Kesatria Bengawan Solo Release Rashad Vaughn

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Kesatria Bengawan Solo (KBS) have chosen to release their player from the United States, Rashad Vaughn, in the second half of the 2026 Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) season.

Quoted from the IBL website on Wednesday, KBS management stated that the decision was made as part of a team evaluation after reaching the halfway point of the season with results that have not yet met expectations.

The league has passed the halfway point, and the second half will resume on March 4. In this situation, KBS Solo believes that changes are needed to maintain their chances of competing in the second half of the competition.

KBS’s record of three wins and seven losses up to the midpoint of the season is considered to have not met management’s expectations, given the high targets set at the beginning of the season.

The decision to release Vaughn is somewhat surprising, given the team’s performance, which has shown positive development in recent games.

However, management believes that the team’s current needs are not solely about point productivity, but rather about overall game balance under the direction of Anthony Garbelotto.

Of the three foreign players owned by Kesatria, Vaughn’s position is considered the most suitable for evaluation.

Kentrell Barkley remains the team’s main mainstay since returning from injury. His contributions on both sides of the court are the foundation of Kesatria’s game.

Meanwhile, Deon Thompson provides an advantage in terms of post play and defence thanks to his physique and experience.

In the scheme designed by head coach Garbelotto from England, Vaughn more often plays as a third option.

However, he still averages 20.1 points per game (ppg) in eight games, which is a fairly solid statistic.

However, the team based at Sritex Arena needs a foreign player who can provide stronger defensive contributions, as well as a threat from long-range shots.

Statistics show that Kesatria’s three-point shooting accuracy is still low, at 22.7 percent, which affects the team’s offensive effectiveness.

With these considerations, management is confident that the step of changing foreign players is a solution to boost performance in the second half of the 2026 IBL season.

Currently, Kesatria Bengawan Solo is in ninth place, or three from the bottom, and has 13 points, with a record of 3-7 (wins-losses). They must compete and at least be in eighth place at the end of the regular season in order to maintain hopes of appearing in the playoffs.