BBU Salzburg with a strong start to the season: “There is a lot of energy in the team”

2023-10-01 21:09:57

BBU coach Christian Ponz about the season’s goals, the new additions and a possible promotion.

The basketball season really started on Sunday. After the BBU Salzburg women’s team was defeated 31:78 in the Vienna United Cup, the men’s “Falken”, coached by Christian Ponz, advanced to the round of 16 for the first time with a 73:67 win over Mistelbach.

Mistelbach reached the final of the 2nd Bundesliga last season. A successful start to the season, right? Christian Ponz: Absolutely. We were ready from the first minute and played a great game against a strong team.

What can we expect from the BBU in the championship? Definitely getting into the play-offs again. If we play disciplined, especially defensively, and play smart offensively, it’s possible. We are ambitious and want to play for the title.

Last season it ended in the quarterfinals. Should the big coup succeed this year: would the promotion even be possible? The new executives on the board, Wolfgang Stöglehner and Dusko Stojakovic, are creating the necessary internal structures and are looking for sponsors. The step up is big. Economic partners are still missing.

In terms of sport, long-standing supporters like Adrian Mitchell and Raphael Miksch are missing. How does this affect? We were individually stronger on the ball last season. But if we are well-coordinated, we can now play just as effective basketball. We have a good mix. Our young players are getting better and better.

How are the new arrivals doing? Luka Kamber is a very valuable player for us – not just as a thrower. He brings a lot of experience and professionalism and helps everyone to become better. Kazuhiko Yokoyama also takes responsibility. Through it we gain a lot of energy. And Gabriel Calic and Mario Sucic also show their quality and, like everyone in the team, great will.

So your team is ready for the start of the league on Saturday against the Wörthersee Pirates? It will probably take a while until we fully find our rhythm. But the preparation went well. There is a lot of energy in the team.