Basketball newcomer

St. Pölten dribbles in front of 70,000 fans at March Madness

Team player Rashaan Mbemba (right) plays with his college in the play-offs.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Around 70,000 spectators at the final, including several scouts from the NBA - "March Madness" is the height of emotion in college basketball. And ÖBV team player Rashaan Mbemba is taking part in this adventure with Colorado State. His last Superliga club St. Pölten is also experiencing a "crazy March" - in a negative sense.

"For every young player who goes to America, March Madness is the greatest thing," says SKN manager Stefan Worenz, who experienced Mbemba's rise as a student at the performance center, Superliga and team player, "that's where legends are born." Rashaan qualified for these NCAA play-offs with Colorado State, scoring 20 points in his best game.

His last Superliga club, St. Pölten, is also experiencing "March Madness" - albeit in a negative sense: four defeats in a row, and on Thursday at 7 p.m., champions Gmunden of all teams are coming! "Apart from the game against Wels, they were all close," says Worenz, "if we had been smarter, we would have won - that's also down to the lack of experience of our key players."

St. Pölten's Roman Jasch (on the ball) still knows how to beat champions Gmunden.(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Christian Moser)

However: Gmunden has also only just recovered from three defeats in a row, and four St. Pölten players - Jagsch, Kaltenbrunner, Angerbauer and Dukic - were involved in the 74:73 home win against the champions last season.