Surne Bilbao has secured the signing of Bastien Vautier, a French center who will form an interior partnership with Tryggvi Hlinason. The 27-year-old, 2.10m player arrives from Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne, where he competed in the EuroLeague last season. After a professional career that gained momentum at age 24, Vautier has proven his worth against top European teams following his stints at Le Portel and Cholet. In the EuroLeague, he averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in just over thirteen minutes, while in the domestic league, his statistics were 8.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Vautier is an 'old-school' center. He excels at exploiting the pick-and-roll with speed and intelligence, is effective playing with his back to the basket, and finishes strongly, often with dunks. Additionally, he possesses a reliable mid-range shot. Defensively, he is robust and commands respect, with good mobility. His characteristics differ significantly from those of Bassala Bagayoko, the player he replaces, particularly in explosiveness and defensive range. With his arrival, the team gains a valuable source of points and toughness for moments when Hlinason rests, allowing for better management of the Icelandic player's minutes, especially with the increased demands of playing in the Basketball Champions League.
Born in Noisy-le-Grand (15-XI-1998), near Paris, Vautier played various sports before dedicating himself to basketball at age 13, joining the youth ranks of Nancy. In 2016, he won the U18 European Championship alongside players like Frank Ntilikina and Sekou Doumbouya. He continued to shine with France and debuted in the ProA, though it would take him seven seasons to return to that category. In the summer of 2017, he was loaned to Caen in ProB, and a year later, Nancy recalled him. During the 2020-21 season, however, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
After a nine-month layoff, he returned to action in January 2022 with Quimper, displaying a notable level. Subsequently, he signed with Lille, where he truly exploded, averaging 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds. Le Portel trusted him to make the leap to ProA at age 24, and it proved to be a wise decision, as he was selected for the league's best quintet alongside stars like Mike James, T.J. Shorts, and Nader Hifi. The following summer, he joined Cholet, continuing his progression. He faced Surne Bilbao in the FIBA Europe Cup, showcasing his skills with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Miribilla. Finally, Villeurbanne recruited him for the EuroLeague.
With Vautier's arrival, Surne Bilbao's only remaining task is to finalize the replacement for Amar Sylla as the fifth interior player and quota player to complete their roster. The team will feature Harald Frey, Adam Somogyi, and Dan Duscak at point guard; Nate Darling and Margiris Normantas at shooting guard; Darrun Hilliard, Aleix Font, and Manex Ansorregi at small forward; Luke Petrasek and Martin Krampelj as power forwards; and the center pairing of Hlinason and Vautier.
