THE Albury-Wodonga Bandits have announced their first major signing ahead of the 2018 SEABL season, with championship player Daniel Sepokas returning to the team.
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The experienced guard will return to the Border after a stint with North-West Tasmania last year.
Sepokas’ return to the team provides a significant boost the the backcourt, which has been prone to inconsistency over the past two seasons.
A noted threat from three-point range, last year Sepokas demonstrated ability as the primary ball handler for the Thunder – a skill which only increases his potency alongside Bandits star Deba George.
Bandits head coach Brad Chalmers said the former Waratah League MVP’s experience alongside George would be crucial throughout the 2018 season.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him back, we were disappointed to lose him initially and talks to get him back for last season just didn’t eventuate,” he said.
“There was mutual interest to try and work together again, so to get it done pretty early in the piece is really pleasing.
“We’re trying to get a bit more maturity through that spot, we’ve gone a bit younger with a couple of rookies in the last couple of seasons.
“Those players have had their moments, but they were probably a little bit inexperienced with Deba as a ball-dominant backcourt partner.
“With Daniel, we get someone who can really come in a take charge, be a leader and co-exist really well in that backcourt.”
Sepokas put up almost identical numbers for the Thunder compared to what he did for the Bandits back in 2015, averaging 14.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists last year.
After two seasons of variable production from the shooting guard spot, Chalmers said Sepokas’ maturity and prior experience playing alongside George would be a major factor in the Bandits’ chances.
While the two have plenty of chemistry offensively, the coach said it was on the defensive end that the pair would have to prove themselves after a less than frugal 2017 season.
“He’ll take a bit of pressure off Deba from a production standpoint, they make each other’s lives a lot easier, whereas last year teams could key in on Deba a bit,” Chalmers said.
“The biggest thing I want to see from them is from a defensive standpoint.
“We played with the fastest pace last season, but our defence took a back seat because of it.
“Those two will have a huge role to play, we’ll expect a bit more from Deba on that end and Daniel is someone who can bring leadership.
“They have a good understanding of the league and the physicality of it now.”