Even if I was disappointed at the time, in retrospect it was just right for me that the club didn’t extend my contract at the time,” says Maximilian Ugrai about his departure from Bundesliga basketball team s.Oliver Würzburg in the turbulent summer of 2017.
The then head coach and former national coach Dirk Bauermann had recommended that the club not renew with one of his identification figures. Born in Bad Mergentheim, he joined the Baskets in 2008 at the age of 13. He had gone through all the youth teams, celebrated promotion to the regional league and the third-class Pro B with the second team and made his debut in the Bundesliga in 2012 at the age of 17. By the 2016/17 season, he had firmly established himself in the rotation there under coach Douglas Spradley.
At the turn of the year, the club separated from the German-American Spradley. Dirk Bauermann, known in the industry as a tough dog, took over. From then on there was no more room for Ugrai, a junior national player. Instead, the longtime Baskets talent took the next step in Jena. In 27 of 34 games he was there in the starting lineup, played almost 20 minutes per game and averaged 7.4 points and three rebounds. Ordinary values, which also noticed other Bundesliga clubs.
Via Würzburg and Jena to Europe
“I thought for a long time whether I should stay in Jena for a second year,” recalls the now 26-year-old in an interview with this editorial team. “But I would have regretted it if I hadn’t accepted the offer from Ulm,” says Ugrai about his move to the Swabians, who not only play in the play-offs in the Bundesliga year after year, but where Ugrai is also in the Bundesliga Eurocup could prove on the European stage.
“The first season in Ulm went well,” says Ugrai. Although he only played just under twelve minutes (29 appearances) in the BBL and a little more in the 16 appearances in the Eurocup – but in the end he was sixth with Ulm and thus in the play-offs. Then Ugrai injured his knee. He only played six games in the long-interrupted Corona season. It was the first major setback in the career of the 2.01 meter tall winger.
Maximilian Ugrai goes to Heidelberg with his sister
“Back then, no Bundesliga team wanted to take the risk,” says Ugrai. So the international management student (distance learning at the University of Ansbach) took a step back and then took a clear step forward. At the Eisbären Bremerhaven, Ugrai wanted to recommend himself again for the BBL. Head coach Michael Mai made him captain and with 12.2 points per game Ugrai delivered strong performances. Especially against Heidelberg, he was able to convince in two consecutive games at the end of the main round and at the start of the play-offs with 16 and 20 points respectively.
“It works really well, but I had no concerns about that.”
Maximilian Ugrai on living with his older sister Hannah in Heidelberg–
Heidelberg rose and immediately took Ugrai to the BBL. Almost at the same time, Ugrai’s sister Hannah, who was two years his senior, began working in the Heidelberg office. “She applied in Bamberg, Würzburg and Ludwigsburg, but was rejected everywhere,” reports Ugrai. When Heidelberg’s managing director Matthias Lautenschläger contacted Ugrai and reported that he also had to strengthen the office, Ugrai remembered his sister’s job search. Now the two live in Heidelberg in a shared apartment. “It works really well, but I had no concerns about that,” says Ugrai.
s.Oliver Würzburg and Heidelberg still have to fight to stay up
Ugrai is having a solid season in Heidelberg. After a good start with four wins from five games, the professional who grew up in Heckfeld (Main-Tauber district) also fell into a small hole. Things have been going better for him since January, also because he is now finding his way around better in his new position as center player. He scores 6.6 points per game, plus 2.9 rebounds and an exceptionally strong three-pointer rate of 47 percent. “Our game system doesn’t allow for the center to stand around at the three-way line,” he explains the few attempts. So far, Ugrai has only tried it 36 times from “Downtown”.
This Saturday (8.30 p.m.) he returns to Würzburg with the Heidelbergers for a duel between two teams that are just trying to free themselves from the biggest relegation problems. “We’re in a good position at the moment, but with two defeats in a row you slip back in quickly,” believes Ugrai. Giessen and Frankfurt, who are currently at the bottom of the table with five wins, have not yet been written off. That’s why Ugrai really wants to win the game against Würzburg, who could claim their third win in a row.
Other former Würzburgers are in the squad of the MLP Academics Heidelberg
In addition to Ugrai, Brekott Chapman and Rob Lowery are two other former Würzburg players in the Heidelberg squad. Of course it was a special game, even more so for the two Americans who wore the Baskets jersey last year. “I’m always happy to come to Würzburg,” assures Ugrai. He is also expecting his family and many friends in the hall on Saturday. The disappointment of 2017 is long gone.
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