DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ? Former Embry-Riddle basketball standout and Father Lopez High School product, Michael Pyle, has signed a contract to play with the McKinnon Cougars in Australia's Big V basketball league.

 

The Big V is described one of the largest semi-professional basketball league structures in the world. The league, which was established in 1987, has 102 men's and women's teams and four different levels of play. The Cougars' franchise is located in Oakleigh, which is just outside of Melbourne in the southern part of Australia.

 

Pyle, who graduated from Embry-Riddle in May 2006, played two seasons with the Eagles after transferring from Florida Tech. In 2004-05, he averaged 16.3 points and recorded 11 double-doubles to earn NAIA third-team All-American and All-Florida Sun Conference honors. He also became the third ERAU basketball player to be named the league's Newcomer of the Year and was named the FSC Player of the Week three times.

 

As a senior in 2005-06, the 6-6 forward was tabbed as the FSC Player of the Year and earned first-team All-American honors. He finished the season first in the league in double-doubles (10), second in rebounding (8.3 rpg), second in field goal percentage (.568) and fourth in scoring (14.8 ppg), and joined the Eagles' 1,000-point and 500-rebound clubs, achieving the feat in just two years at ERAU.

 

Pyle is expected to see his first action with the Cougars in this weekend's Frankston Tournament.