NLEX Road Warriors Aaron Fuller may be a newcomer in the PBA, but he’s already compared to a workhorse forward who made his mark in the league.
“He reminds me of a young Rudy Hatfield,” NLEX team official Ronald Dulatre told InterAksyon. “Masipag sa depensa.”
Fuller stands at 6’6″ and played college basketball at University of Iowa and University of Southern California. After graduating, he had overseas stints in Portugal, New Zealand and Mexico.
Expectations are high for the 27-year-old forward as he joins an NLEX squad raring to bounce back in the Governors’ Cup after disappointing campaigns in the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup where they failed to reach the playoffs.
“He’s a winner. He has won a championship when he last played in Mexico and we’re hoping he could bring that winning attitude in our team,” head coach Yeng Guiao said.
Guiao also thinks that Fuller would be able to keep pace with strong imports, particularly San Miguel’s Wendell McKines whom NLEX first targeted.
“I think he can match up with McKines,” Guiao said. “That’s the reason why we tapped him. He can play the post and he can also shoot from mid-range. But most of all, he can play defense. These are the qualities that we need in an import.”
Fuller was able to show his brand of game last week in the Road Warriors’ 113-112 tuneup loss to Gilas Pilipinas, leading his team with 26 points. However, he tweaked his ankle during the game.