KAMLOOPS – Head coach Scott Clark and the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's basketball team are pleased to announce that former Ukrainian Youth National Team member Denys Bachurin will join the squad for the 2022-23 season.
 
Currently plying his trade with North Platte Community College in Nebraska, Bachurin also spent time with Trinidad State in Colorado after playing for both the Ukrainian U-16 and U-18 National teams. Playing for Trinidad State from 2019-21, Bachurin played in 40 games for the Trojans averaging 8.4 points-per-game and 3.4 rebounds-per-game while shooting 35.9 per cent from beyond-the-arc.
 
"He's a shooter, and a bigger-bodied guy," said WolfPack head coach Scott Clark of Bachurin. "Skilled to the point where he can step out and make a perimeter jump shot, but by the same token he can score with his back to the basket and get a rebound which are all things that we are a little short of this year."
 
Bachurin looks set to become another member in the storied tradition of Ukrainian student-athletes excelling for the WolfPack. Volodymyr Iegorov suited up for the 'Pack from 2015-17 and in his 40 regular season games averaged 18.3 points-per-game, the most in program history. Likewise Anton Bilous' name is littered throughout the WolfPack record books after his WolfPack career from 2017-20 netted him 781 points, the tenth-most in program history.
 
With Bachurin hailing from Cherkasy, UKR – the same hometown as Bilous – Clark was able to call on his former player's familiarity to help provide background on the new recruit.
 
"As a part of this process I contacted Anton and asked him if he knew Denys," said Clark. "Anton coached him a bit when he was a kid and I trust what Anton has to say about him as a person and Anton gave him the stamp of approval. We've recruited Denys for the last year and a bit."
 
Bachurin has played seven games this season for North Platte, averaging 8.7 points-per-game. The 6-7 forward will have three years of eligibility left when he joins the WolfPack for the 2022-23 season.
 
"One of the main reasons I decided to join TRU was definitely a great relationship with coach Clark and the way he looks at the game of basketball," said Bachurin. "I also spoke to couple Ukrainian guys about their experience at the school and they said they absolutely loved it. After hearing all of these good things about the school and the team, it wasn't hard for me to decide where I'm going to continue my academic and basketball career, so I'm excited to join the WolfPack."
 
 
Denys Bachurin
Position: Forward
Height: 6-7
Hometown: Cherkasy, Ukraine
Last Team: North Platte Knights