WALTERBORO, S.C. – Forward Finley Batchelar from Sydney, Australia has signed a letter of intent with USC Salkehatchie. He becomes the thirteenth signee of the Salkehatchie program under Head Coach Matt Lynch.
Batchelar, a 6-foot, 10-inch, 200-pound forward, currently plays for the Manly Warringah Basketball Association. Manly plays in the Division 1 Youth League, one of the top leagues in Australia for youth players. This past season, Batchelar averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block per game while being the youngest player at the Division I level at just 17 years old.
"Finley has a bright future, and we are so excited that he's decided to start with Salk," Coach Lynch said. "From our initial phone call, we were able to create an immediate relationship, and I think he just checks a lot of boxes for me as a coach and for us as a program. Fin has NCAA Division I size right now, and I think a year or two at Salk is going to help him develop into a future prospect for multiple programs. He's going to have to come to work everyday though, his size alone won't be enough to get him where he wants to go. I know he knows that. Finley comes from a great family, and he's ready to get to the states and bet on himself, which is what we are all about at Salkehatchie."
Batchelar's head coach Tim Hill says Fin is a team player.
"Fin is an exciting prospect who has shown significant growth not just physically but also in his basketball IQ over the past season at Manly. His patience and poise are growing with every game, which bodes incredibly well for his future as a strong post player who can make plays for teammates as well as himself."
Coach James Asensi also serves as Finley's personal trainer. "Fin has gone from strength to strength in the past 3 years. His potential, hard work and effort is what makes him such an exciting athlete to have onboard at both ends of the court. His versatility as a big allows him to play above the rim, stretch to the three and play out of the post," said Coach Asensi.
With the signing of Batchelar, the Salkehatchie men's basketball program will now feature a total of five Aussies on the bench next season. Finely plans to pursue a degree in exercise and sports science.