#ProTops: Hilltoppers on the Hardwood Update — 12/4
If there’s one thing we pride ourselves on at The Towel Rack, it’s keeping up with those who have gone on to play professionally after…
If there’s one thing we pride ourselves on at The Towel Rack, it’s keeping up with those who have gone on to play professionally after their stops on the Hill.
At every place I’ve been where I’ve covered WKU — Wave the Red Towel (later Bluegrass Dominion) and Underdog Dynasty (while I wrote for Mid-Major Madness, I didn’t do it for very long so I don’t really count it), covering ProToppers (a term I phrased, at least in use on the internet) has been a staple of what I do.
However, if there’s one thing I’ve always been bad at, it’s been covering ProToppers who are playing outside of North America. Yes, we have Courtney Lee coverage and we had Jeremy Evans coverage last year, and we covered each step not only of this year’s crop of NFL talent but also Jonathan Dowling and, for a time, Cameron Echols-Luper in the CFL (not to mention the upcoming AAF coverage we’ll have this winter), but what about the guys who are playing over in Europe and Japan?
Well, that changes today. If we’re going to cover all of those guys we mentioned (or hinted at) above, we’re going to cover everyone. We’re going to do this right.
Welcome to your first Hilltoppers on the Hardwood update.
Courtney Lee (2004/05–2007/08) — New York Knicks
It hasn’t been a great year to start for Courtney, who has only seen action in one game this season for the Knicks in Monday’s loss to the Wizards. He opened the year hurt with a neck injury and wasn’t activated until this past weekend.
Dwight Coleby (2017/18) — Liege Basket (Belgium)
Coleby is in the midst of his first season playing in Belguim’s Liege Basket of the Belgium-Scooore League is leading LBBC in points (15.0) and rebounds (9.6) per game and is seeing the third-most time on the floor per night (29.8).
Liege Basket is currently 2–6 and have lost three straight games. They’re off until December 14, when they’ll play Kangoeroes Basket Willebroek followed by matchups with Port of Antwerp Giants (Dec. 21) and Belfius Mons-Hainaut (Dec 26) to close out 2018. The team is tied for last with their 2–6 mark, along with Okapi Aalstar.
Justin Johnson (2014/15–2017/18) — Cagliari Dinamo Academy (Italy)
JJ is enjoying Italian ball, averaging 17.2 points (second-best on the team) and 8.8 rebounds (a squad best) through nine games.
He’s coming off a Dec. 2 performance in which he led CDA in points (31) and boards (12) in a 99–94 loss.
CDA is 1–9 and have games against MAN (Dec. 9), Bakery Piacentina (Dec. 16), Termoiforgia Jesi (Dec. 23) and BOL (Dec. 30) to close out the calendar year.
Que Johnson (2016/17) — Sao Jose/Unimed/Vinac (Brazil)
Que is getting playing time, averaging 15.6 minutes over his first 10 games, but isn’t seeing a don of production, averaging just 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds a game.
SAO has just two games left before the calednar year turns to 2019 — Dec. 8 against Joinville and Dec. 13 against Uniceub-BRB-Brasilia.
Pancake Thomas (2016/17) — Zlatorog (Slovenia)
Thomas has been productive in his six games this season, scoring 16.8 points (second best on the team) and a team-high 6.8 rebounds a night in nearly 40 minutes on the floor, also a team best (doesn’t appear to be a ton of depth for Zlatorog).
The team is 4–3 to open the season and came contests with Helios Domzale (Dec. 8), Krka Novo Mesto (Dec. 12), Hopsi Polzela (Dec. 22) and KK Tajfun Sentjur (Dec. 29) coming up.
Junior Lomomba (2016/17) — Froya Basket (Norway)
Anyone want frozen yogurt all of a sudden?
Lomomba has followed a similar trend that we have seen from a lot of guys — he’s the second-best scorer (16.1 ppg) and a top rebounding option (4.6 per game) in a team-leading 31.1 minutes per night.
After consecutive fifth-place finishes and a 15–15 finish last year, FB has started the year 7–7 (again, in fifth place).
Matchups against Centrum (Dec. 8) and Gimle BBK (Dec. 13) against Lomomba and Froya.
Ben Lawson (2013/14–2016/17) — Fukuoka Rizing (Japan)
Big Ben is making his presence known in the Land of the Rising Sun just like he did on the Hill, leading the team in rebounds (9.4), blocks (1.6) and minutes per game (32.9).
Rising is struggling this year in the Japanese B. League, posting a 4–15 mark and are tied for dead last in the league (along with Levanga Hokkaido and Shiga Lakestars).
It’s a busy week for FR, who seem to play a much busier schedule than a lot of the European leagues, as they have games against Aishin Sea Horses (Dec. 7–8), Nagoya Diamond Dolphins (Dec. 12) and Shiga Lakestars (Dec. 15–16) coming up.
Darius Thompson (2017/18) — ZZ Leiden (Netherlands)
Thompson is yet another overseas ProTopper putting in absolute work for his squad. He’s leading ZZL in points (24), steals per night (three) along with playing time (34.7).
ZZL have won four of their last five and are sitting at 8–1 in Netherlands DBL.
Games against Rotterdam (Dec. 6), Aris Leeuwarden (Dec. 8) and Bakken Bears (Dec. 12) await Thompson this week.
T.J. Price (2011/12–2014/15) — Egis Kormend (Hungary)
After spending last year in the NBA G-League with the Lakeland Magic, T.J. is tearing it up for his new club in Hungary.
He’s leading the team in points per game (18.2) while is alos second o nthe team in assists (3.4) and fourth on the squad in rebounds (3.6).
In their most recent game in a 92–88 win against FAL, T.J. led the team with 23 points, six boards and two blocks.
BC Kormend sits at 7–2 in NBIA play and have won five straight.
They have five matchups between now and Dec. 27.
Jeremy Evans (2006/07–2009/10) — Darussafaka Basketbol Istanbul (Turkey)
Despite dominating the G-League last year with the Erie BayHawks, Evans couldn’t find a home stateside and signed with Darussafaka in Turkey. He is leadign the team with 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a night but finds himself on a 1–9 club, who have lost three of their last four.
They’re in action three times this week — Dec. 4 against Galatasaray, Dec. 6 against Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv and Dec. 8 at Besiktas Sompo Japan.
Kevin Kaspar (2011/12–2014/15) — Yeni Mamak Spor Klubu (Turkey)
The most seasoned overseas player is Kaspar, who left in the middle of the 2014/15 campaign to begin playing in his home country. He’s played in four seasons in Turkey’s TBL and is with his first with YMSK, where he’s averaging 4.6, 2.4 assists and one steal a game.
YMSK is 4–4 to start their TBL season, and will face off against Final Spor Genclik on Dec. 8.
If we are missing an overseas ProTopper, let us know in a comment below, on Facebook or Twitter.