwood this fall.
The first two players signed in franchise history are Marcus Lewis and Kadeem Green, who is also the first Canadian to be signed by the team. The signings come hot on the heels of the team picking up a trio of players at the NBL combine over the weekend.
"The past three weeks have been a blur but have been really rewarding," said Five head coach and GM Logan Stutz. "The player interest in the community of Sudbury and playing up here has been strong and we are working through building a competitive roster that will be entertaining and win. Marcus and Kadeem joining our team are going to set a tone for the on-court character we are looking to establish."
Marcus Lewis is the first player to be signed by the Five. The 26-year-old Eastern Kentucky product is entering his fourth pro season. Prior to turning pro, Lewis won the 2014 NCAA State Farm Slam Dunk Contest, along with the Puma Hoops Slam Dunk Contest.
"I'm excited to play for a guy like Logan," said Lewis. "Last year was a good season in Canada, but this year I'm ready to make a huge impact here with the Five."
A highlight reel of some of Lewis' dunks was shown at this morning's conference, with coach Stutz who was a teammate of Lewis' with the Niagara River Lions commenting, "I was in a few of those clips, I'm not the one dunking, I'm just in the background clapping."
Kadeem Green is the first Canadian player to be signed by the Sudbury Five. The 27-year-old Toronto native played university basketball at Ryerson University, Missouri University and Ohio University. This is his third year playing professional basketball after playing in both Lithuania and France.
"I'm looking forward to playing close to home and having my family able to visit and watch," said Green. "Coach Stutz is building a team that is going to be fun to play on and I'm looking forward to that."
To catch all the action and reserve your seats, Five basketball tickets are on sale now at greatersudbury.ca/tickets. The season schedule is expected to be released in the next week.
