Basketball Braves in the Pros Update

Eight former Braves have signed with teams in Asia and Europe for the 2016-17 season

Chris Roberts

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Men's Basketball 9/29/2016 7:55:00 AM

As professional basketball leagues around the world tip off their 2016-17 seasons, the latest Braves in the Pros update shines on eight former Bradley Basketball players who have signed with teams in Asia and Europe.

Zach Andrews (2005-07), C, 6-8, 224
Earthfriends Tokyo Z | Japan-B League D2
Now in his 10th season of professional basketball, Andrews has returned to Japan, where he also played during the 2013-14 season. During a 2-game weekend series against Tokyo Excel to open the season, Andrews averaged 8.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocked shots per game. The athletic, 6-foot-8 post player opened the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 90-72 loss, then followed with 10 rebounds in Sunday's 74-72 win.

Auston Barnes (2013-15), F, 6-8, 220
KFUM Nassjo Basket | Sweden-Basketligann
Barnes is preparing for his second pro season after earning honorable mention All-Balkan League and third-team All-Bulgarian League recognition as a rookie last year. Playing for BC Beroe in Bulgaria in 2015-16, Barnes averaged 10.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 28 NBL games, as well as 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 15 Balkan League games. The 6-foot-8 forward shot better than 42 percent from 3-point range in both leagues. Barnes is scheduled to open his second pro season Oct. 7.

Taylor Brown (2008-12), F, 6-7, 215
King Wilki Morskie Szczecin | Poland-TBL
Brown begins his fifth pro season back in Europe after excelling in Mexico this past summer. After signing with Trigueros de Ciudad Obregon at midseason, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 17 games this summer. Brown's new team is scheduled to open the season Oct. 11.

Jimmy Gavin (2012-13), G, 6-3, 189
Dzukija Alytus | Lithuania-LKL
The one-time walk-on at Bradley, Gavin's basketball journey eventually landed him at Winthrop as a graduate transfer in 2015-16 after he piled up 1,004 points in two seasons at UW-Parkside. He led the Eagles in scoring last season by averaging 18.7 points per game, including a 38-point outburst at North Carolina State, earning an invitation to the NBA Summer League in Orlando this past summer. In his debut for Dzukija last Thursday, Gavin scored 13 points in an 82-78 win and he is averaging 8.5 points and 4.0 assists in the season's first two games.

Walt Lemon, Jr. (2010-14), G, 6-3, 178
Istanbulspor Beylikduzu | Turkey-TBL
Lemon will start his third pro season in the highly-regarded Turkey Basketball League after excelling in the NBA D-League in 2015-16. Playing 47 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season, Lemon averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 2015-16, shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from 3-point range. Istanbulspor Beylikduzu is scheduled to open the season Saturday against Yalova Group Belediye Spor.

Chris Roberts (2008-10), G, 6-4, 205
Fortituto Kontatto Bologna | Italy-Serie A2
Roberts begins his seventh pro season in Italy, where he also starred during the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons. Although the Serie A2 season has not yet started, Roberts already has helped Fortituto Kontatto Bologna to a title this year as the squad claimed the Italian Serie A2 Super Cup and his new team will open the Serie A2 regular-season Sunday against Proger BLS Chieti. Playing in the same league last season for Mens Sana 1871 Siena, Roberts averaged 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 33 games while shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point range.

Marcellus Sommerville (2003-06), F, 6-7, 224
Entente Orleans 45 | France-ProA
An 11th-year pro, Sommerville returns to Entente Orleans 45 for a second consecutive season and will play in the French ProA league for the ninth of his 11 seasons. The veteran forward enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2015-16, when he set the Entente Orleans 45 franchise season scoring record while averaging 15.1 points per game to go along with his 5.6 rebounds per game. Orleans opened the 2016-17 ProA season Saturday and Sommerville finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in an 87-67 loss to Chalon.

Andrew Warren (2006-11), G, 6-5, 209
Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels | Germany-ProA
Warren begins his sixth pro season in one of Europe's top leagues after enjoying a championship season in Kosovo last year. Last season, Warren helped Parnu Sadam to the Kosovo Cup, the Balkan League championship and the Kosovo League title. He earned second-team All-Kosovo League honors by averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in those 18 league games. Warren helped MBC to a dominant, 107-64 win Saturday by scoring 16 points in the Germany ProA season-opener.

In addition to the eight Braves currently listed on pro rosters, five other former Braves played professionally in 2015-16 and most are expected to continue their careers this season.

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