The Illawarra Hawks confirmed today that they have gained the signature of one of the best young point guards from Australia, Emmett Naar to a three-year deal.
In the tradition of Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs) and Matthew Dellavedova (Milwaukee Bucks), Emmett Naar developed his game at the Australian Institute of Sport before gaining a scholarship to the University of St Mary’s (California) and etching his way into the school’s record books.
In his senior year Naar dished out 14 dimes against Pepperdine, he then eclipsed that with a 15 assist effort in a game against Pacific and over the course of the season reached double-figure assists totals in eleven games that season.
His 7.9 assists per game as a senior ranked second in the nation and resulted in him eclipsing Matthew Dellavedova’s record for most assists in a season as well as becoming the school’s all-time career leader in assists.
The 185cm floor general isn’t a one-dimensional player either, averaging 10 points and 3 rebounds during his four years at St Mary’s. Naar doesn’t fade away when the spotlight is on either, during the 2016 West Coast Conference Championship game Naar stepped up and delivered 25 points and 6 assists against an impressive Gonzaga squad which included Domantas Sabonis and Eric McClellan.
The three-year deal ensures Hawks Head Coach Rob Beveridge has plenty of time to develop Naar and provide stability and consistency to the Hawks back-court. Beveridge shared his excitement with NBL media.
“Emmett Naar is an extremely smart point guard that I am sure our fans will enjoy watching play” Beveridge said.
“He is a pass first guard who will look to get his teammates into the game quickly, but a guy who is capable of scoring himself when needed.”
Naar was part of a quality class at the Australian Institute of Sport and honed his skills playing alongside Dante Exum (Utah Jazz), Jack McVeigh (Adelaide 36ers) and Dane Pineau (Sydney Kings).
Emmett Naar is the second roster signing made by the Hawks this season, with big man AJ Ogilvy the only other contracted player so far.
Make sure you check out our NBL Free Agent tracker to keep an eye on all other player signings and rumours during the NBL off-season.