MacLeod (24), who attended Hutt Valley High School, was 16 when he switched from rugby to basketball, after being asked to play because of his height.
He has since played in both New Zealand and Australia and spent four and a-half years playing college basketball in the United States, which he said was an "awesome" experience.
He returned to New Zealand in May, playing seven games for the Hawkes Bay Hawks in the NBL competition.
The North Otago Penguins, who are playing in the Dunedin club competition and also playing off with Otago, Southland and Central Otago for a place in the national conference finals, were then looking for a centre.
MacLeod thought it would be a good opportunity to both work on his game and to see a part of the country that was new to him.
One of the tallest players in New Zealand, MacLeod said he was looking forward to a home game at the Waitaki Recreation Centre on Saturday against Southland.
The Penguins were enjoying great support from the community and he believed the resurrection of the team, after an eight-year hiatus, would help promote the sport both in Oamaru and the region.
