Mr bEn
19-01-08, 02:15
From nbl.com.au
The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper has reported that Australian forward Stephen Weigh is leaving the University of Utah Utes basketball team in order to return to Australia and turn pro.
The Tribune’s website reported that “the 6-foot-6 sophomore has decided to return home to his native Australia and pursue a pro career, cutting short an injury-plagued basketball season and a college career that was viewed as exceptionally promising when he joined the team last year.”
In a statement issued by the university, Weigh indicated that starting a pro career in Australia was his focus.
"While I have appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to attend the University of Utah and play for the basketball team, I have decided to return home to Australia and play professionally," Weigh said in the statement. "This was a tough decision, but I believe it will be the best thing for me and my family. I do want to make it clear that I have no intention of transferring or playing college basketball for another school."
Weigh has played in 11 games for the Utes this season, but was injured in two of them. He suffered an injury to his ribs against Santa Clara on November 19 and a sprained knee in a victory over Dixie State last week and has not played since. He was averaging 4.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
"I'm very disappointed that Stephen is no longer going to be part of our program," Utes coach Jim Boylen said in the statement. "Stephen and his family decided this was the best course of action for his future. Stephen has been one of my guys since I took over this program and I support my guys. We'll miss him, but we wish him the best for his future."
Playing for the same school that produced Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut, the Rockhampton guard/forward scored 42 points in his first three games as a starter this season. He also spent two seasons at the Australian Institute of Sport.
If Weigh were to sign with an NBL team, he would be joining an influx of former college talent that has returned to the HUMMER Championship in the past 12 months, including Nathan Jawai (Cairns), Matthew Knight (West Sydney), Damian Martin (West Sydney), Alex Loughton (Perth), Craig Bradshaw (Brisbane), Shane McDonald (Singapore), John Fiztgerald (Singapore) and Blagoj Janev (Singapore).
Weigh's return is expected to generate a lot of interest from NBL teams as they jockey for position in the lead-up to the Finals. Players need to play seven games in order to qualify for the NBL Finals series, with most clubs still having that many matches remaining in their regular season schedules.
The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper has reported that Australian forward Stephen Weigh is leaving the University of Utah Utes basketball team in order to return to Australia and turn pro.
The Tribune’s website reported that “the 6-foot-6 sophomore has decided to return home to his native Australia and pursue a pro career, cutting short an injury-plagued basketball season and a college career that was viewed as exceptionally promising when he joined the team last year.”
In a statement issued by the university, Weigh indicated that starting a pro career in Australia was his focus.
"While I have appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to attend the University of Utah and play for the basketball team, I have decided to return home to Australia and play professionally," Weigh said in the statement. "This was a tough decision, but I believe it will be the best thing for me and my family. I do want to make it clear that I have no intention of transferring or playing college basketball for another school."
Weigh has played in 11 games for the Utes this season, but was injured in two of them. He suffered an injury to his ribs against Santa Clara on November 19 and a sprained knee in a victory over Dixie State last week and has not played since. He was averaging 4.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
"I'm very disappointed that Stephen is no longer going to be part of our program," Utes coach Jim Boylen said in the statement. "Stephen and his family decided this was the best course of action for his future. Stephen has been one of my guys since I took over this program and I support my guys. We'll miss him, but we wish him the best for his future."
Playing for the same school that produced Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut, the Rockhampton guard/forward scored 42 points in his first three games as a starter this season. He also spent two seasons at the Australian Institute of Sport.
If Weigh were to sign with an NBL team, he would be joining an influx of former college talent that has returned to the HUMMER Championship in the past 12 months, including Nathan Jawai (Cairns), Matthew Knight (West Sydney), Damian Martin (West Sydney), Alex Loughton (Perth), Craig Bradshaw (Brisbane), Shane McDonald (Singapore), John Fiztgerald (Singapore) and Blagoj Janev (Singapore).
Weigh's return is expected to generate a lot of interest from NBL teams as they jockey for position in the lead-up to the Finals. Players need to play seven games in order to qualify for the NBL Finals series, with most clubs still having that many matches remaining in their regular season schedules.