Anthony Polite leaves ASVEL, joins Hamburg / News - Basketnews.com

Anthony Polite parted ways with ASVEL and will finish the season with Hamburg in the German BBL, the two clubs have announced.

Credit: Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images Credit Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images

By mutual agreement, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Anthony Polite have put an end to the contract which bound them.

Anthony Polite

MIN:7.96PTS:1.13 (35.71%)REB:1.88As:0.25ST:0.13BL:0TO:0.13GM:8ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

The Swiss international forward, looking for more playing time and more responsibility, returned to the German league with the Veolia Towers Hamburg until the end of the 2022-23 season.

The German club currently ranks eighth in Group B of the EuroCup Regular Season behind a 3-7 W-L tally. Besides aiming to clinch a berth in the next round of the continental competition, the 6-8 domestic run is one game shy of the BBL Playoffs zone.

The 25-year-old first moved to Euroleague participant LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne last summer after five years at college. However, the 1.98-meter-tall athlete now wants to leave his mark in European basketball in another city and league.

"Anthony is a young, talented player who has not yet been able to gain a foothold at the highest European level. As a rookie, he immediately got the chance to sign with a EuroLeague team. But the step was still too big for him at that time," Hamburg's head coach Benka Barloschky explained.

"We want to help him now to arrive in Europe and to play up to the highest level here. He is versatile and plays very physically. We see a lot of potential in him that we want to develop here with us, “ the head coach describes the goals set together.

After graduating from high school, Polite decided to transfer to Florida State University. A knee injury forced the winger to take a break in the first year. In his third year of college, he averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. With a career-best average of 22 points, he led his alma mater to the 2021 NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Last summer, Anthony Polite signed up for the NBA Draft after five years at college, but was not selected by any of the 30 teams. He ended up signing with LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne, but only made a total of six appearances in the French LNB Pro A (2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds), and eight EuroLeague contests (1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds).

Anthony Polite is expected in Hamburg on Sunday and will then first complete all medical checks before he is scheduled to start training at his new club at the beginning of next week.

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