Baasketball: Goulding sticks with Melbourne United

Chris Goulding of Melbourne United controls the ball against the Breakers. Photo / Getty Images

Melbourne United have put together one of the NBL's hottest backcourts, re-signing Boomers guard Chris Goulding for the next two seasons.

Goulding, who last week survived the cut to make the 17-man Australian squad which will attend a camp ahead of the Rio Olympics, will remain at United until at least the end of the 2017-18 season.

Last season's NBL MVP runner-up, currently playing in Italy's Lega Basket Seria A, will team up with new import point guard Cedric Jackson - who arrives at United on the back of several stellar seasons with the New Zealand Breakers.

Goulding was United's undisputed star last season, averaging 18.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, but said he had unfinished business after the minor premiers were bounced out in the semi-finals.

"I definitely want to play better than I did last year," Goulding said.

"I think it was a solid season by me and the club but obviously we came up short when we needed to.

"So building on the base that we had last year, we have some key players coming back and new ones coming in, so I think slowly improving throughout the pre-season and really making a push back up to the top is really key for all of us."

Melbourne finished the end of the regular season in first, but crashed out of the finals series with consecutive losses to the Breakers.

Coach Dean Demopoulos failed to tone down his excitement at retaining the sharp-shooting guard.

"From ownership to the coaches and the entire organisation we are beyond happy to know Chris will be here for the next two years," Demopoulos said.

"He is the obvious face of the franchise, and he wears it well."