Hapoel Migdal lands DJ Strawberry for two years

Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem bolstered its backcourt by signing shooting guard D.J. Strawberry to a two-year contract. Strawberry (1.96 meters, 26 years old) finished last season with Lietuvos Rytas, with whom he averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 assists in a reserve role in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16. Strawberry was worth 5.5 points and 2.2 assists in the Lithuanian league. Strawberry has been in the spotlight throughout his career. His father is former Major League Baseball All-Star Darryl Strawberry, which caused D.J. to have a following already in high school. He chose to play college basketball at the University of Maryland, but his career was interrupted by an ACL injury during his sophmore year. Strawberry bounced back and was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Second Team and ACC All-Defensive Team as a senior. He has also played for Phoenix of the NBA, Albuquerque of the D-League and Fortitudo Bologna in Italy, with whom he tallied 14.7 points in six Eurocup games – including a 29-point effort – during the 2008-09 season, but had his season end prematurely due to injury. "D.J. is a young, hungry player who wants to play here in Jerusalem," head coach Oded Katash said. "He is quick and athletic and will be an excellent addition to our team. He is also a physical player with good character and strong defense."