October 28, 2023

By Jay Yeomans

While many of our favorite former BYU hoopers have retired from professional basketball in the last couple of years, there are still plenty of Cougars who are making a living playing ball around the globe. Here is a look at how all the former Cougars have performed so far this season, including one legend who has moved on from 5-on-5 to the world of 3-on-3.

Charles Abouo, Le Portal, France

After an eventful summer that saw Abouo suit up in the World Cup, the former Cougar returned to Le Portal for the fourth straight year. He saw action in three games early in the season but an injury has had him on the sidelines for the last month.

In three contests, Abouo is averaging 4.0 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 rebounds in 17 minutes.

Brandon Averette, Angers, France

After spending last season in Cyprus, Averette moved to France to play in the Pro B league. In his two games, the lead guard has displayed his ability to take care of the ball, and find the open man with 12 assists to just one turnover. His best showing so far came in an 88-75 loss where he recorded eight points, six assists, and five rebounds in 26 minutes.

On the season, Averette is putting up 7.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 23.5 minutes a night.

Frank Bartley IV, Qingdao Eagles, China

After a very good year in Italy’s top league, the well-traveled guard has taken his game to China’s CBA. In his first game of the year, Bartley put up some big numbers in a 109-103 loss to Beijing. In the tough loss, he recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds while handing out a game-high seven assists in 38 minutes.

Alex Barcello, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Barcello has been on a roll to start his second season as a pro. After splitting time between Greece and Belgium a year ago, he has moved to Spain where he is a huge part of a good team. His top scoring game of the year so far came in a 76-74 win over Burgos where the sharpshooter connected on 5 of 6 shots from deep and 8 of 9 from the foul line on his way to a game-high 29 points in 27 minutes of work.

In four games, Barcello is averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 28.5 minutes.

Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes, Turkey, EuroLeague

Bryant is back with European power, Anadolu Efes for a third straight season. While his team has already played nine games, Bryant has only played in two games so far. His best outing came in a 17-point loss to Barcelona where he recorded 10 points on the strength on 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He also registered three assists and two boards in just 17 minutes.

On the year, Bryant is averaging 10 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes a game.

Yoeli Childs, Saga Ballooners, Japan

Childs seems to put up big numbers no matter where he plays and this season is much of the same. He has recorded double figures in scoring in 7 of 8 games, including a pair of 20-point performances. His best showing so far came in an 87-74 loss when Yoeli totaled 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. He also chipped in with seven rebounds, and two assists in 27 minutes.

On the season, Childs is averaging 15 points on 55.2 percent shooting from 2-point range. He has also been big on the backboards with 8.3 boards in 25 minutes a night.

Brandon Davies, Valencia, Spain, EuroLeague

Although Davies has moved to a new club this season, he is still playing at the top level of European basketball. And he and Valencia are off to a strong start sitting in second place in the EuroLeague standings through five games. His most impressive overall showing of the season came in a Spanish League win over Manresa where he totaled 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocked shots in 21 minutes of action.

Through six Spanish League games, Davies is putting up 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 22 minutes.

In five EuroLeague games, He is averaging 10.2 points, on 51.5 percent shooting from inside the ARC and 93.3 percent from the foul line. He is also contributing 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 helpers in 20 minutes a night.

Jimmer Fredette, Miami World 3×3, Team USA

After years of putting up massive scoring numbers in some of the toughest leagues in the world, the former national player of the year has taken his long-range mastery to the world of 3-on-3 basketball with very similar results. Fredette was especially impressive playing for Team USA during the Pan-Am games where he showed off his outside shot on his way to a 5-0 record and a gold medal.

In the march to gold, Fredette scored 47 out of his team’s 106 points, (games go to 21), while shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc.

As for his world 3×3 performance, Jimmer has helped his Miami team finish in the top four in seven consecutive tournaments including a championship at the Cebu Masters in the Philippines in September where he took home MVP honors.

Matt Haarms, Palencia, Spain

After a year in Germany, Haarms has moved to the top league in Spain where he has proved to be a valuable player. His best performance of the year came in an 84-83 loss to European power, Barcelona where he recorded 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field including a make on his only 3-point attempt. He added six rebounds, three blocks, and a steal in 38 minutes.

In six games, Haarms in putting up 7.8 points on 75 percent shooting from the field to go along with 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 23 minutes.

Seneca Knight, Valmiera Glass, Latvia

After spending his senior season at Illinois State, Knight is off in Latvia to start his professional career. He has seen significant minutes in all eight games, 39 minutes in a masterful performance in a 77-75 win over Rapla. In the 2-point win, he managed a career-high 36 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the floor, including 5-for-9 from distance.

On the season, Knight is averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 assists in 31 minutes.

Te’Jon Lucas, Bristol Flyers, United Kingdom

Lucas is off to a strong start this season while suiting up for one of the top teams in the British Basketball League. He has played at least 20 minutes in 8 of 9 games and has scored in double figures on four occasions. His best showing came in a 29-point win over Plymouth where he totaled 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point land. He added nine rebounds, a team-best six assists, and a pair of steals in 31 minutes.

On the year, Lucas is averaging 10.6 points, 4.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 25 minutes.

Zac Seljaas, Wuerzburg, Germany

Seljaas is back in Germany for another season, this time playing in the top league. And he is off to a solid start with four games scoring in double figures in five games. His most impressive outing came in a 76-72 loss to Ulm when he recorded a monster double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds to go along with four assists and four steals in 34 minutes.

In three league games, Seljaas is averaging 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 29 minutes.

In two cup games, he is putting up 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in 27 minutes.

Rudi Williams, Kapfenberg, Austria

After a solid senior season in Provo, Williams has made his way to Austria where he has shown off his tremendous offensive skills. He has scored in double figures in all six of his games, including four games of 23 points or more. His best offensive output came in a 94-91 cup win over Dinamo where he totaled 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the floor. He added five rebounds, five assists, and a steal in 29 minutes.

In four league games, Williams is averaging 19.8 points on 51 percent shooting from the field, 45 percent from the 3-point line, and 87 percent from the foul line. He also chips in with 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 26 minutes.

In two cup games, Williams is averaging 27.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 29 minutes.