Dwight Hardy back in Lega Due (Italy)

Dwight Hardy's passport might be as tatted up as his body with all his travels during this past year of European basketball, as he joins his third Italian club since graduating from St. John's.

After having complications to start this season with Sidigas Avellino (Serie A) due to his passport, Hardy finally played ... but soon left. Hardy played just six games with the club averaging 7.8 points on 50% shooting before leaving. It would have been his second season in Italy; he started his post-college career with Giorgo Tesi PT of Italy's Lega Due (second league).

Hardy traveled to Turkey and begun practicing with Hacettepe University in Turkey's first league of basketball but never actually saw the court or was added to the teams roster. Hardy was with the team since January 23.

Now, the former St. John's scoring star is headed back to Italy, where his European career started, in Lega Due with a new team, Sigma Barcellona.

Sigma is currently 14-6, a game back of 1st place Giorgo.

Hardy played 41 games for Giorgo, averaging 22.2 points, second best in the league, to go along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals. He was awarded Rookie of the Year Honors as well as Most Valuable Player of Lega Due which propelled his jump to Serie A, first division of Italian Basketball, with Sidigas.

Hardy missed nearly two months because the Italian League committee couldn't figure out why he had two passports, one placing him as an American native and one as a Congo native. The issue was fixed, but it was detrimental to Hardy's game as he could never get off the bench for the team.

Hardy now has a chance to revive his young career but he has definitely taken two-steps backwards from his giant leap last year.

After last season, Hardy got a chance in NBA's Summer League with the World Champion Miami Heat but he didn't get a chance to shine due to a lingering ankle issue he got during the playoffs.

Hardy will join another former St. John's guard, Anthony Mason Jr. who is currently on Upea Capo d'Orlando's roster and playing terrific as of late.

Mason Jr. is averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds for the team but did not play in their last game. In the eight games he's been featured, team is 5-3 including wins over Hardy's new club, and league leading Giorgo.

His best game came against Biancoblu Basket Bologna, in which he dropped 33 points and grabbed 11 board.

Hardy will now look to duplicate Mason's star performances for his own club as he gets set to play his first game, hopefully, Monday, March 17 against Aget Service Imola.

Hardy will run the backcourt, presumably, with former Florida Gator guard, Taurean Green.