By RENALDO DORSETT
Sports Reporter
rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
EARLY in their respective seasons, some of the country’s top national team members and prominent names in Bahamian basketball are adjusting well to their new surroundings on the European and Middle Eastern circuit.
Magnum Rolle, Bennet Davis and Kino Burrows continue to impact their clubs as leagues tipped off around the globe. Rolle made the move to Bnei Herzelia of the Israeli Basketball Premier League - Ligat HaAl.
In six games with the club thus far, Rolle has averaged 12.8 points and four rebounds per game in his team’s slow 2-4 start to the season.
In his opening game with Bnei, Rolle finished with 18 points, four rebounds and two blocks in his team’s 80-78 loss to Maccabi Rishon.
Following an 0-3 start, he poured in 17 points in his team’s first win of the season, 100-95 over Hapoel Eliat.
In a 93-62 loss to Hapoel J-M, Rolle scored 12 points to go along with four rebounds and three blocked shots.
Rolle is the starter at centre in a lineup which also includes former NBA players Josh Selby and Devin Ebanks. He is the second leading scorer behind Selby’s 19.3 points per game and second leading rebounder behind Ebanks’ 5.7 boards per game.
Rolle made the move to Israel after a productive two-year stint in Japan with the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins of the Japanese National Basketball League.
A former All-Star in Japan, Rolle also played briefly with the LG Sakers in South Korea during the 2011 NBA lockout and has also played with Santurce of the Puerto Rican League.
Since graduating from Louisiana Tech in 2010, Rolle was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder and spent time with the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. He also spent a season with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Developmental League.
Rolle was an integral member of the Bahamas’ gold medal winning CBC championship team in July. For the tournament, he averaged 13.8 points, seven rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
Also on the move was another former NBA D-Leaguer as Davis relocated to France.
Davis has helped his Union Basket Chartes Metropole club to a 6-1 record thus far with 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
After a slow start to the season with just five points and six rebounds in his club debut, a 77-73 loss to JA Vichy, Davis’ increased productivity has led to a winning streak for his side.
In game two, Davis exploded for 23 points and six rebounds, both game highs, in a 96-83 win over Rueil Athletic Club.
In his team’s latest outing, Davis came off the bench to add 10 points Saturday night in his team’s 69-64 win over Blois.
Davis spent parts of last season with three clubs, Kaposvari KK of the Hungarian NBIA (19 games), KK Zadar of the Croatian A-1 Liga (4 games), and GreenTops Netanya of the Israeli Premeir League (11 games).
For the year he averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He had his most productive stint with Kaposvari where he averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
In the 2012-13 season, Davis suited up for Marso NYKK in Hungary where he averaged 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He has also played professionally in Finland (KTP), Japan (Niigata Albirex), Spain (Palencia) and most notably, with the Utah Flash of the NBA’s Developmental League.
Jaraun “Kino” Burrows is eight games into his latest stop, with LF Basket of Sweden, in the Swedish Premier League.
Burrows is currently averaging 17 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and has helped spark his team to a 4-4 record.
Some of his top performances include 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 103-79 win over the Solna Vikings and 19 points, six rebounds in a 94-85 win over Sundsvall.
This weekend he finished with 17 points in an 83-76 loss to Nassjo.
Burrows spent last season with Tapiolan Honka of the Finnish Korisliiga.
In 43 games he averaged 19 points and seven rebounds per game.
Prior to Finland, Burrows spent two seasons in the Swiss LNA league with the Starwings basketball club. He averaged 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game.
His season was highlighted by a 33 point, 11-rebound performance in a December 14 win over Neuchatel.
Since graduating from Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne in 2008, he has played professionally in Switzerland (Starwings), Slovakia (Rieker KN), Sweden (Sodertalje) and with the Music City Stars of the American Basketball Association.
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