36ers add versatile Kenyon for NBL26

The Adelaide 36ers have added another versatile guard to their roster with the signing of Matt Kenyon for the NBL26 season.

Kenyon arrives having played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix for the past two seasons, with previous experience at the Brisbane Bullets and Tasmania JackJumpers.

During Tasmania’s debut campaign, Kenyon was named the JackJumpers’ Defensive Player of the Year, and 36ers General Manager of Basketball Matt Weston said the 27-year-old’s defensive attributes were just part of his appeal.

“Matt is a professional, he looks after his body, stays in shape and is always ready,” said Weston.

“We know he’s got an ability to play a role in a team and be disruptive. We looked back and especially when he was in Tasmania, he was really effective on both ends of the floor.

"His calling card is that he is a really good defender and can guard a number of positions.

“The other thing we found when we did our due diligence, it’s all come back telling us that he’s a good guy with good character and that’s important when we want guys that fit in culturally with what we’re trying to create.”

36ers Head Coach Mike Wells said Kenyon’s 125 games of NBL experience and versatility were a huge plus.

“Matt is a mature player that brings versatility to both ends of the floor,” Wells explained.

“He understands spacing. He understands cutting. He understands team basketball on the offensive end and has the ability to make plays from a lot of different spots on the court.

“He is an elite defender on ball and off the ball, and can guard multiple positions, which gives us a lot of flexibility with our defensive rotations.”

As well as his time in the NBL, Kenyon has spent time training with NBA teams the LA Lakers, LA Clippers and Chicago Bulls and in 2019-20 played in the G League for the Capitol City Go-Go and South Bay Lakers.

He also represented Australia in FIBA Asia Cup qualification against New Zealand in 2021.

The 196cm guard is currently playing with Logan Thunder in the NBL1 where he is averaging 18.3 points per game to go with 4.3 assists and seven rebounds.

Kenyon joins DJ Vasiljevic, Isaac Humphries, Keanu Rasmussen, Ben Griscti, Isaac White, Michael Harris and Flynn Cameron on the 36ers’ NBL26 roster with attention now firmly focussed on signing imports.