Mason Bragg hoping to use inaugural season with Huskies in New Zealand NBL to relaunch

The excitement of joining the Southern Huskies as a foundation player is twofold for North-West product Mason Bragg.

Mason Bragg in the Chargers v US College team St Mary’s practice match earlier this year at Kingston. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

THE excitement of joining the Southern Huskies as a foundation player is twofold for North-West product Mason Bragg.

Not only does the talented guard get to achieve a dream which for more than two decades hasn’t existed for local basketballers — to represent Tasmania at senior level — but the 24-year-old knows it could provide a pathway back into the NBL.

The Mercury revealed on Wednesday Bragg and NBA draft prospect Harry Froling were the first two players signed by the Huskies, who will officially hit the court for the first time in 2019 in the New Zealand NBL.

FROLING, BRAGG SIGN FOR SOUTHERN HUSKIES

HUSKIES TO MAKE HISTORY ACROSS THE DITCH

Mason Bragg has signed with the Huskies.

Bragg has been training with the Adelaide 36ers in an effort to keep his name in front of NBL clubs, but shining in a competition regarded as the next tier below the Australian version will only enhance his chances of earning another contract.

“It is going to be pretty exciting to not only represent the whole state but also be part of that movement to potentially get our team back into the NBL,” Bragg said.

“Growing up we had no NBL presence so it didn’t really come up too much but once there started to be some talks about potentially a Tasmanian team coming in, it was super exciting.

“It always pops in your head, ‘geez I wish that could be me representing my state in a national league’.

“That’s now coming true, obviously it is not in the Australian league but still it is a national comp in New Zealand and we are still representing our state.

“It will be really good to go against some really good competition over in New Zealand, I know there is a lot of NBL-calibre guards that play in the competition and it’s also going to be great to play alongside some great players we will have with the Huskies.”

A former Perth Wildcats development player, Bragg’s current stint with the 36ers is far from glamorous, mixing morning training sessions with afternoon work in human resources.

But he hopes the dedication proves his burning ambition to rejoin the NBL.

“It is definitely a grind having to practice from 8am to 1pm in the afternoon and then go straight to work and get home at 5.30-6pm,” he said.

“But you just have to put your head down and do the hard work and hopefully it will pay off.

“At the moment I’m just focusing on getting better and helping out the guys at practice and doing the best I can to put myself in a position where I could potentially get signed next season.”