Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Men’s Hoops Alums represent MT well in Pros
7/17/2019 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee men's basketball alums have taken the Blue Raider brand worldwide in their professional endeavors in recent years, as nearly 20 former Raiders suited up for professional squads in 2018-19.
After making more 3-pointers than any other player to don the MT blue and white, Giddy Potts poured in a team-best 19.0 points along with 5.6 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per contest in his first season with South Korea's Inchon ET Land Elephants. Potts played in 59 contests, leading his team to a second place finish in the KBL.
Former Conference USA Players of the Year Nick King and JaCorey Williams stayed stateside after ending their college careers as Blue Raiders. King played 17.9 minutes per game for the Maine Red Claws — G-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics — in his first professional season, contributing 8.5 points on 47.3 percent shooting and 4.9 rebounds.
The 2018-19 campaign was Williams' second professional season with the Canton Charge, the Cleveland Cavaliers' G-League affiliate. The Birmingham native played in 50 games last season, averaging 15.2 points on 55.7 percent shooting with 7.0 boards.
Blue Raider great Reggie Upshaw played in a team-high 55 contests with MoraBanc Andorra in Spain this season, where he averaged 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Also in Europe, Brandon Walters began his professional career in Poland with AZS Koszalin, leading his team in field goal percentage at 61.4 percent with 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per outing.
Darnell Harris and Perrin Buford became household names in Murfreesboro when they teamed up with Upshaw and Potts to down No. 2 seed Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament as seniors in 2016. Last season, Buford made his mark in Russia's VTB United League, as he led Avtodor in minutes per game and 3-point percentage while tacking on 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per night. Meanwhile, Harris recently signed with Lebanon's CS Sagesse after averaging 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in the Greek Basketball League last season.
2012 Sun Belt Player of the Year LaRon Dendy, 2014 C-USA Player of the Year Shawn Jones and former MT sharp-shooter Raymond Cintron have all carved out lengthy professional careers internationally. Dendy most recently appeared in the Dutch league Eredivisie with Groningen, while Jones contributed 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds for Hapoel Unet Holon in Israel. Cintron has played in more games than any of his Capitanes de Arecibo teammates in Puerto Rico this season, averaging 6.8 points per game.
A threat for opponents on both ends of the court as a Blue Raider, James Washington averaged 14.9 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 boards and 1.5 steals per game last season for TBV Start Lublin in the Polish League. Marcos Knight, another recent MT fan favorite, led MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg in scoring with 19.1 points per contest to go with 6.7 rebounds in Germany's BBL. Meanwhile, Blue Raider teammate Bruce Massey is in the midst of his Canadian season with the Seskatchewan Rattlers and has started every game so far with a team-leading 5.6 assists and 2.3 steals to go along with a stellar 19.1 points per game.
The elder statesmen of all MT hoops alumni in professional leagues are Michael Cuffee and Tim Blue. Cuffee, a 2005 graduate, is currently tied for eighth all-time in Blue Raider men's basketball history in minutes per game with 31.6, and that load has not gotten much lighter since then. He averaged 7.7 points on 37 percent shooting from deep for the German League's Crailsheim.
Blue led his Antibes Sharks in the French League in minutes (29.1) and points (13.4) per game while also shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range and grabbing 4.8 boards. He is no stranger to leading a squad, as Blue led his 2006-07 Raiders in both rebounds and blocks.
Recent graduates Karl Gamble and James Hawthorne have signed this summer to begin their professional careers overseas. Gamble will join Soleuvre in Luxembourg, a team that finished second in the Luxembourg Nationale 2 league last season, while Hawthorne will play for the Surrey Scorchers of the British Basketball League.
For all the latest information on Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball, follow the #BlueRaiders on Facebook (@MTMensBasketball), Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (MT_MBB).
After making more 3-pointers than any other player to don the MT blue and white, Giddy Potts poured in a team-best 19.0 points along with 5.6 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per contest in his first season with South Korea's Inchon ET Land Elephants. Potts played in 59 contests, leading his team to a second place finish in the KBL.
Former Conference USA Players of the Year Nick King and JaCorey Williams stayed stateside after ending their college careers as Blue Raiders. King played 17.9 minutes per game for the Maine Red Claws — G-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics — in his first professional season, contributing 8.5 points on 47.3 percent shooting and 4.9 rebounds.
The 2018-19 campaign was Williams' second professional season with the Canton Charge, the Cleveland Cavaliers' G-League affiliate. The Birmingham native played in 50 games last season, averaging 15.2 points on 55.7 percent shooting with 7.0 boards.
Blue Raider great Reggie Upshaw played in a team-high 55 contests with MoraBanc Andorra in Spain this season, where he averaged 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Also in Europe, Brandon Walters began his professional career in Poland with AZS Koszalin, leading his team in field goal percentage at 61.4 percent with 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per outing.
Darnell Harris and Perrin Buford became household names in Murfreesboro when they teamed up with Upshaw and Potts to down No. 2 seed Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament as seniors in 2016. Last season, Buford made his mark in Russia's VTB United League, as he led Avtodor in minutes per game and 3-point percentage while tacking on 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per night. Meanwhile, Harris recently signed with Lebanon's CS Sagesse after averaging 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in the Greek Basketball League last season.
2012 Sun Belt Player of the Year LaRon Dendy, 2014 C-USA Player of the Year Shawn Jones and former MT sharp-shooter Raymond Cintron have all carved out lengthy professional careers internationally. Dendy most recently appeared in the Dutch league Eredivisie with Groningen, while Jones contributed 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds for Hapoel Unet Holon in Israel. Cintron has played in more games than any of his Capitanes de Arecibo teammates in Puerto Rico this season, averaging 6.8 points per game.
A threat for opponents on both ends of the court as a Blue Raider, James Washington averaged 14.9 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 boards and 1.5 steals per game last season for TBV Start Lublin in the Polish League. Marcos Knight, another recent MT fan favorite, led MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg in scoring with 19.1 points per contest to go with 6.7 rebounds in Germany's BBL. Meanwhile, Blue Raider teammate Bruce Massey is in the midst of his Canadian season with the Seskatchewan Rattlers and has started every game so far with a team-leading 5.6 assists and 2.3 steals to go along with a stellar 19.1 points per game.
The elder statesmen of all MT hoops alumni in professional leagues are Michael Cuffee and Tim Blue. Cuffee, a 2005 graduate, is currently tied for eighth all-time in Blue Raider men's basketball history in minutes per game with 31.6, and that load has not gotten much lighter since then. He averaged 7.7 points on 37 percent shooting from deep for the German League's Crailsheim.
Blue led his Antibes Sharks in the French League in minutes (29.1) and points (13.4) per game while also shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range and grabbing 4.8 boards. He is no stranger to leading a squad, as Blue led his 2006-07 Raiders in both rebounds and blocks.
Recent graduates Karl Gamble and James Hawthorne have signed this summer to begin their professional careers overseas. Gamble will join Soleuvre in Luxembourg, a team that finished second in the Luxembourg Nationale 2 league last season, while Hawthorne will play for the Surrey Scorchers of the British Basketball League.
For all the latest information on Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball, follow the #BlueRaiders on Facebook (@MTMensBasketball), Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (MT_MBB).
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