Spencer Nelson

Spencer Howells Nelson ( born July 11, 1980 in Pocatello, Idaho ) is an American- Azerbaijani basketball player. After studying in his native country, which he broke for a two-year missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2005 Nelson began a career as a professional in the German Basketball Bundesliga for the German champions GHP Bamberg. After the Bamberger its title in the National Basketball League in 2005/ 06 could not defend, Nelson moved to Italy and later to Greece and Spain. Since the 2013/14 season, Nelson is back in the Italian Serie A for the local series champion Montepaschi Siena in use.

Career

Nelson began studying at Utah State University, where he worked for the high school team, the Aggies played in 1998 at that time in the Big West Conference of the NCAA. After his first season, Nelson sat through injury, the second season as " redshirted " and then interrupted his studies in order to embark on the two-year missionary activities usual for members of his church. In 2002 he continued his studies and won with the Aggies once again the championship of the Big West. In a team together with the later league players Desmond Penigar you missed in the first round of the NCAA finals barely a surprise against the heavily favored Jayhawks of the University of Kansas. After 2004 missed a title defense in the Big West, they won again in 2005 the championship of the Big West, in which his teammate and freshman Jaycee Carroll was named MVP of the championship tournament. In the NCAA tournament would retire nevertheless again in the first round this time against the Arizona Wildcats from.

After the end of the study in 2005 was Nelson pro, but could ultimately win the NBA Utah Jazz Club no place in the final squad. He started his professional career with the German champions GHP from Bamberg, where another player Mormon faith was with Rick Stafford already active. In the ULEB Euro League 2005 /06 the club reached at the premiere of the highest European club level right off the bat, the round of the last 16 teams in which one then but remained winless. In the National Basketball League in 2005/ 06 was achieved as in the previous year in the main round in second place behind ALBA Berlin, but in the play-off semi-final series would retire to eventual champion Rhein Energie Cologne just like in five games. Nelson joined the following season to Italy, where he played for the champions Benetton Treviso, he had impressed in the preseason with their defeat in Bamberg with a formidable performance of 23 points and 20 rebounds. In the ULEB Euro Cup 2006/ 07, however, Treviso could be in the second group stage of the 16 best teams only Aris Thessaloniki behind him and retired. While also won the Italian Cup competition after winning the Super Cup, was named in their final match Nelson named MVP of the game, the club due to license violations in the championship of the Lega Basket Serie A twelve points was subtracted, yielding missed the play-offs and his Title could not defend. For the following season Nelson moved to league rivals Fortitude Upim from Bologna, but which had forfeited their right to attend the ULEB Euro League for the first time and no longer competed in the highest European club competition. In contrast to Benetton Treviso and local rivals Virtus Bologna, it was enough for the team but in the season 2007/ 08, in the Nelson after injuries had only nine championship stakes, in eighth place, at least for entry into the final round of the national championship. There, however, one difference in the first play-off round against the defending champion and main round First Montepaschi Siena smooth in three games from that so the " transfer of power " in the Italian league confirmed.

For the 2008/ 09 season, Nelson joined the Greek League A1 Ethniki to Aris from Thessaloniki. Also Aris was no longer qualified after two appearances in a row for the Euro League and moved into the first group stage of the Eurocup 2008/ 09 in direct comparison with the national competitors Panellinios Athens the " shorter " and retired. In the national championship was achieved third place play-off and was eliminated in the semifinal series against defending champion and series champions Panathinaikos Athens. The "small final series " for third place against GS Marousi they lost in five games, so it was initially not allowed to start for the qualification for the ULEB Euro League 2009/10. While Aris was finally invited by the ULEB the qualifying round, Nelson moved to newly promoted GS Peristeri in the metropolitan area of ​​the Greek capital Athens. Peristeri missed on his return to the highest Greek League in the 2009/10 season in ninth place a place in the final round for the championship just barely. Nelson acquired in 2010 the Azerbaijani citizenship, which he fell in certain Southern European leagues, under which Spain would be particularly mentioned under less restrictive foreigner restrictions. After he reached the Azerbaijani national promotion to the Division A of the best European national teams, he moved then to the 2010/11 season in the Spanish ACB league where his former teammate from college seasons Jaycee Carroll was already active as a scorer the previous season. Carroll was able to defend its title as the top scorer of the league ACB and Gran Canaria improved to fifth place in the main round, where they again eliminated in the play- offs of the Spanish Cup in the first round. After Carroll was lured away from league rivals Real Madrid, and later also as his Mormon faith brother Nelson assumed the Azerbaijani citizenship, weakened the team in the season 2011/12 something and missed clearly a play-off position, although Nelson on the last main round Round as the most effective player "Player of the Week" in the ACB league was appointed. With a new main sponsor but Gran Canaria succeeded in the 2012/13 season, in which Nelson was consecutively awarded twice as Player of the Week, the return to the play-off final round of the ACB league. Here you hit surprisingly in the first round, the second-placed team from Laboral Kutxa, in whose ranks among other things, the German national player Tibor Pleiss was, for the first time and reached the semi-final series in the history of the club. This one lost but then smooth in three games against defending champions FC Barcelona. With Gran Canaria Nelson came in two appearances in three seasons in the ULEB Eurocup not have the round of 16 of the best teams out.

For the 2013/14 season Nelson returned to Italy, where he was engaged by series champion Montepaschi Siena. With his return to Italy and the injury problems returned to Nelson and he was injured just after start of the season, so he 2013/14 turned out for much of the first round of the ULEB Euro League. According to financial problems of the club but the entire championship team had to rebuild and missed first time in eight years to participate in the Round of 16 of the best teams in the ULEB Euro League. After leaving the highest European club competition left with Daniel Hackett and Taylor Rochestie more players the club so that Montepaschi must at least use the "Back Court" of the team completely rebuilt again. Thus, the team also be granted with a healthy Spencer Nelson hardly chances to win their eighth national championship in series.