The Otago Nuggets had a new face on the bench last night.
Forward Pita Sowakula arrived on Thursday, just in time for about half a training session.
The 20-year-old has been signed as a replacement for fellow Fijian international Marques Whippy, who ruptured his Achilles tendon earlier this month.
While he could have played in the 97-91 overtime win against the Hawkes Bay Hawks, player-coach Mark Dickel felt it would have been unfair to throw him into a game when he had only been in the country about 24 hours.
Sowakula was named player of the tournament at the Fiba Oceania Championship in New Zealand last year and has been awarded a scholarship at Iowa Central Community College in the United States next year.
That is about all the Nuggets really know about their new signing.
''I got him in to, hopefully, help us rebound and to have another bigger body,'' Dickel said.
''He is definitely capable. You're not going to get offered a scholarship to go to America if you can't play. It is just a matter of finding out what he does and having a week in practice to see how we can use him.
''It is a big ask to throw him in without him knowing anything.''
