Jorgensen links with the Neers

BASKETBALL: The Toowoomba Mountaineers have added another piece to their men’s QBL puzzle, bringing another Australian into the mix.

Nathan Jorgensen, a guard who last played with the twotime defending champion Townsville Heat, joins the club in 2019.

The signing ends a period of uncertainty for the young guard, who gambled on the Garden City and won.

“I’m really happy to sign with Toowoomba. I’ve spent the last few months looking around,” Jorgensen said.

“It’s been a bit of an unsure period and I haven’t really had that safety net. But I’m really looking forward to the future.

“I was always prepared and willing. It was a big gamble for coach Danny (Breen) as well, but I was willing to make that trip, even to potentially be told no.

“It was just a relief to sign. I put a lot of pressure on myself in previous tryouts, and to hear yes was a like a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders.

“I’ve got my travel plans ready and I’m excited to get there. I’ve started packing already and don’t leave for another month.”

The gritty guard hopes to be able to contribute on both ends of the floor when on the court.

“Anyone who knows me knows I like to shoot threes, and pretty consistently at that,” Jorgensen said.

“Whether I come off the bench, I hope to hit shots when we need. I pride myself on defence.

“Townsville was a defensive team and I want to bring that into practices, not only challenging the imports but locals as well to try harder on defence and play against harder defence.”

Breen said Jorgensen’s background would be a massive plus for the Mountaineers.

“He’s an intelligent player that has come through a great program with a history of producing great players,” Breen said.

“He has solid fundamentals and an understanding of the game, as well as the ability to pick up on what we’re doing and executing it at a great level.”