ADAM Doyle is well aware of the shoes Bendigo Braves supporters and coach Ben Harvey are hoping he can fill.
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The Adelaide 36ers NBL recruit is aiming to pick right up where 2016 championship point guard Kevin White left off.
Doyle comes well-armed with what to expect in Bendigo having crossed paths with White, a guard with the Illawarra Hawks, during the NBL season.
"He obviously had a great season here and won a championship and he also had a fantastic year playing his role with the Hawks," he said.
"I caught up with him when he was in Adelaide and talked about the team.
"He had great things to say about the Braves, which made it easier to come here."
Doyle, who played one season previously in the SEABL with the Knox Raiders in 2014, had the opportunity of a lifetime in NBL season 2016-17, backing up league most valuable player award winner Jerome Randle.
It's an experience he says will hold him in good stead as he attempts to lead the Braves to further championship glory.
"I feel I had a really good year in the NBL and when it was my time to step onto the court I performed and held my own out there," he said.
"Going up against Jerome every day at training was the best thing I could have done.
"I feel no one in Australia is quicker on a basketball court than him right now.
"Being able to stay in front of him and even attacking him at practice is going to help my game.
"Chasing him around every day is crazy."
Doyle did not play in the SEABL in 2016, instead choosing to play in the South Australian Premier League.
The 176cm guard averaged 23.38 points, five rebounds and 3.38 assists per game, earning him a spot on the 36ers main roster after a couple of seasons as a development player.
As the Braves prepare for a tilt at back-to-back national championships, Doyle said he had felt "right at home" from the moment he arrived in Bendigo last week.
"Sometimes it's hard to fit right into a team after they have won a championship with all the chemistry they've got, but they have welcomed me from the get-go," he said.
"It makes me feel comfortable and able to play my best basketball.
"Obviously personally for me I just want to keep improving as much as I can, but the team always comes first."