Hope for UBSC:

This guard was created by Hurricane Katrina

Globetrotter Jeremy Smith (r.) celebrates his comeback at UBSC this weekend.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Finally! After five weeks out with injury, UBSC Graz can once again call on Jeremy Smith in the Basketball Super League. The US guard will be a great asset in the two home games against the top teams of the top six, on Friday against Gmunden and on Sunday against Klosterneuburg, at the Sportpark.

UBSC boss Michael Fuchs is happy that the 33-year-old is back on the floor: "He's a combo guard (note: playmaker and shooter) who averaged 17.55 points per game before his injury. He's our king of two-pointers!" Only Zachery Cooks has a higher average within the club with 21.39.

And Smith, who has played with and against NBA players such as Klay Thompson (Golden State), Elfrid Payton (Orlando) and Aaron Gordon (Denver), is also a true globetrotter: he has gained experience in Qatar, Vietnam, Australia (where he was champion of the 2nd division), England (with Newcastle) and Cyprus (with Nicosia) - and he has also played in Iceland, where he celebrated his greatest success as champion with Breidablik.

His career is curious, as Michael Fuchs notes with a grin: "Because Hurricane Katrina caused the football season to be canceled in 2005, Jeremy turned to basketball and never got away from it."

UBSC coach Ervin Dragsic is happy about the reinforcement(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Because the low-maintenance top professional is also good with children, visits schools and coaches the Graz youth team, he is high on UBSC's wish list: "We would like to keep him next season," reveals Fuchs.

After last week's last-minute win in St. Pölten (which Quinton Green secured nine seconds before the end of the game), Graz are speculating about another surprise that could even take them into second place: "We were one of only two teams to beat league leaders Klosterneuburg this year." A crowd of 1000 is expected at the Sportpark on Friday against Gmunden.