20-year-old Australian big Lachlan Olbrich has signed with the Canterbury Rams as an import for the 2024 Sal’s NBL season.
Olbrich is an exciting up-and-coming prospect currently playing for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL. Before joining the Hawks, Olbrich won Big West Freshman of the Year in his lone collegiate year in the United States at UC Riverside, where he averaged 11.4 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game.
“He reminds me of a younger Nick Kay when he first came over to the New Zealand NBL just with his relentlessness on the boards, in particular the offensive rebounding – I think he’s going to be a handful in the NZNBL,” said Head Coach Judd Flavell. “He’s got a great basketball IQ. His passing game is something we’re really going to utilise and we want to put him in good positions to be able to playmake from inside and outside.”
After a highly successful NBL Blitz in September, Olbrich vaulted his name into NBA Draft conversations, appearing in the second round of ESPN’s 2024 NBA mock draft. Across 3 appearances at the Blitz, Olbrich excited scouts with his diverse offensive game, recording averages of 14.7 points per game and 3.3 assists per game in just 18.3 minutes per night.
“He’s got big aspirations to play at the highest level and it’s fantastic that he sees us as the club that can help develop him along that pathway,” expressed Flavell. “He sounds like he’s really excited to come down and develop his game but also to help us go ahead and win another championship.”
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to round out the Rams roster for the 2024 Sal’s NBL season!
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