Maddox to fill Thomson void

Newcastle have signed their replacement for the departed Andy Thomson in the shape of 6’8″ powerhouse Kareem Maddox.

Maddox, 23, is another player to catch the eye of the Eagles coaching team during the Basketball Days tournament in Holland last Christmas.

Last season, he played for Dutch side Landstede Zwolle, averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds per game in the Dutch Eredivise.

Eagles head coach Fab Flournoy said: “We are delighted to have signed Kareem.

“He is another who impressed us in our Christmas tournament last year and we feel that his size, athleticism and smartness will really fit well into our defensive scheme.

“It’s also nice to bring some more young legs into the team.”

Maddox played his college basketball for Princeton Tigers, and was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Ivy League during his senior season.

Earlier this summer, Thomson opted to leave the north east for France.