Guildford snap up Holmes

Guildford have moved to replace the injured Mike Copeland by signing former Leicester forward Frank Holmes.

The American forward, who has also played in the BBL for Milton Keynes, joins up with the revitalised Heat to cover for Copeland, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, sustained in the pre-Christmas defeat at Glasgow.

Guildford Head Coach Creon Raftopoulos said: “Following Mike Copeland’s injury, a number of agents contacted me as they were aware we were likely to have a slot for an overseas player. Copeland made a huge impact in a short space of time and I wanted to replace him with a player with a strong track record in the BBL.

“I am delighted that we have worked a deal to bring Frank Holmes in for the remainder of the season. We put in a winning performance at the weekend and I am confident that Frank can hit the ground running and help 2012 to be a more successful year for Guildford Heat.”

Holmes played the final four games of the 2010/11 season with the Riders, having spent the bulk of the season playing in Slovakia for Inter Bratislava.

He said: “I am really excited about getting back on the court and happy to be back in this great league. I am really thankful to Guildford Heat for the opportunity to be part of the club and can’t wait to play in front of Heat fans. Let’s Go Heat!”