Oh Buay - this season should be exciting.
The Otago Nuggets have signed Ethiopian-born American Buay Tuach for the 2026 campaign.
The name will be familiar to New Zealand hoops fans.
He played for the Auckland Tuatara last year and averaged 16.3 points on a really talented roster.
The athletic 31-year-old swingman has enjoyed a solid professional career, and the Nuggets will know exactly what to expect having already seen him in action in the National Basketball League.
He can hurt his opponents with his speed and ability to cut to the basket. He is also an outside shooting threat.
But most importantly, he is a perfect match with the game plan coach Jeff Sparrow has hatched.
‘‘Buay fits perfectly with what we’re trying to do, and that’s push the pace,’’ he told the Otago Daily Times.
‘‘He’s super athletic and unbelievable in transition. And I think what he did last year, from an efficiency standpoint, was really impressive.
‘‘They were pretty balanced, had a couple of bigs that they threw the ball to.
‘‘But I thought what he did when he got it ... was pretty impressive.
‘‘He had some really good numbers last year.’’
At 1.98m, Tuach has good ‘‘positional length’’.
‘‘I think he could switch one through four and be perfectly comfortable in that. So he definitely fits the bill of activeness defensively and switchability.’’
Sparrow is planning a dynamic defensive approach that requires a lot of flexibility. He will get that from Tuach, who played in the NBA G League for the Westchester Knicks from 2017 to 2019.
He has also had professional stints in England, Australia, Greece and most recently in Mexico.
‘‘He’s just a consistent guy. Not a man of many words, but when he speaks, I think it’s powerful. I have got to know him, obviously, over the recruitment process and just can’t wait for him to get down here.’’
Tuach joins stalwart Matthew Bardsley as the only confirmed signings for 2026.
Ethan Rusbatch is believed to have signed, but the Nuggets have not confirmed his eventual arrival.
