J'Nathan Bullock: Former Cleveland State Forward Signs With Aussie Supercats

Former Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball starter J'Nathan Bullock has just signed an one-year, expenses-paid contract with the the St. Laurence Geelong Supercats of the South Eastern Australian Basketball League (SEABL).

Bullock was a very important part of the Vikings' 2009 run to the NCAA Tournament.

Not only a talented basketball player, Bullock tested the NFL market in August when he was invited to the New York Jets' training camp to play tight end. Unfortunately, his NFL career was cut short since he didn't even make it through the Jets' training camp, but now he has a shot at professional basketball.

"We were very impressed with J'Nate's numbers at Cleveland State and we are well aware of the great job coach Gary Waters is doing there with the players,” said Jamie O'Loughlin, head coach of the Supercats.

When recruiting to find players, O'Loughlin found attributes in Bullock that fit his team needs.

"On deeper investigation we were confident J'Nate could fill our needs on the court but it was the feedback we got from several sources that he has an outstanding work ethic and is a person of the highest quality that convinced me that he is the right person for our club," said O'Loughlin.

Bullock has been already pegged to start for the Supercats in the 2010 season.

"We have brought J'Nate in to start at the 4 [position] for our team. We anticipate that he will play the majority of the game in that position but also swing to the 3 and 5 spots to create mismatches due to his broad skill set," said O'Loughlin.

When asked about Bullock's contract, Vikings' head coach Gary Waters responded, "It's great for J'Nathan because this is something that he always wanted to do in playing at a higher level and I think he has committed himself to doing that."

"He is the type of person that will do very well in that environment, but he will also enjoy his experience and [the team] will also reap the benefits of J'Nathan in the program and league."

Reacting to the news, Waters added, "This is something that he wanted after the NFL attempt. He always wanted to play basketball and in a league like this it's really great for J'Nathan."

The Supercats' first home game of the new season is on March 20.

(Article also printed in the Feb. 4 issue of The Cleveland Stater and posted on its Web site, too.)