Kieran Hayward joins Albury-Wodonga Bandits for NBL1 East season

Hayward and US import Branden Jenkins have previously played college basketball together at Louisiana State University and will now team-up again for the NBL1 East competition.

Originally from Sydney, Hayward grew up playing for North Bears before moving to the US.

He arrives on the border having most recently competed in the NBA's G-league.

"Basketball's really different over there and it was a good time," Hayward said.

"That's the whole reason I went over there and it met all of my expectations.

"It was just time to come home."

While former Bandits' men's coach Brad Chalmers had attempted to lure Hayward to the side in previous seasons, the stars aligned to see him arrive for 2022.

"He tried to get me to come before Covid and that's when I was out in America. I thought I would give it a year, and then I played in the G-League," he said.

"Then I thought I was done with that and was wondering what NBL1 teams had something.

"I thought playing in Albury would be really good, and Branden and I could play together.

"Next thing you know they had a spot and it's all worked out well."

The NBL1 East competition will be somewhat a homecoming for Hayward as he faces the clubs he once knew so well.

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"It will definitely be fun," he said.

"All the teams we're playing against, I played against their junior clubs.

"That was the conference I played in when I was younger.

"It will be interesting to see how many dudes are still playing."

Bandits men's coach Haydn Kirkwood is thrilled to welcome Hayward on board, with his side now almost complete.

"He is a stand up guy and he is going to add a lot to the team with his energy and his enthusiasm, as well as his playing ability," Kirkwood said.

"His ability to play above the ring is incredible. He doesn't look like much of an athletic jumper, but he can play about a foot above the ring.

"He provides an exciting dimension to our team and his lockdown defence is going to be an attribute for us."

So far the Bandits have added former Mount Gambier MVP Duom Dawam and Western Australian export Lochlan Cummings, as well as Hayward and Jenkins.

The NBL1 East men's competition gets under way on April 2, with the Bandits travelling to meet Bankstown.

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