Studying Abroad

WPIAL Making a Splash Overseas
By Anthony Jaskulski

Life after college athletics: In any sport from golf to basketball, football to baseball, the professional product is such a lottery ticket punched that the dream seldom becomes anything else.

For a few former WPIAL basketball players, however, that fantasy has become a full-time, living reality.

Elizabeth Forward's Mike Medved, Thomas Jefferson's Billy Arre and Yough's Ben McCauley have each taken quantum steps from their successful college careers and pushed forth to professional status' in the European basketball circuit.

Medved, a Saint Vincent College product, has risen dramatically from a senior year at Elizabeth Forward in which the 6-7, 225 pound post-player tore his ACL, and had a 50-50 shot of even playing basketball again, let alone at a high level.

"In my high school career, I was in heavy talks with different places that were smaller division one schools," said Medved. "Then I tore my ACL prior to my senior year in a scrimmage. Your senior year in high school is the culmination of your basketball pedigree. That is the year you're supposed to bring it all together. Getting hurt pretty much closed up my D-1 chances."

He wound up at Saint Vincent after his nearly-devastating injury healed, and finished with a strong college career that caught the attention of the British National University Division-1 league's eye, in a European world where professional basketball isn't the easiest thing to break into.

"Anywhere you can play basketball after college is great," said Medved. "It's really hard to break into it, though, to be honest. There were guys on my college team at Saint Vincent that had such great careers and aren't playing anywhere. Our point guard, Javille Brooks, averaged 21 points per game—led our league in scoring—and he was head and shoulders better than me; but he isn't anywhere, because apparently point guards are a dime a dozen in many of these leagues. That is one reason why I feel so blessed to be where I'm at today."

Medved took his blessing and turned it into a career, averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds, earning a selection to the All-England Team at the end of this past season. Medved also helped his team win the British University Sports and Athletics (BUSA) Championship Tournament, and place second in the European Basketball League National League Division-1 standings.

Despite all of his success, Medved still finds some of the British culture and basketball style a little confusing.

"We play with FIBA rules, so the basketball court is basically the same and the shot clock is 24 seconds like the NBA, but some things are different here," Medved said. "The basketball rim is called 'ring' here. When you're shooting the ball, they call it a 'tri' here. They call us 'basketballers' as well, because the soccer teams around here are referred to as 'footballers.' So when people come up to me and ask if I'm a basketballer, I always think, well, whatever that means, I guess I am one of those.

"I had a hard time with 3-pointers at first," Medved continued. "When you make a 3-pointer, referees in America put the outside three fingers up, but here in England they put both their hands up in the air and they use their thumbs, pointer finger and middle finger. I used to yell at the refs because I thought they weren't counting my shot as a three pointer, but really they were."

Medved isn't the only one getting used to European customs.

Jefferson Hills and former Lock Haven University star Billy Arre also doubled up on an astounding college career, during which the 6-5 forward tallied up a 25 point per game average, and pushed his game overseas to Luxembourg, where he continues his basketball dominance for the Black Star Mersch basketball club.

"It's a different type of basketball," said Arre. "In Luxembourg, you're only allowed one American on each team. So basically, it's like you're playing against one guy, whereas in the U.S., you're playing with five Americans all the time. You have to get used to playing with the European players, and get used to their style of basketball and just adapt."

Arre averaged double figures and a near-nine rebounds per game with his club: Black Star Mersch Division-2, who finished runner-ups in their championship game.

"Coming out of school, the main thing was to get my name out there," said Arre about the difficulty of finding a professional career overseas. "The hardest thing is to contact these European teams and try to put your name out there, and then to actually get over here yourself. A lot of people in my situation waited on a phone call that never came. I was fortunate that the communication was made, and that I was able to get in to play (in Luxembourg)."

Ben McCauley, the only division-1 player of the three, starred at North Carolina State for four years and therefore it's not much of a surprise to see him thriving in Europe with the Strasbourg IG squad in the French ProA League.

The 6-9, 237-pound big man and former Wolfpack star averaged double figures last year for his squad, which features a starting lineup of four former D-1 standouts, including Rob Lewin from Troy State.

And while all three are having stellar pro careers, none of them have had the financial problems so many American basketball players have reported over the years when playing basketball overseas.

"I can't complain about the financial situation," Medved said. "There is a club in my league where my former teammates played two or three years ago, and they wouldn't get their money on time or anything. Myself, I have no complaints. Our organization tries to be well organized as much as they can be. It is out there, however, and people come home for that reason."

Medved, Arre and McCauley will more than likely continue with their current clubs next season, despite the fact that family, friends and the American lifestyle remains an entire ocean away.

"I'm 4,000 miles from home, man. That's far," Medved acknowledged. "I miss having my car, certain amenities like having a home cooked meal from your mom. I miss my family, my friends and basically everything I left at home. That is just one of the things you have to deal with. Sometimes when you follow your dreams and go your own way, you find yourself in a position like this. Right now, at this time in my life, and the great experience that I am having now playing basketball in England, I say the juice was definitely worth the squeeze."

Arre continued Medved's train of thought.

"You can't just pick up the phone and call mom or dad," Arre said. "It is a shock at first, but you adapt, and you get used to the culture you're a part of. Of course you miss your family and your friends, but it's never bad to think about the fact that you're playing basketball professionally and having fun, too."