A total of seven former Mount Olive men’s basketball players are currently playing professional basketball. Justin Melton, Brandon Streeter, Dameion Baker, Elton Coffield, Maurice Horton, Melvin Creddle and Jo Kurino are all playing in highly competitive professional basketball leagues.
Justin Melton and Brandon Streeter are both playing for Artur Nogueira in Brazil. Melton is averaging 19 points per game and Streeter is averaging 13.
Elton Coffield (pictured above) is playing for the BSW Sixers in Germany and is averaging 22 points per game, which ranks third in his league. Coffield was joined two years ago by Trojan teammate Elijah Rouse and the two led the Sixers to an undefeated season and a league championship. Rouse returned home to be with family.
Maurice Horton is averaging 14.7 points per game and is playing in Finland for Karhut Kauhajoen. Playing in Austria for Xion Dukes Klostereuburg is Melvin Creddle. Creddle is the Xion Dukes Klostereuburg starting point guard and is averaging 9.7 points per game.
Jo Kurino is playing in Japan for the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins. He is currently averaging 8.9 points per game. Dameion Baker has been with Tokyo Apache in Japan for four years but is not playing this season due to an injury. During the 2008-2009 season, Baker averaged 13.2 points per game.
Mount Olive head men’s basketball coach Joey Higginbotham is excited to have former student-athletes playing professional basketball overseas, “We hope to have more in the future. All of these young men were great players for Mount Olive and we are extremely proud of all them. We wish all them continuing success as they represent our college.”
Coffield said the transition from college athletics to the professional level is a challenge, “The first thing I realized was that this is a business now. A lot more is expected of me.”
Continuing to play a sport at the professional level is a job that so few athletes get the pleasure to enjoy. Streeter left this advice for college athletes aspiring to play professionally, “Always be hungry and humble, and remember to give God thanks.”
