Heat Add Four to Roster

MIAMI, Sept. 26 -- The Miami Heat announced Friday that they have signed guards Eddie Basden and Tre Kelley along with forwards Omar Barlett and Matt Walsh. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Basden, a 6’5”, 215-pound guard, appeared in six games for Cholet Basket of the French Pro A League and averaged 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.80 steals and 2.3 assists last season. He then joined Telekom Baskets Bonn of the German Bundesliga and appeared in 27 games averaging 8.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.70 steals. His first stint in the NBA came with the Chicago Bulls in the 2005-06 season where he appeared in 19 games averaging 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds. Basden, a three-year starter at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.50 steals and finished his career as Conference USA’s career leader in steals (264) and also finished sixth on Charlotte’s career chart for rebounds (765) and 18th all-time in scoring (1,066). In 2005, he became the third player in Conference USA history to win both Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors (Kenyon Martin, Dwyane Wade).

Kelley, a 6’0”, 188-pound guard, appeared in 16 games for KK Cibona of the Adriatic League and averaged 6.3 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds last season. He then joined Panellinios of the Greek A1 League and appeared in nine games averaging 9.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.7 rebounds. Kelley appeared in 134 career games (102 starts) in four seasons at the University of South Carolina and finished second in school history in games played (134), third in assists (510), minutes played (3,956), three-point field goals made (167) and ninth in career points (1,488).

Barlett, a 6’8”, 230-pound forward, appeared in 27 games for Energa Czami Slupsk of the Polish League last season and averaged 11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.20 steals and 1.1 assists. He graduated from Jacksonville State University after transferring from Jones County Junior College (Mississippi). He appeared in 59 games for JSU and averaged 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.22 steals in 28.7 minutes while shooting 59.3 percent from the field and 55.8 percent from the foul line. Barlett finished his career at JSU second in career field goals made (333), third in field goal percentage (.593) and fourth in career rebounds (401).

Walsh, a 6’6”, 205-pound forward, appeared in 18 games with Ricoh Manresa of the Spanish ACB League and averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.30 steals last season. He then joined TEC Spirou Charleroi of the Belgian League and appeared in 14 games averaging 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He previously signed with the HEAT as an undrafted free agent on August 15, 2005, playing in two games totaling three minutes while finishing with two points as he connected on his only field goal attempt before being waived on November 18, 2005. Walsh, a three-year starter at the University of Florida, finished second on the Gators in scoring in each of his last two seasons while going over 1,000 career points during the 2004-05 campaign. Walsh was an All-SEC selection during both his sophomore and junior seasons.