Know Your Team: Tirrell Baines

​Island Storm

6'6

Forward

From Laurens, South Carolina

Back with the team he has seen his biggest success as a professional, Tirrell Baines has been consistent player on both ends of the floor throughout his career, which includes four years past experience in the NBL Canada.

Transferring from Laurens High School to Patterson in Lenior, North Carolina, Baines reached the national semi finals and was ranked the third best player in the state by scout.com.

This performance saw him recruited to the Marshall Thundering Herd, where he played for four years. Averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds per game and shooting 52% from the field in his first season, he was named to the All-Conference USA Freshman team.

The next season he was joined on the floor by future Miami Heat star Hassan Whiteside. He led Marshall in rebounding throughout his career, at the end of which he averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 53% from the field.

Following on from this, he was chosen with the 57th overall pick by the Erie Bayhawks in the 2011 NBA D-League draft. He played two seasons in the D-League, at the end of which he had averaged 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Bayhawks.

He first came to the NBL Canada in August 2013 to play for the Ottawa SkyHawks, later joining the Island Storm. In his first two seasons in the NBLC he averaged 12.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

After another successful season with the Storm, he moved to the Moncton Magic for the 2017-18 season, but saw his role reduced - he played in 32 games and started in 2 compared to the 35 starts in 49 games of the previous season.

The news that Baines is returning to Charlottetown this season was welcomed by the Storm head office and fans - but not so much by those of other NBL Canada teams, especially those who have faced him on the floor in the past.