Is Antwerp Giants still counting on captain Jo Van Buggenhout? “Can’t agree that he was put aside from the team”
There seems to be a difference between Antwerp Giants and Jo Van Buggenhout. The team’s captain was absent from yesterday’s European match against Fribourg for “personal reasons”. Coach Jill Lorent declined to elaborate.
Jo Van Buggenhout is in his second season with the Antwerp Giants. Last year the playmaker came over from Kangaroos Mechelen. In his first season in the Lotto Arena he was voted Youngster of the Year in the BNXT League.
After the departure of Jean-Marc Mwema, 21-year-old Van Buggenhout was elected the new captain of the Giants, a show of confidence in the leadership qualities of the young Belgian Lion.
But now there seems to be a problem between the club and its captain. Last weekend the young Belgian played just 3 minutes in the BNXT match against Bergen. Yesterday he was even completely absent from the European match against Fribourg.
There are whispers in the corridors that a divorce between the Giants and Van Buggenhout is on the way, but that was denied by coach Jill Lorent on Wednesday before the match against Fribourg.
“He will not play today for personal reasons,” Sport 10 said briefly. “I cannot agree that he has been left out of the team. Jo is still part of Antwerp Giants. I do not want to answer any further questions about that. “
With the Van Buggenhout issue, things do not seem to be calming down at the Antwerp Giants for the time being. Coach Geert Hammink was fired after just 1 matchday this season, but this has not had much effect so far. In the BNXT League, Antwerp is a disappointing 13th, with 4 defeats in 6 games.
