Newcastle Eagles are delighted to announce the return of Lynard Stewart who will line up for a third successive season on Tyneside. The center spent much of last season kicking his heels on the sidelines in frustration due to a number of injury problems and yet still managed to average double digits across 19 games.
In 2007/08, Stewart was named the Most Valuable Player in the BBL during his first campaign with the club. He enjoyed a stellar year with 15.8 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Eagles Managing Director Paul Blake is thrilled to welcome the 33 year old back into the frame and believes Stewart will be back to his irrepressible best during 2009-10.
“I think that Lynard would be the first to admit that he had a really up and down season last year because of his injury problems.”
“However he is now fully fit again and eager to get back on the floor. Consequently we know that he is desperate to make up for lost time and hopefully that spells trouble for our rivals this year.”
“He is a player with so many different attributes, hardly a surprise for a former MVP of the league.”
“He has the size, the quickness, scoring ability and can be a tower defensively for us with his shot blocking and rebounding.”
Blake also revealed that Stewart returning is the perfect first name to add to the roster as the treble winners look to continue scooping silverware.
“I think that Lynard gives us a superb foundation for us to move forward and continue to compete for trophies.”
“He has vast experience in the league, knows what Fab (Flournoy) demands as a coach and is very much low maintenance from our point of view – that in itself is a great building block to start from.”
“Continuity means a lot for us as we have proven over the years and to get a player with so much quality back on board will hopefully give everyone a real boost. I know the fans will also be thrilled because Lynard is a big favourite and even when he was injured the fans still gave him as much adulation.”
The Eagles will be adding a number of players to their roster in the next seven to ten days as player-coach Fabulous Flournoy looks to continue building on the success of recent seasons.
