Excitement levels sky-high within United playing group

Written by Melbourne United Media

Despite the fact the start of NBL24 remains months away, Melbourne United’s players are buzzing with excitement about returning to the court together.

The club has assembled one of the strongest collections of local talent over the course of Free Agency thus far, and with the return of Next Star Ariel Hukporti, the sky's the limit for MU heading into next season

One player that makes up this group is Development Player Zac Triplett, who is heading into his third season with the club.

As the exciting young guard prepares for next year at Melbourne United’s home of Hoop City Cheltenham, he said the conversations within the group have been one of feverish anticipation.

“Guys are super excited for next season already,” he told MU Media.

“We’ve got a bunch of news guys coming in adding to all the guys that are coming back. Having CG (Chris Goulding), Shea (Ili) and Newls (Brad Newley) here, plus bringing back Jo (Lual-Acuil Jr) and being able to have Big A (Ariel Hukporti) for all of next season, everyone is just so pumped up.”

Across his two seasons with United, Triplett has appeared in 19 games, providing the 21-year-old great learning opportunities which he has taken into his NBL1 campaign with Keilor.

In the eight games he’s played season, Triplett leads the Thunder in scoring, averaging over 18 points per game, helping his home-town side to a 4-4 record.

Despite his young age, the sharpshooter has been asked to take on a larger scoring and playmaking responsibility, something he believes will go a long way in helping him carve out a role for United.

“I’m just more comfortable, and that’s so important in a role like mine where I might be asked to come in and be ready to shoot it right away,” he explained.

“Whenever coach calls on me, I’m going to be ready to show what I’ve got and do exactly what is needed to help us win.

“We’ve spoken about what I need to work on in the NBL1 this offseason, running the point and handling the ball a lot more, coming off ball screens and handling extra pressure against bigger bodies have all been things that have been a priority.”

Triplett and the Thunder will line-up for a double-header next weekend, facing off against Hobart on Saturday night before hosting Ringwood Sunday afternoon.

To continue watching Triplett develop on the court next season, become a member today!

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