By Molly Vincent |
As many Pilots head to The Bluff from overseas, a few basketball players will be looking to head from Portland to Europe or other continents to continue their athletic careers. First, the players must sign with an agency in order to get offers. After getting representation, the players hope to get offers to play pro ball. While the players have been contacted by agents, they are all still in the process of selecting an agency. Center Thomas van der Mars believes his height, athleticism and European citizenship will benefit him in getting offers. He hopes to play in Italy, Spain or France. His teammate, Riley Barker, also hopes to play professionally in Europe. He believes his years at UP have prepared him for the professional world of basketball. “It gives you exposure and the opportunity to get recognized by agents,” Barker said. Guard Kevin Bailey would prefer to play in the United States, but believes playing overseas is a great option. Bailey is waiting to sign with an agent, but hopes to play this upcoming season. He says that playing for UP has helped his technique and skillset. By playing professionally, Barker, Bailey and van der Mars would join other Pilots that have gone professional over the past few years including Ryan Nicholas who signed a contract to play overseas in Germany and currently plays in Lithuania.
Guard Cassandra Brown has wanted to play professionally since she was young. She has narrowed down her options of agencies and hopes to sign within the next month. Brown added to her basketball resume by sinking 21 3-pointers to win the NCAA 3-point contest on April 2. “Her 3-point shooting really elevated her stock,” head coach Cheryl Sorenson said. Brown hopes to play overseas, particularly in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal or Australia. “I’ve always wanted to travel my whole life,” Brown said. “I obviously love basketball so I don’t know what could be better than to travel to world and play basketball and have it all paid for.” Sorenson has seen four players in the past four years, including ReZina TecleMariam (who played professionally until she was injured) and Natalie Day (a 2012 graduate who plays in Denmark), move on to the pros. Sorenson says she has high hopes for both Brown and her teammate Kari Luttinen, saying they both have the potential to play for a long time. “It’s a great representation of our program,” Sorenson said. “I love that when you graduate college it’s not the end of your playing years.” She says she is especially excited to see what Brown and Luttinen can do overseas.
“Being 6-foot-2 (Brown) handles the ball like a guard,” Sorenson said. “She can also score inside and has really worked on that mid-range shot.” On the other hand, Luttinen’s sharp shooting and ability to create an open shot will be an asset in her quest to sign with a European team. “(Luttinen) loves the left crossover pull-ups from mid-range,” Sorenson said. “Both are very skilled scorers. I see them both being successful wherever they end up and they have to potential to really play for a long time if they want to.” The NCAA allows players to commit to play professionally once their season is over. Typically, players sign contracts over the summer before the season begins in the fall. While no players have signed with agents, a quick turnaround between signing with an agent and being picked up by a professional team isn’t far out of reach.
