Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 , Loss , 74, to, 79
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
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Pro careers turn Lopes into globetrotters
10/24/2023 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
Led by Russell, ex-GCU players scatter across world at next level
Grand Canyon basketball is underway for the players who have thrusted into professional careers since leaving the Lopes.
Players spanning over the past decade of GCU teams are playing in foreign professional leagues, with many of the ex-Lopes using the GCU Basketball Facility as an offseason training base to stay connected to the program.
Here is a rundown of pro players who finished their collegiate careers with GCU:
Last GCU season: 2016-17
Current franchise: Oldenburg (Germany)
DeWayne Russell was the first star of GCU's Division I era, and that star is still shining in his seventh pro season.
Russell quickly ascended in European ranks through France and Italy and has been a standout in one of the continent's best leagues in Germany.
Russell was named the German League's Offensive Player of the Year last season, when he led the league in scoring (20.3 points per game) and playmaking (7.6 assists per game). After leading Oldenburg to a 22-12 record last season, he is averaging 17.5 points and 6.0 assists for the team's 3-1 start to this season. He needs 19 points to reach 1,500 career points in the German League.
Last GCU season: 2017-18
Current franchise: Nokia (Finland)
Fifii Aidoo is playing in his native country, Finland, for Nokia this season, averaging 10.4 points in the first five games.
Aidoo has spent most of his eight-year pro career in Finland but also made stops with teams in Spain, Norway and Luxembourg.
Last GCU season: 2017-18
Current franchise: Leuven (Belgium)
Casey Benson has been well traveled since leaving GCU, playing in Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Finland before returning to Belgium for a second consecutive season there.
After playing for Limburg last season, Benson is averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 assists in his first five games with Leuven.
Last GCU season: 2018-19
Current franchise: Thessaloniki (Greece)
Roberts Blumbergs has moved to Tessaloniki in Greece for his fifth pro season after playing two years in Latvia and one each in Spain and Romania.
Blumbergs averaged 15.4 points and 5.7 rebounds with 45% 3-point shooting last season in Romania and had a strong Greek debut with 14 points in 24 minutes of action.
Last GCU season: 2018-19
Current franchise: Benfica (Portugal)
Trey Drechsel shared the Oldenburg backcourt with Russell last season for his breakout pro season. Drechsel averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and was named an honorable mention for the German League.
This season, Drechsel has moved to Benfica in Portugal, where the season has not begun. He previously played in Serbia and Poland.
Last GCU season: 2018-19
Current franchise: Yamagata (Japan)
Michael Finke is playing his fifth pro season but is in his first in Asia. In the first six games with Yamagata in Japan, Finke is averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Finke previously played for European franchises in Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Netherlands, Estonia and Poland.
Last GCU season: 2020-21
Current franchise: Napoli (Italy)
Alessandro Lever is playing his third season in the Italian League. The native of Bolzano, Italy, played his first two seasons with Trieste and moved this year to Napoli.
Playing with former Phoenix Suns first-round pick Tyler Ennis, Lever is off to his best professional start with 10.3 points per game and 54% 3-point shooting in the team's 3-1 start.
Last GCU season: 2020-21
Recent franchise: Antwerp (Belgium)
Midtgaard was set to start his third professional season in Europe but experienced knee issues that sidelined him during preseason training with his new franchise, Antwerp in Belgium. After playing one game, Antwerp released Midtgaard.
Midtgaard played his first two pro seasons in the Netherlands and Germany and was in the NBA Summer League in 2021.
Last GCU season: 2021-22
Current franchise: Calgary (Canada)
Sean Miller-Moore, a native of Toronto, finished his second season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League and made the CEBL All-Canadian Team, a five-member group of honorees who are from Canada.
Miller-Moore averaged a team-high 16.2 points per game as well as 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Calgary Surge.
Last GCU season: 2021-22
Current franchise: Doha (Qatar)
Holland Woods returned to Doha, Qatar, for his second season there after leading the team to the Qatar Cup semifinals as a rookie. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season.
This season, Woods averaged 25.8 points in the Arab Club Championship and scored 15 points in the Qatar Basketball League opener.
Last GCU season: 2022-23
Current franchise: Kepfenberg (Austria)
Noah Baumann became the most recent former Lopes player in the pros when he joined Kepfenberg in Austria, where he is teaming with GCU's worst single-play memory, former New Mexico State standout Johnny McCants.
Baumann is thriving to help the team's 3-1 start. The sharpshooter is hitting 53% from the field, 49% from 3-point range and 82% from the free throw line to average 18.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in Kepfenberg's first four games.
Current franchise: Grand Rapids Gold (G League)
Walter Ellis was drafted 15th overall in this month's G League Draft by the Grand Rapids Gold, the affiliate of the world champion Denver Nuggets.
The sharpshooting guard played on the Detroit Pistons' NBA Summer League after wrapping up his GCU career with a role that grew with his defensive improvement. Ellis was a major cog in the Lopes' WAC Tournament championship run and NCAA tournament appearance in Denver. Ellis reported for the training camp roster with Grand Rapids, which is coached by former NBA star Andre Miller.
DeWayne Russell was the first star of GCU's Division I era, and that star is still shining in his seventh pro season.
Players spanning over the past decade of GCU teams are playing in foreign professional leagues, with many of the ex-Lopes using the GCU Basketball Facility as an offseason training base to stay connected to the program.
Here is a rundown of pro players who finished their collegiate careers with GCU:
DeWayne Russell
Last GCU season: 2016-17Current franchise: Oldenburg (Germany)
DeWayne Russell was the first star of GCU's Division I era, and that star is still shining in his seventh pro season.
Russell quickly ascended in European ranks through France and Italy and has been a standout in one of the continent's best leagues in Germany.
Russell was named the German League's Offensive Player of the Year last season, when he led the league in scoring (20.3 points per game) and playmaking (7.6 assists per game). After leading Oldenburg to a 22-12 record last season, he is averaging 17.5 points and 6.0 assists for the team's 3-1 start to this season. He needs 19 points to reach 1,500 career points in the German League.
Fifii Aidoo
Last GCU season: 2017-18Current franchise: Nokia (Finland)
Fifii Aidoo is playing in his native country, Finland, for Nokia this season, averaging 10.4 points in the first five games.
Aidoo has spent most of his eight-year pro career in Finland but also made stops with teams in Spain, Norway and Luxembourg.
Casey Benson
Last GCU season: 2017-18Current franchise: Leuven (Belgium)
Casey Benson has been well traveled since leaving GCU, playing in Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Finland before returning to Belgium for a second consecutive season there.
After playing for Limburg last season, Benson is averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 assists in his first five games with Leuven.
Roberts Blumbergs
Last GCU season: 2018-19Current franchise: Thessaloniki (Greece)
Roberts Blumbergs has moved to Tessaloniki in Greece for his fifth pro season after playing two years in Latvia and one each in Spain and Romania.
Blumbergs averaged 15.4 points and 5.7 rebounds with 45% 3-point shooting last season in Romania and had a strong Greek debut with 14 points in 24 minutes of action.
Trey Drechsel
Last GCU season: 2018-19Current franchise: Benfica (Portugal)
Trey Drechsel shared the Oldenburg backcourt with Russell last season for his breakout pro season. Drechsel averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and was named an honorable mention for the German League.
This season, Drechsel has moved to Benfica in Portugal, where the season has not begun. He previously played in Serbia and Poland.
Michael Finke
Last GCU season: 2018-19Current franchise: Yamagata (Japan)
Michael Finke is playing his fifth pro season but is in his first in Asia. In the first six games with Yamagata in Japan, Finke is averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Finke previously played for European franchises in Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Netherlands, Estonia and Poland.
Alessandro Lever
Last GCU season: 2020-21Current franchise: Napoli (Italy)
Alessandro Lever is playing his third season in the Italian League. The native of Bolzano, Italy, played his first two seasons with Trieste and moved this year to Napoli.
Playing with former Phoenix Suns first-round pick Tyler Ennis, Lever is off to his best professional start with 10.3 points per game and 54% 3-point shooting in the team's 3-1 start.
Asbjorn Midtgaard
Last GCU season: 2020-21Recent franchise: Antwerp (Belgium)
Midtgaard was set to start his third professional season in Europe but experienced knee issues that sidelined him during preseason training with his new franchise, Antwerp in Belgium. After playing one game, Antwerp released Midtgaard.
Midtgaard played his first two pro seasons in the Netherlands and Germany and was in the NBA Summer League in 2021.
Sean Miller-Moore
Last GCU season: 2021-22Current franchise: Calgary (Canada)
Sean Miller-Moore, a native of Toronto, finished his second season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League and made the CEBL All-Canadian Team, a five-member group of honorees who are from Canada.
Miller-Moore averaged a team-high 16.2 points per game as well as 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Calgary Surge.
Holland Woods
Last GCU season: 2021-22Current franchise: Doha (Qatar)
Holland Woods returned to Doha, Qatar, for his second season there after leading the team to the Qatar Cup semifinals as a rookie. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season.
This season, Woods averaged 25.8 points in the Arab Club Championship and scored 15 points in the Qatar Basketball League opener.
Noah Baumann
Last GCU season: 2022-23Current franchise: Kepfenberg (Austria)
Noah Baumann became the most recent former Lopes player in the pros when he joined Kepfenberg in Austria, where he is teaming with GCU's worst single-play memory, former New Mexico State standout Johnny McCants.
Baumann is thriving to help the team's 3-1 start. The sharpshooter is hitting 53% from the field, 49% from 3-point range and 82% from the free throw line to average 18.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in Kepfenberg's first four games.
Walter Ellis
Last GCU season: 20222-23
Current franchise: Grand Rapids Gold (G League)Walter Ellis was drafted 15th overall in this month's G League Draft by the Grand Rapids Gold, the affiliate of the world champion Denver Nuggets.
The sharpshooting guard played on the Detroit Pistons' NBA Summer League after wrapping up his GCU career with a role that grew with his defensive improvement. Ellis was a major cog in the Lopes' WAC Tournament championship run and NCAA tournament appearance in Denver. Ellis reported for the training camp roster with Grand Rapids, which is coached by former NBA star Andre Miller.
DeWayne Russell was the first star of GCU's Division I era, and that star is still shining in his seventh pro season.
Players Mentioned
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