POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
EuroBasket Pro Ponies & Fillies Weekly Update
Courtesy of Eurobasket LLC
Every week we bring you a list of the top former Ponies & Fillies players who continue their career in pro basketball.
#1. Duke Deen (5'8''-PG-2001, played in 2020-21, plays pro in Denmark) led his Danish team Bakken Bears to an easy victory against the closely-ranked Anorthosis (1-3) crushing them 100-61 in the FIBA Europe Cup on Wednesday night.
He recorded 16 points and added 7 passes in 23 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it's only Deen's first season in pro basketball. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Bakken Bears Aarhus (2-2) is placed third in the FIBA Europe Cup.
There are only two games left until the end of the FIBA Europe Cup Regular Season. So now every game will be critical.
Deen has relatively good stats this season 14.5ppg, 3.3rpg and 7.0apg.
#2. Tope Arikawe (6'8''-F-1995, played in 2015-17, plays in Portugal) could not help Sampaense (2-3) in their last game. Despite his good performance the sixth-placed Sampaense (2-3) lost 69-76 on the road to the second-ranked Ginasio in the North group.
Arikawe had a double-double by scoring 13 points and getting 11 rebounds.
It was Sampaense's third consecutive loss in a row.
It's Arikawe's first season with the team.
He has individually a very good year with high stats. Arikawe averages 17.5ppg, 12.8rpg and 2.3apg in four games he played so far.
Arikawe is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas.
#3. Joshua Morris (6'8''-F-1993, played in 2013-15, currently in Chile) led Puerto Varas to a victory over the fourth-ranked Las Animas (5-5) 73-65 in the Chilean LNB last Friday.
He was MVP of the game. Morris scored 17 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 33 minutes.
Club Deportes Puerto Varas (6-4) is placed third in Sur group.
It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row.
Morris has relatively good stats this season 13.8ppg, 7.5rpg, 2.6apg and 1.7spg.
#4. Experienced Justin Dennis (6'1''-G-1987, played in 2006-08, plays pro in Germany) was not able to help TSG Bergedorf Stargazers Hamburg in their game against Bremerhaven (2-6) in the German Regionalliga (fourth division), despite his very good performance last Friday.
He recorded 14 points and added 4 assists.
But the seventh-placed TSG Bergedorf Stargazers Hamburg (4-4) lost 91-101 on the opponent's court to the lower-ranked (#12) Bremerhaven in the North group.
It was TSG Bergedorf Stargazers Hamburg's third consecutive loss in a row.
But this is still an early stage of the season and everything may happen.
Dennis has relatively good stats this year 13.2ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.3apg and 1.2spg in six games.
Worth to mention Dennis played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped him get the job in pro basketball.
Other former Panola College players, who play in pro basketball:
Radvilas Kneizys (6'4''-G-2003, played in 2023-24) plays for Neptunas in Lithuanian LKL
Chris Ross (6'1''-G-1985, played in 2003-04) plays for San Miguel Beermen in Filipino PBA
Lenell Henry (6'8''-PF-1998, played in 2018-19) signed for Valdivia in Chilean LNB
Aaron Gedeon (6'8''-F-1999, played in 2019-20) plays for Piratas de Bogota in Colombian D3
Larry Robinson III (6'1''-PG-1999, played in 2016-17) played for Absheron in Azerbaijani ABL
Sioeli Vaiangina (6'9''-F/C-1998, played in 2015-19) plays for Kalamunda Eastern Suns in Australian NBL One
Marlon Taylor (6'5''-G-1997, played in 2016-18) played for Serhedci in Azerbaijani ABL
Odeth Betancourt (6'2''-F-2000, played in 2019-21) plays for Pastoras in Venezuelan SLBF
Alex Holcombe (6'9''-C/F-1998, played in 2017-18) plays for Reyes in Mexican CIBAPac
Tyonte Robertson (5'11''-PG, played in 2015-17) plays for Locked In Elite in the The Basketball Tournament
Chris Coley Ll (6'7''-F-2000, played in 2019-20) plays for Crypto Cobra in Thailand BTL
Notice: The list above includes only some of alumni playing currently in pro basketball. Check complete list of Panola College basketball alumni.
Duke Deen is last week best Ponies & Fillies alumni, who plays professional basketball (Photo: @bradleyathletics)
