The Maccabi Haifa professional basketball team of the Israeli Basketball Super League today announced they have re-signed power forward Tyler Wilkerson to a two-year contract through the 2012-13 season.
Wilkerson, 22, was traded to Maccabi Haifa from Gilboa/Galil on March 11, 2011, where he averaged 13.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and shot 61.5% (8-for-13) from three-point range in 26 minutes in seven Israeli Basketball Super League regular season games. The 6-foot-8-inch power forward carried Maccabi Haifa in the best-of-five Relegation Playoffs defeating Ironi Ashkelon, averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in four games.
“The sky is the limit for Wilkerson and I’m glad we will have continuity with the team as Sylven and Tyler are very comfortable playing with one another,” said Maccabi Haifa head coach Mickey Gorka.
“We had our eye on Tyler Wilkerson and we were thrilled to pull off the trade for him last season as he was one of the catalysts for the team’s strong finish to the season,” said Maccabi Haifa owner and American businessman Jeffrey Rosen. “Tyler has tremendous athleticism, quickness, and range and he’ll only continue to excel as a player with our team over the next two seasons.”
Wilkerson, a native of Lexington, KY, becomes the first official Maccabi Haifa signing for the 2011-12 season, joining former University of Virginia guard Sylven Landesberg and Avi Ben-Chimol, who are in their second season with Maccabi Haifa. Wilkerson played four years at Marshall University from 2006-2010, where he averaged 14.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.0 block shots in 33 games played during his senior season.
Maccabi Haifa’s 30-minute magazine TV show, “Inside Israeli Basketball,” (www.insideisraelibasketball.com) airs monthly from November to June on the YES Network (Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network), Sun Sports (home to the Miami Heat), and Fox Sports West (home to the LA Lakers), as well as seven other Regional Sports Networks reaching 60 million households throughout the United States. The show captures the intricacies of Israel and the Super League seen through the eyes of Maccabi Haifa’s American players and their Israeli teammates.
About Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa, an Israeli Basketball Super League team, has a long and storied legacy as they were one of the original eight teams to form the Premier League during the 1954 season. Under the ownership of American businessman, Jeffrey Rosen, the team has earned a playoff appearance in three out of the last four seasons. The team was purchased by Jeffrey Rosen in July 2007. For more information about Maccabi Haifa, please visit www.mhbasket.co.il.
About Triangle Financial Services
Triangle Financial Services, a sports and entertainment investment firm based in Aventura, Fla., has a diverse portfolio of international sports enterprises. The acquisition of the Maccabi Haifa professional basketball team in Israel along with the launch of TriangleInternet.tv the first-ever Internet TV site to feature full-length Israeli Super League games and highlights in English, represent Triangle’s continued effort to invest in emerging international sports ventures. For more information on Triangle Financial Services, please visit www.trianglefs.com.