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Insider: Benson goes pro in Europe
8/3/2018 10:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
Lopes point guard signs contract with Slovenian club
A point guard who led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and helped Oregon to Elite Eight and Final Four appearances would draw pro interest.
A point guard who stepped in as a Grand Canyon starter with new teammates and posted career-best statistics also would lure the attention of European clubs.
Casey Benson did each and that has earned the GCU standout his first pro contract with Slovenian club KD Hopsi Polzela.
Benson leaves Friday on a 21-hour travel journey to Polzela, Slovenia, where he will play in Liga Nova KBM (also known as Premier A Slovenian Basketball League) for a team that needed a floor general.
"I always felt like I was going to be able to play professional basketball, but now that it's actually here, it's like, 'Wow, I'm actually going to do it,' " Benson said. "It's just surreal that it's actually here.
"It's a respected league, so I felt I'd have an opportunity to go over there and get exposure that would help me to work my way. It's a good starting place to get my feet wet."
Benson posted career-high averages for points (9.7), assists (4.5) and rebounds (4.2) in his senior season for GCU. He also led the WAC in total assists (152) and played every game for the 22-12 Lopes in 2017-18. He played the previous three seasons at Oregon but transferred as a graduate to GCU, where his brother, T.J., is an assistant coach.
"I think that both playing at GCU and Oregon made it able to see me in two roles," Benson said. "It definitely showed versatility and that I could play with different guys and have a role and find my niche to help win games."
Hopsi Polzela's season will not start until October, but practices will start soon after Benson arrives in Slovenia on Saturday. European basketball clubs typically practice often. Basketball is a popular sport in Slovenia, which won EuroBasket in 2017 and has produced NBA All-Star Goran Dragic and 2018 NBA Draft No. 3 overall pick Luka Doncic.
"I'll get to see places that I wouldn't have seen otherwise," Benson said. "It'll be a great experience to be part of a different culture."
Joshua Braun and Keonta Vernon, other members of GCU's 2018 senior basketball class, also are weighing professional options in Europe.
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
A point guard who stepped in as a Grand Canyon starter with new teammates and posted career-best statistics also would lure the attention of European clubs.
Casey Benson did each and that has earned the GCU standout his first pro contract with Slovenian club KD Hopsi Polzela.
Benson leaves Friday on a 21-hour travel journey to Polzela, Slovenia, where he will play in Liga Nova KBM (also known as Premier A Slovenian Basketball League) for a team that needed a floor general.
"I always felt like I was going to be able to play professional basketball, but now that it's actually here, it's like, 'Wow, I'm actually going to do it,' " Benson said. "It's just surreal that it's actually here.
"It's a respected league, so I felt I'd have an opportunity to go over there and get exposure that would help me to work my way. It's a good starting place to get my feet wet."
Benson posted career-high averages for points (9.7), assists (4.5) and rebounds (4.2) in his senior season for GCU. He also led the WAC in total assists (152) and played every game for the 22-12 Lopes in 2017-18. He played the previous three seasons at Oregon but transferred as a graduate to GCU, where his brother, T.J., is an assistant coach.
"I think that both playing at GCU and Oregon made it able to see me in two roles," Benson said. "It definitely showed versatility and that I could play with different guys and have a role and find my niche to help win games."
Hopsi Polzela's season will not start until October, but practices will start soon after Benson arrives in Slovenia on Saturday. European basketball clubs typically practice often. Basketball is a popular sport in Slovenia, which won EuroBasket in 2017 and has produced NBA All-Star Goran Dragic and 2018 NBA Draft No. 3 overall pick Luka Doncic.
"I'll get to see places that I wouldn't have seen otherwise," Benson said. "It'll be a great experience to be part of a different culture."
Joshua Braun and Keonta Vernon, other members of GCU's 2018 senior basketball class, also are weighing professional options in Europe.
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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