Former McDonald’s All-American Billy Preston’s tenure with the Illawarra Hawks was short-lived one. On Tuesday, the Hawks’ Twitter account announced that they parted ways with Preston due to family reasons after just two games.
According to Mitch Jennings of the Illawarra Mercury, Preston’s release came after multiple practice no-shows in the past week.
The club confirmed his departure on social media on Tuesday, citing “family reasons” but it is understood the former Oak Hill Academy student was AWOL from three different training sessions with the club, with coach Matt Flinn putting his foot down on Monday.
The two reasons may not be mutually exclusive. The club noted Preston would be returning stateside to spend the holidays with family on it’s Twitter account.
His brief time in Australia saw Preston play in just three games with Illawarra, averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 17.6 minutes per game. In his debut, he shot just 1-of-11 from the field in nearly 24 minutes. His second game saw him play just six minutes before fouling out.
Preston and LaMelo Ball had a connection in the past during their times in high school. The connection was strong enough that Preston considered himself a “brother” to Ball. But given Ball’s current injury, the two never shared the court together in Australia with Ball not set to return until January.
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