Broncos extending careers abroad

By Joe Doss-Antoun

Santa Clara isn't exactly a basketball powerhouse, but for some ex-players, the dream of playing professionally has become reality.

Although not every basketball player is blessed with NBA ability, the ever-growing popularity of basketball has produced many competitive leagues in countries around the world.

Today, basketball is played professionally on six of the seven continents. Among the six continents to adopt the sport of basketball, over fifty countries have their own professional leagues.

In years past, many Santa Clara University alumni have gone on to play professional basketball in one or more of these countries.

"Right now, we probably have six to 10 that are playing overseas from Santa Clara. In the last 20 years, we've had about 15 to 20, somewhere in that neighborhood," said Dick Davey, head coach of the men's basketball team since 1992.

Of the 15 to 20 Bronco alumni who have gone on to play basketball overseas, arguably the most successful has been 1997 graduate, Marlon Garnett.

Garnett earned a spot on the All-WCC team on two separate occasions and was also named player of the year in 1997.

When he didn't make an NBA team, Garnett explored other options. Davey introduced Garnett to a Turkish sports agent who spent some time with the Santa Clara basketball program. The two agreed on a contract, and Garnett played in Turkey shortly thereafter.

Garnett had a slight chance of making the NBA after his time in Turkey, but instead of waiting around for it to materialize, he decided to prolong his career by going back overseas.

Throughout his career, Garnett's annual salary has ranged between $200,000 and $300,000.

As one of the leading scorers for Benetton, one of the top teams in Italy, Garnett led the team to the 2005 Italian National Cup and was a teammate of this past year's number one overall pick in the NBA draft, Andrea Bargnani.

After deciding he liked the lifestyle in Spain more than that of Italy, Garnett decided to return to the Spanish League.

Comparing the Spanish League to basketball in America, Garnett said, "The players in Europe aren't as big and athletic, but they make up for it with intelligence and fundamentals. They are taught fundamentals like it is breathing, which you really see when European players go to the NBA."

While Spain seems to be the best fit for Garnett, other Santa Clara graduates have had their fair share of overseas experience and have accumulated their own preferences.

"I have enjoyed the opportunity to play and experience the cultures of all the countries I have played in. Basketball-wise, Holland was the best competition, but Australia has been the best as far as overall lifestyle goes," said Jamie Holmes, a 2001 graduate who is currently playing in Australia.

Lloyd Pierce, a 1998 graduate of Santa Clara with a degree in business management, also played a season in Australia after two in Mexico. In addition, Pierce played in Germany for one year. Currently, Pierce is a member of Davey's staff at Santa Clara.

One of the more recent success stories coming out of Santa Clara basketball is that of Doron Perkins. The 2005 graduate and Alaska native drew interest from some NBA teams coming out of college, but didn't make an NBA roster.

With the help of his San Francisco-based agent, however, Perkins landed in Japan's Super League.

"The level of competition in Japan was definitely a lot higher than I expected. I didn't expect to play so well, but I also didn't think the Japanese players would be as good as they were," said Perkins.

As a member of Toyota Alvark, Perkins led his team to a 24-5 record, which was good enough for the team's second Super League title. In addition to winning a championship in his first season overseas, Perkins was also named the league's Player of the Year, Guard of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Import Player of the Year.

While Perkins didn't need much help on the court, he recalls his friends and teammates helping him adjust to a new culture.

"The communication with my teammates went very well because a lot of them spoke English. In Tokyo, just about everybody speaks English. But the place I was living in, about 10 minutes outside of Tokyo, nobody really spoke English at all. It wasn't that bad, though, because I was with a couple of other American players who had been out there for five to 10 years, so they helped out a lot," said Perkins.

After being out there for a full season, Perkins admitted that the Japanese language is very tough to master.

"I picked up certain words and phrases, but I can't really put any sentences together. I also tried to learn how to read the language because apparently it's easier than speaking it. But that was still pretty tough."

With the Japanese League in the off-season, Perkins has returned to the United States to try and extend his career in basketball. Most recently, he played with the Los Angeles Lakers summer league team. There, he played with current Lakers players, the team's most recent draft picks and other invitees.

Unfortunately, the Lakers didn't offer a contract to Perkins, but he still plans to weigh other offers from teams in Turkey, Germany, Italy and Japan.

While Perkins had a successful experience in Japan, one reason he might not return is that his former coach left to take a coaching job in Germany.

Perkins' success has also led the coach to contact Santa Clara to find out about other athletes who could potentially play professionally.

The former Japanese coach heard about Kyle Bailey, who had previously participated in training camp with the San Antonio Spurs, and immediately recruited him to his team in Germany.

Bailey joined fellow Bronco alumnus Brian Jones, who also played professionally in Germany. Jones, who was in Germany's Division II league two years ago, had been promoted to Bremerhaven of the Division I league.

Other Santa Clara graduates who have played overseas include David Hemsley (Germany), Brendan Graves (Austria), Steve Ross (France), and Harold Keeling (Venezuela).

Although these Santa Clara graduates have gone on to play basketball all over the world, and some of them for different reasons than others, it seems as though they have all gained similar perspectives on life based on their experiences.

"I had never been out of the United States. However, having gone on to play overseas, I've gained an appreciation for countries like Russia, Israel and Greece, which I probably never would have visited if it weren't for basketball," said Garnett.

In a similar revelation, Jamie Holmes summed up his career overseas.

"I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. I have been able to continue my career, see the world and establish lifelong friendships everywhere I have been. If given the opportunity, every athlete should jump at it."

Contact Joe Doss-Antoun at (408) 551-1918 or jdossantoun@scu.edu.