Courtesy of Eurobasket LLC Every week we bring you a list of the top former Bearkats players who continue their career in pro basketball.
#1. Kai Mitchell-Watkins, a 6'7'' forward/center aged 29, who graduated from SHSU in 2020 and received the All-Southland Conference First Team award that year, currently plays professionally in Chile. In a recent game, he led his team, Puerto Montt, to a 94-83 victory over the third-ranked Ancud in the Chilean Liga Nacional de Basquetbol. Mitchell-Watkins was named the MVP of the game for his stellar performance. He achieved a double-double with 27 points and 14 rebounds, while also contributing 5 assists and 2 blocks in just 26 minutes of play. CEB Puerto Montt, currently ranked fourth in the Places 1-8 group, secured their fifth consecutive victory with Mitchell-Watkins at the forefront. As they head towards their final game in the Second Stage, the upcoming match holds significant importance for the team's standings. This marks Mitchell-Watkins' debut season with the team, and he has been instrumental in their success. Against Ancud, Mitchell-Watkins displayed exceptional skills, earning him the Triple-Double Badge from eurobasket.com and further solidifying his reputation as a dominant player on the court. Throughout the season, he has maintained impressive individual statistics, averaging 18.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in the 14 games he has played so far. Mitchell-Watkins continues to excel as a champion player, consistently delivering remarkable performances for his team.
#2. Australian basketball champion Cameron Huefner, a 25-year-old forward standing at 6'8'' and an alumnus of Bearkats from 2025, was honored with the Australiabasket.com All-Australian NBL1 Central Grand Final MVP award in the same year. Currently playing professionally in Australia, he recently played a crucial role in leading the Perth Wildcats to a thrilling 97-93 victory against the eighth-ranked Breakers (1-2) in the Australian National Basketball League game on Saturday night. Despite scoring only 3 points in 10 minutes of play, Huefner's performance was instrumental in the Wildcats' win. The team, now holding a record of 2-1, has secured the second position in the league standings. It is worth noting that the season is still in its early stages, leaving room for unexpected developments. In the game against the NZL Breakers, Huefner not only scored 3 points but also provided 1 assist, making a valuable contribution to his team's success. His exceptional display of skills significantly impacted the game's outcome, leading the Perth Wildcats to emerge as the champions. With an average of 1.0 points per game in three matches this year, Huefner continues to showcase his talent and play a key role for his team.
Other former Sam Houston State University players, who play in pro basketball:
Veljko Ilic (6'10''-F-2002, played in 2025-26) signed for Lietkabelis in Lithuanian LKL
Aurimas Majauskas (6'8''-F-1993, played in 2013-17) signed for iLerna Lleida in Spanish Liga Endesa
Savion Flagg (6'7''-G/F-1999, played in 2021-22) signed for Cantu in Italian Serie A
Qua Grant (6'1''-G-1999, played in 2022-23) plays for M.Rishon in Israeli Winner League
Javion May (6'2''-G-1999, played in 2020-23) signed for Kyiv Basket in Ukrainian Superleague
Demarcus Gatlin (6'4''-G-1992, played in 2010-15) plays for Geelong United in Australian NBL One
Tristan Ikpe (6'6''-F-1999, played in 2020-23) plays for Blue Wings in Slovakian Tipos SBL
Michael Holyfield (6'11''-C-1992, played in 2011-15) played for Taipei Fubon Braves in Taiwanese PLeague+
Donte Powers (6'2''-G, played in 2020-23) played for Teuta in Albanian Superliga
Gilberto Clavell (6'7''-F-1989, played in 2009-11) plays for Criollos de Caguas in Puerto Rican BSN
Lamar Wilkerson (6'6''-G-2001, played in 2022-25) played for Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Summer League
Chad Bowie (6'2''-G-1996, played in 2018-20) plays for Kepler in Rwandan RBL
Jesse Lopez (6'7''-F-1994, played in 2013-13) played for Mineros in Mexican CIBAPac
Brennen Burns (5'10''-PG-2002, played in 2024-25) plays for Camberwell Dragons in Australian Big V
Notice: The list above includes only some of alumni playing currently in pro basketball. Check complete list of Sam Houston State University basketball alumni.
Kai Mitchell-Watkins is last week best Bearkats alumni, who plays professional basketball (Photo: SHSU)
Ex-Players
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