River Lions pick up veteran guard Tyler Murray

Photo Credit: Stephen Downes/Flickr

This article is transcluded from the official website of the Niagara River Lions. The original news release can be found on the team site. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the writers at NBLCentral.

The Niagara River Lions are proud to announce the signing of former Moncton Miracles guard Tyler Murray. The Toronto native will be going on his fifth year in the National Basketball League of Canada.

“I am really excited to play for the River Lions and the chance to compete for the championship. We have a good group of guys coming in and I want to give our fans something to remember this season,” said Murray.

In his last two seasons with the Miracles, Murray culminated an average of 7.7 points in 61 games going 43.2 percent inside the arc and 37.5 percent from long range. At the close of the 2014-15 season, he tabbed an 11th NBL Canada best 39.1 three-point shooting percentage and a 13th ranked steals per game, averaging 1.3 per contest.

A product out of Wagner College, the Seahawks graduate finished an outstanding collegiate career with back-to-back All-Northeast Conference (NEC) selections and a school record three-point shooting average of 43.8 percent. His senior year performance of 49.0 percent from that distance was one of the best in the country, tied a school record and was an NEC first place that year. Over four years the 6-foot-5 Canadian became one of Wagner's top players, posting 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 27.6 minutes while shooting over 40 percent from both the field and three-point mark.

“Tyler has a vast amount of basketball experience. Over the last eight years he has played 219 basketball games at both NCAA Division I and professional levels around the world, including over 85 NBL Canada games,” said River Lions Head Coach Grâce Lokole. “During that span he shot better than 40 percent from the three and has been a willing playmaker. Tyler can play both guard spots, is a great team player and a constant professional. We look forward to him contributing with this shooting and playmaking

“We want to welcome Murray to the River Lions organization. He is an outstanding addition to the team,” said Rivers Lions President and General Manager Jeffrey Sotiriou. “He brings high scoring and league experience to our team. He's a proven player and we're confident he'll help us a lot on the court.” 

Before enrolling at Wagner, Murray garnered national experience as one of Ontario's most valuable talents. In addition to competing in the Jordan Canadian All-Star Game, he was a member of the Nike Canadian Elite Team that competed at the Nike Global Challenge in Portland, Oregon.

The River Lions have now picked up five Canadians with the announcement of Murray. The team is looking to bring the excitement back when they return to the Meridian Centre on November 9 to face the Raptors 905 (the Toronto Raptors' NBA D-League affiliate) in an exclusive exhibition game presented by The BOLDT Team Re/Max Garden City Realty Inc. and in support of the Wise Guys Charity Fund.