 | |
| 2002 Bluffton College graduate Rod Overmyer will be heading to play semi-pro basketball in France in mid-November. | |
| Related links: - Overmyer named All-HCAC - Overmyer scores 1000th career point - Overmyer named HCAC P-O-W - Overmyer's career highs and 2001-02 pre-season info | |
2002 Bluffton College graduate Rod Overmyer (Payne/Wayne Trace H.S.) will soon be heading to France where he will continue his basketball career for a semi-professional team in Bordeaux.
“It’s kind of scary knowing I’ll be away from home,” said Overmyer, who will be making his first trip overseas when he departs in mid-November. “But it’s exciting at the same time. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Overmyer was twice selected first-team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and finished his career at Bluffton with 1,086 points. In his career he hit 182 3-pointers and shot .827 from the free throw line, both of which rank second in BC history.
Overmyer’s French connection began last summer when he attended a scouting camp in Altamonte Springs, Florida from May 31-June 2. Scouts from the United States Basketball League and many European teams evaluated the 100-plus players at the camp, which were mainly from NCAA Division I programs.
Two weeks after the camp Overmyer was contacted by a representative of the camp, which put him in contact with a representative of the French professional leagues. After four months of discussions, Overmyer had found a new home in one of France’s three semi-pro leagues.
“I’ll be playing against teams from upper level leagues, which will create some good exposure for me to the better teams,” said Overmyer, who noted there are three higher division teams in Bordeaux.
“My goal is to do well enough this year to move up to a higher level team next season. This year I’ll get my foot in the door so that I can move up and then we’ll just hope for the best and see what happens.”
Overmyer’s contract will run through the end of the season in May. In addition to playing basketball, he’ll take French language classes at the university in Bordeaux and teach English to French students.
Overmyer will be joining several friends who are already playing in France, including Brandon Pardon, a graduate of Bowling Green State University and Lincolnview High School, who plays for one of the professional teams in Nantes, located approximately an hour and a half away from Bordeaux.
To see Overmyer's scouting sheet from the camp in Florida, visit www.infosportinc.com/rodovermyer
