The Durham Wildcats announce the signing of power forward Fran Urli to the squad. The 6’8 native of Zagreb, Croatia will join the squad immediately and is expected to see action this weekend. He will bring needed size and skill to the Wildcats’ front court play.
Urli will reunite with former University of Albany teammate John Puk and Panola College teammate Chris Jones.
“We are very happy to have Fran Urli here,” said Head Coach Lee Davie. “He is going to give us that needed size and strength we have been missing these last few games. We have been beaten around the basket recently and have not been able to get enough rebounds. Fran is a great rebounder, has a variety of offensive moves around the post and he has great shooting range.”
Urli spent the 2013-14 season with the Glasgow Rocks of the BBL, where he averaged nearly 11 points and 6 rebounds per match. He scored in double-digits in 20 out of 33 matches with Glasgow, including a season-high of 20 points scored versus Manchester Giants in late February. Urli recorded a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds versus Esh Group Eagles Newcastle on 23rd March 2014. He was a 53 percent shooter from the field.
Durham Wildcats Chairman Quentin Sloper is excited to see what Urli can bring to the Wildcats and is hopeful that his familiarity with Puk and Jones will create instant chemistry with the team: “We are delighted to have him on board. He has known Chris Jones and John Puk from his collegiate career so he already a step ahead in understanding our players and our team. We are excited to announce this signing to our fans as we have some very important league fixtures ahead of us.”
Urli graduated from Hawai’i-Pacific University in 2012. In his senior season with the Sharks he averaged 10 points per match. Prior to his time at Hawai’i-Pacific, Urli played with Puk at the University of Albany. Urli first had a stint with Panola College in Carthage, Texas, playing with Jones there.
The 25-year old has previously played professionally with El Arroyo and Eco Orebro before his year with Glasgow. Urli had signed with Spanish club Forca Lleida late last month before making the transfer to Durham.
The arrival of Urli comes after the Wildcats were defeated by Cheshire Phoenix on 12th October in a BBL Cup competition. Durham exits the BBL Cup with a first-round loss 88-65. Captain Ralph Bucci recorded a double-double with 10 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. Panos Mayindombe and Odiba Attah each had 12 points followed by Joel Madourie’s 11.
Urli and Wildcats (1-3 in the BBL) are on the road this weekend, first facing second-place Bristol Flyers on 18th October then Plymouth University Raiders on 19th October. The Wildcats will return home on 26th October to host Manchester Giants.
Tickets are now available via www.godurhamwildcats.com
