Posted on 30 March, 2010

MacMillan a key member of the 2004 Youth League Championship team has spent the last four years at Gardner Webb University.  This past Season he averaged 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as the Runnin’ Bulldogs finished with an 8-21 record and in 2009 he represented Australia at the World University Games in Belgrade and has used this and his College experience to develop into a legitimate low post scoring threat.

MacMillan made National headlines in Australia in 2007 when Gardner Webb defeated College powerhouse No. 20 Kentucky at Rupp Arena 84-68 in one of the biggest upsets in College basketball history.

With all his achievements, MacMillan is eager to return to his home Club, “I’m really excited about returning to Kilsyth, it’s where my roots are at, so it’s kind of like a homecoming for me. Kilsyth has always been really supportive of my college endeavours, so it’s a great feeling to be able to head back home and return the favour, so to speak.”

“I see Kilsyth as kind of like a starting gate for my professional career, I really need to put on a solid showing with Kilsyth in the SEABL in order to jump start the rest of my career. For that reason, I’ll be placing a lot of value in the success of the team this season.”

MacMillan believes University has prepared him well for a career in basketball, “Gardner-Webb has helped me tremendously in preparation for my professional career. I’ve had the chance to take on competition that I just would not be exposed to in Australia, including highly ranked teams like UNC, Duke, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and many more, as well as some of the top draft picks for the NBA, including Hasheem Thabeet, Blake Griffin, and Tyler Hansbrough just to name a few.”

“Along with the stiff competition, I’ve learned a lot about training and game preparation, as well as increasing my personal skill set exponentially. The biggest asset that I’ve gained from college, as basketball goes, is simply the knowledge of how to work hard. This may sound stupid, but in all honesty, you go into college thinking you know what hard work is, but until you’ve been through a full college season, you have absolutely no idea,” concluded Macmillan.

Swinburne Cobras Head Coach is thrilled MacMillan is returning to his junior Club and College off-season base, “Auryn is the final piece to a team we anticipate being able to challenge the best teams in SEABL in 2010.  He has had an outstanding College career at Gardner Webb and will come in ready to play with a wealth of experience.”

“I see Auryn complementing our other young centre Tim Lang, with the two forming a formidable front line for our team.  Auryn has good size, is athletic and a genuine scoring threat in the low post. We are excited about his decision to take the next step in his career by returning to Kilsyth to play with the Cobras,” concluded Wallace.

The Swinburne Kilsyth Cobras return to home on Saturday 10 April 2010 against Canberra and hope to have Auryn in uniform sometime in May.  Season Memberships and player sponsorships are now available.  Visit www.cobras.net.au for more details.