Center Rashaad Singleton, a shot-blocking menace in the low post, will play for the Sendai 89ers this season, the bj-league team has announced.
Singleton, who attended the University of Georgia for three seasons before closing out his college career at Division II Florida Southern, played pro ball in Jordan last season. He began his pro career with the Oita HeatDevils in 2009-10 and averaged 2.73 blocked shots per game, the second-highest output in the league.
The 213-cm Singleton joins a frontcourt rotation that includes ex-Marquette forward Dan Fitzgerald and the versatile O'Neal Mims, an NBA Development League veteran.
Sendai coach Bob Pierce believes Singleton will make a big impact in the middle.
"At 7 feet and very strong — he reportedly set some weight-lifting records in a (2009) workout with the Knicks — Rashaad gives us a solid anchor for our defense," Pierce said.
"He was second in the bj-league in blocked shots during the 2009-10 season, and that was a skill we were looking for in a center. I was also impressed by his personalty when he played for Oita, and thought he could fit in well on short notice."