Courtesy of Eurobasket LLC We bring you last week's top former Minutemen players who are currently playing in pro basketball.
#1. Experienced Haitian player Cady Lalanne, a 6'10'' center who is 34 years old and graduated from UMass in 2015, played a crucial role in helping them become the NBA Pro Summer League Champion in Las Vegas that year. Currently playing professionally in the Philippines, Lalanne recently showcased his skills for the NLEX Road Warriors. In their latest match, despite Lalanne's exceptional performance, the league-leading NLEX Road Warriors suffered a 112-118 defeat to the much lower-ranked (#8) Giga on the road. Lalanne delivered a stellar double-double, scoring 46 points, securing 15 rebounds, and providing 3 assists during his 47 minutes on the court. This season marks Lalanne's debut with the team, and he has been making a significant impact with his outstanding performances. His remarkable game against TNT Tropang earned him the prestigious Elite Badge from eurobasket.com. Individually, Lalanne has been having an exceptional season, showcasing high statistics. He boasts an average of 26.8 points per game, 14.8 rebounds per game (ranking third best in the league), 2.2 assists per game, and 2.1 blocks per game (also ranking third best in the league) over the 14 games he has played so far.
#2. Dibaji Walker, a 26-year-old power forward standing at 6'9" and an alumnus of Mountaineers from 2023, previously played for UMass between 2019 and 2022 before starting his professional career in Australia. In the recent game where Frankston Blues (6-5) faced the Falcons, despite Walker's remarkable performance, the eighth-placed Frankston Blues suffered a close defeat with a score of 84-88 in Mount Waverley to the lower-ranked (#13) Falcons in the South group. Walker showcased his skills by scoring 16 points, securing 7 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots, while also maintaining a perfect free-throw shooting record of 6 for 6 in his 34 minutes of play. This impressive display is particularly noteworthy considering that Walker is only in his third season of professional basketball. In addition to his standout performance in the last game, Walker has been consistently strong throughout the season, averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game over the course of 11 games. Despite the outcome of the recent match, Walker's talent and determination on the court have been evident, establishing him as a key player for the Frankston Blues as they continue their campaign in the league.
Other former University of Massachusetts players, who play in pro basketball:
Trey Davis (5'11''-PG-1993, played in 2012-16) played for PGE Spojnia Stargard in Polish 1Liga few monts ago
Rahsool Diggins (6'2''-G-2002, played in 2022-25) plays for Grand Rapids Gold in the NBA G League
Jabarie Hinds (5'11''-PG-1992, played in 2013-13) plays for Anorthosis in Cypriot ECOMMBX BL
Brandon Thomas (6'6''-SF-1984, played in 2004-04) played for Artland Dragons in German ProA last year
Trent Buttrick (6'9''-F-1998, played in 2021-22) plays for Saitama Broncos in Japanese B3 League
C.J. Anderson (6'6''-G-1996, played in 2014-18) plays for Hume City Broncos in Australian Big V
Luwane Pipkins (5'11''-PG-1996, played in 2016-19) plays for Njardvik in Icelandic Subway League
Raphiael Putney (6'10''-F/C-1990, played in 2009-09) plays for Chihuahua Dorados in Mexican LBE
Zach Turcotte (6'8''-F/C-1994, played in 2014-17) plays for New England Kraken in the TBL
Mike Gillespie (6'3''-G, played in 2017-18) played for Massachusetts Wolves in the ABA last year
Maxie Esho (6'9''-F/C-1991, played in 2010-10) played for Tangerang in Indonesian IBL last year
Djery Jean-Baptiste (6'10''-C-1995, played in 2018-20) plays for Valle de Egues in Spanish Segunda FEB
Michael Steadman (6'10''-F, played in 2021-22) played for San Francisco City Cats in the ABA last year
Notice: The list above includes only some of alumni playing currently in pro basketball. Check complete list of University of Massachusetts basketball alumni.
Cady Lalanne is last week best Minutemen alumni, who plays professional basketball (Photo: @cady.lalanne)
Ex-Players
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