Head coach Cheng Chih-lung and the newcomers. (source: Taiwan Mobile)
Taiwan Mobile, which finished for sixth place last season in the SBL, signed seven players, including German-Taiwanese center Jufan Geiger, for the upcoming season.
The Clouded Leopards yesterday introduced the newcomers with Geiger drawing the most attention. Geiger (205cm, 105kg), 27, came from Germany. His mother is a Taiwanese but he has to play as an import before receiving a Taiwanese passport -- if he wants to have one.
Geiger played for BBL's SV Tuebingen in 2003-04, Walter Tigers Tuebingen from 2004-2006, Kirchheim Knights of the ProA League in 2006-2007 before playing for TV Konstanz, averaging 11.8 points with the team.
Taiwan Mobile said it offered a position in the IT section for Geiger, a bioinformation major in Germany, to extend his non-basketball professional career.
I'm happy to know that Jufan finally find his way in Taiwan. I first got in touch with him about an year ago through a German reporter and exchanged a couple emails.
Ouyang Ching-heng, who enjoyed a breakout season last year -- 19.4 points and 4 rebounds per game -- with the dmedia Numen, signed with Taiwan Mobile.
Joining Ouyang will be 37-year-old sharp shooter Lo Hsing-liang, who averaged 6.2 points (39.5% 3PT) per game last season and helped Taiwan Beer to its second straight SBL title. TM wil count on Lo's experience and crunch shooting a lot.
194cm forward Chung Hsiu-nai, the second overall pick in the SBL Draft, will try to learn in a higher level of basketball and live up to his father's name. Chung's father, Chung Chih-mung, was an accomplished basketball coach who has coached Tera Mars in the CBA and Videoland Hunters in the SBL.
197cm Yen Chen-hung, 187cm forward Chu Chen-wei and Fang Yung-hsi, who played last season with Yulon, also signed with Taiwan Mobile.