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Years ago
David Andersen / Boomers article
Andersen boost to Boomers
DAVID ANDERSEN earns $2.5million a year playing in Russia but will have to cool his heels playing off the bench for Australia against New Zealand at Perth's Challenge Stadium next week.
Andersen, a starter with CSKA Moscow, is better known on the streets of Siena and Bologna in Italy where he played for five years before moving to Russia.
Having carved out a reputation as a scorer and rebounder in the Euroleague, Boomers coach Brian Goorjian hopes the addition of Andersen will boost Australia's chances of a first-up win against New Zealand's Tall Blacks next Tuesday.
Andersen is one of four changes Goorjian made yesterday after returning from a whirlwind tour of Japan and China, where Australia won the Kirin Cup and finished third behind Lithuania in the Boris Stankovic Cup in Beijing.
Goorjian has boosted the Boomers' big-man department with the addition of former Sydney Kings captain Matt Nielsen after a season in Greece.
The new-look squad includes Kings captain Jason Smith, back from a three-month spell in Croatia, and pint-sized Hunter Pirates point guard Brad Davidson. Dropped from the 12-man squad are Adelaide's Oscar Forman, Russell Hinder (Pirates), along with Wollongong's Andrew Rice and the injured Sydney player Luke Martin.
"Nielsen, who has just signed a new three-year deal to play in Lithuania, like Andersen, will start against the Tall Blacks off the bench," Goorjian said.
"Andersen could easily play in the NBA, but has chosen to play professionally in Europe."
Andersen, who calls Frankston in Melbourne's south east home, represented the Boomers at the Athens Olympics last year. He honed his skills at the AIS in Canberra but only had one season in the NBL, 1999, with the Wollongong Hawks, before moving to Europe.
Elsewhere, the Perth Wildcats announced they had beaten West Sydney and the Adelaide 36ers for the signature of 212cm Olympian Paul Rogers.
Source: http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,16143253-23769,00.html
