One demanding year of testing himself in an intense basketball system has seen Ronan Parker return from abroad as a hardened, bulked-up point guard.

And the 20-year-old will remain on the Coast and pursue a pathway closer to home after his stint in Nebraska at Central Community College.

"It was really professional. I was training every single day, two-hour sessions and an hour and a half weight session. And we played twice a week as well," Parker said of the experience.

"Being from Tassie was tough; I had to work really hard to get into the starting five. They bulked me up and added a lot of muscle. It was a good experience.

"The biggest takeaway was the amount of training and effort you have to put in every day. You have to be so committed and put in many hours to get to the level you

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