BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Bellingham Slam have bolstered their frontcourt for the 2010 International Basketball League season with the signing of former Georgia Tech player Ra’Sean Dickey today. Making the announcement was Slam general manager Robert Hofstetter.
Dickey is the first player from the NCAA’s prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference to play for the Slam in the team’s five-year history.
Dickey, a 6’9” center from Clio, South Carolina, was one of the ACC’s dominant centers during his sophomore season at Georgia Tech in 2006-07, when he averaged 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. One of Dickey’s best games came on Jan. 10, 2007 when he scored 21 points in an upset victory over a nationally-ranked Duke team. In total, he played three seasons for the Yellowjackets, shooting 60.1 percent from the floor. He finished his Georgia Tech career ranked sixth among all-time blocked shot leaders with 96. Dickey was also named high school state player of the year in South Carolina.
Prior to his senior season at Georgia Tech, Dickey signed a professional contract to play in the Ukraine with the club Budivelnyk Kiev. At the time, Dickey’s decision to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and play overseas came on the heels of Brandon Jennings and Josh Childress announcing similar plans to compete in Europe instead of the United States.
“With his ability to rebound and block shots, Dickey should be a dominant force inside in the IBL this season,” commented Hofstetter. “He could be the best back-to-the-basket scorer we’ve ever had.”
Dickey will arrive in Bellingham in two weeks for the start of the Slam’s training camp. The Slam start the 2010 IBL season at home on April 9, against the Tacoma Tide at 7 p.m. at Whatcom Pavilion.