HE'S touted as being the biggest signing in Ipswich basketball's recent history.

All 2.05m centre Steven Broom has to do now is make sure his fragile shoulders are up to handling the responsibility of dragging the Force out of the Queensland Basketball League (QBL) cellar.

The now-defunct Brisbane Bullets and the Townsville Crocodiles had already noticed the 21-year-old's enormous potential.

He was supposed to be a part of the Crocodiles' squad for this week's NBL semi-final series against the South Dragons before surgery on both shoulders ended his season before it started.

“I did pre-season for about two months (with the Crocs) before I found out about the injury,” Broom said.

“I played one pre-season game and then that was it, I was done after that.

“It was a major setback for me.

“I was just starting to come good with the physical aspect and the mental aspect (required to play in the NBL).

“I was pretty upset straight away with everything that was going to happen.

“Having to move back to Brisbane, not being able to play basketball, not being able to do much at all.

“I couldn't do anything really, except get on a bike or walk down the street.”

When Broom's former QBL club, Logan Thunder, decided to withdraw from the state-wide competition, Ipswich came calling.

It's a move the prolific scorer hopes will help get him back in the NBL before too long.

“Playing 48 minutes a game will definitely boost my confidence and my fitness a lot over the 17 or 18 week period of the QBL,” he said.

“Hopefully I can be fighting fit for a spot on an NBL team.”

Yet to resume full training, Broom will consult with his Townsville surgeon on March 10 to find out whether his shoulders have responded positively to the surgery.

Force coach Terry Lindeberg has no doubts his star recruit will be right to go in time for the season opener on April 25.

“No, I don't think so,” said Lindeberg, when asked if it was a risk to sign Broom while he was still injured.

“Both of them weren't reconstructions, they were only just a scrape, so it's only minor.”

The new coach was rapt to have enticed the talented big man out to Ipswich, which finished 2008 with a miserable 2-16 record.

“Very big signing, probably the biggest one we've had for a lot of years,” he said.

“He's only a 21-year-old lad who's got NBL experience ... you don't get them every day.

“It's a great feeling to have him.

“Hopefully we can get his shoulder right and he can score a lot of points for us.”

The Force have their first hit-out in a carnival in Warwick on March 14-15, before Ipswich hosts its annual pre-season tournament on March 28-29.

By Lee Gaskin, The Queensland Times