German hits the mark in Hobart
THE Hobart Chargers have uncovered a hidden gem in the early going of the season but reveal they now have a battle on their hands to retain the hulking hooper.
The 205cm German centre, Ole Angerstein, has proved to be one of the finds of the NBL1 season with the Chargers’ new big man appearing out of nowhere to be a dominant force in the competition.
Across the opening five games Angerstein has been a monster in the middle for the Chargers with averages of 16.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, while shooting 69 per cent from the field.
Chargers men’s coach Anthony Stewart said after representing Germany at under-19 level the hulking centre had spent the last five years playing football in Victoria and TSL for Clarence.
But to the delight of the Chargers he chose to return to basketball over the summer.
“He decided to give basketball another go and we could not be happier as he’s been phenomenal,” Stewart said.
“He’s an incredible athlete that jumps out of the gym and he’s strong and he’s just been fantastic to watch and as a coach I haven’t seen many dunk with the energy he has.
“People are coming up to me after the games asking me where we got this guy and he’s generating a lot of talk around what he’s doing and how he’s playing and it’s been a pleasure to be a part of it and see it.”
Stewart said the Chargers
got far more than they bargained for with the 26-year-old and admitted they were now working hard to keep the big German on Tasmanian soil.
“When Zac White went down with an Achilles we thought well even though they’re different players maybe Ole could replace him but he’s just gone way above our expectations.
“The German tank’ we call him is causing a lot of interest across NBL sides and even internationally.
“There’s even agents ringing me trying to find out if he’s got a player agent.
“We want to try and lock him in and we are nervous other teams will try and get him.
“We are hoping we can keep him here in Tasmania and he’s a citizen and he loves it here and we have to hope we can hold on to him as he’s something really special.”
The Hobart Chargers (3-2) and their new weapon will look to make it three wins in a row on Friday when they host Ringwood at the Kingborough Sports Centre at 8pm.