New Perth Wildcat, Matt Knight is now in Perth ahead of the 2010/11 NBL season where he will lead the way in the 'Cats big men department and he's delighted to reconnect with coach Rob Beveridge and a host of other former teammates.

Knight was part of the 2003 under-20 world championship team that was coached by Beveridge with Wildcats' championship guards Damian Martin and Brad Robbins in that side.

He also played with Martin and Drew Williamson at the Sydney Spirit and West Sydney Razorbacks in his last stint in the NBL before heading to Hungary where he played last season with Soproni Sordogok.

Being familiar with the coach and several of the teammates will help Knight settle in smoothly to the defending NBL champions and having Beveridge as coach is behind the decision to go to Perth.

After the 2008/09 season where Knight was named the NBL's most improved player, he declared to Beveridge that he would come back and play with whatever team he was coaching on return to Australia after the Spirit folded, and he's followed through on that promise.

He can't rate Beveridge more highly as a coach, and is glad that former Sydney assistant Shawn Dennis is also joining the 'Cats.

"I've got huge respect for Bevo as a coach and what he's done for me through the juniors and up until now. I hold him in high regard. I told him before I left for Hungary that no matter where he went and was still coaching in the league that I would go and play wherever he was," he said.

"That's how it has worked out now. He tells you straight up how it is, he demands a lot of you and won't lie to you about anything. He tells you upfront what he expects from you and he will push you to get to that level. I had two years with him (Dennis) in Sydney when he was assistant coach and I used to do individual development with him, so I hold him in high regards too."

Knight arrived in Perth just last week after his time playing in Hungary and spending time travelling in the United States and the east coast of Australia.

The 24-year-old has now moved into his new house where Kevin Lisch will live with him when he arrives back in town, and Knight couldn’t be happier to be in Perth, playing with the Wildcats or any more excited about what lies ahead.

"It's good to be actually finally over here and slowly starting to settle into the place," Knight said.

"It's the first house I've owned and I'm very excited about it. I love the look of it and everyone that checked it out for me was definitely right about the evaluation of it so it's good.

"Kev is going to live with me too so that will be really good. He might have to show me around early on after he's been here for a year already. I haven’t met him personally yet, but we've talked online a couple of times and I'm looking forward to meeting him."

Rather than looking at joining the reigning champions as a challenge, Knight is excited to be coming on board at the Wildcats, especially to play with Robbins and Martin again as his point guard.

He will have a big job to do as well as he's likely to be the starting centre in the team and forced to go up against bigger men, but he's ready for that challenge.

"I'm really looking forward to it. They just won the championship last season and it will be fun to come in and be part of it, and hopefully to win it again. I played with Damo and Drew in Sydney, and have played against most of the others, so it shouldn’t take long to fit in with them all," he said.

"They are two of the best point guards I have played with and the way they go about their basketball makes it a lot of fun to play with them.

"It will be tough, but I'm looking forward to it. I've always had to go against taller players and it will be tough doing it again, but I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Looking back on his time in Hungary, Knight probably didn’t enjoy the lifestyle or basketball as much as he thought he would, but he is glad he got the European bug out of his system and now is ready to settle in Perth for the long haul after signing a three-year contract.

"It was different just with the weather and language barrier. Living in minus 20 degree temperatures for three months is not something I've had before," Knight said.

"It was a good standard, but not up to NBL standard. It was tough, the players were tough, but just not up to the NBL standard.

"I'm glad I experienced it, but I don’t think Europe is for me with the weather and that. It's always good to be home. I never experienced a sunny day like this at all, but having said that it's almost a summer's day for Tassie too. I'm looking forward to the weather here."