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Mike Copeland to Rock the Heat

03 November 2011

American power forward, Mike Copeland is joining Guildford Heat to help boost the team’s performance.

6ft 7in Mike Copeland joins the Heat with an impressive track record in the BBL, having played for Glasgow Rocks for the last two seasons. Last season he was the second highest scorer in the team, with 13.8 points per game.  He led the team in rebounding during the previous season, with 6.2 rebounds per game. In both seasons, Copeland shot well over 50% from the field and averaged 25 minutes a game as the Rocks’ starting power forward.

Guildford Heat’s head coach, Creon Raftopoulos commented, “I’ve been courting Mike for a while and am delighted that he is now in a position to be able to join Guildford Heat.  I have seen Mike play many times and am confident that he will deliver in terms of scoring and rebounding. Most importantly, he will also be able to balance out Mike Martin’s minutes which should mean that we are able to put in strong, consistent performances throughout the entire game.

“Mike Copeland is not only an established professional in the BBL league but he also comes from an excellent American college, North Carolina Tar Heels, which has a strong winning tradition. His college was the training ground for talents such as Michael Jordan and Britain’s own Steve Bucknall and has provided Mike Copeland with excellent grounding and a winning mentality.”

Mike Copeland replaces Kandi Mukole, who has now left the club. Hermann Opoku is also leaving Guildford Heat. He has been offered a contract to play for the top league in the Czech Republic.

Coach Creon explains, “Hermann had a get out clause in his contract in case he got a higher offer.  At a time when we were debating whether to keep him, the decision was taken out of my hands. He leaves with immediate effect and we wish him all the best at his new club.”  

Guildford Heat plays Leicester Riders on Saturday 5 November at 7pm at Surrey Sports Park.  For ticket details or further information visit the Guildford Heat website.