DURHAM WILDCATS this week announced the signing of power forward Fran Urli to the squad.

The 6’8 native of Zagreb, Croatia will join the squad immediately and is expected to see action this weekend. He will reunite with former University of Albany teammate John Puk and Panola College teammate Chris Jones, and will be sure to make his presence felt in the Wildcats’ front court.

“We are very happy to have Fran Urli here,” said head coach Lee Davie. “He is going to give us that needed size and strength we have been missing these last few games.

"We have been beaten around the basket recently and have not been able to get enough rebounds. Fran is a great rebounder, has a variety of offensive moves around the post and he has great shooting range.”

Urli spent the 2013-14 season with the Glasgow Rocks, where he averaged nearly 11 points and six rebounds per match; including a season-high 20 points versus Manchester Giants and a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Esh Group Eagles Newcastle.

Durham Wildcats chairman Quentin Sloper is excited to see what Urli can bring to the Wildcats and is hopeful that his familiarity with Puk and Jones will create instant chemistry with the team: “We are delighted to have him on board.

"From his collegiate career he has played with both Chris Jones and John Puk so he is already a step ahead in understanding our players and our team. We are excited to announce this signing to our fans as we have some very important league fixtures ahead of us.”

Urli graduated from Hawai’i-Pacific University in 2012 where he averaged ten points per match in his senior season. Prior to his time at Hawai’i-Pacific, Urli played with Puk at the University of Albany, as well as a stint with Panola College in Carthage, Texas, playing with Jones.

The 25-year old has previously played professionally with El Arroyo and Eco Orebro before his year with Glasgow. Urli had signed with Spanish club Forca Lleida late last month before making the transfer to Durham.

Urli and Wildcats (1-3 in the BBL) are on the road this weekend, firstly facing second-place Bristol Flyers on Saturday before playing Plymouth University Raiders on Sunday.