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FORMER ARIZONA WILDCATS IN THE NBA
a-Transferred from Arizona before ending collegiate career. b-Not on active roster.
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Former Arizona Wildcats guard Mustafa Shakur is not resting after a brief reappearance in the NBA this season.
Mustafa Shakur will reportedly join a Lebanese pro team on Friday
His next stop is Lebanon to play for Tadamon. He is expected to join that team by Friday. Shakur returns to pro basketball overseas after stops in Poland, Spain, Greece and Italy. Former Arizona center Loren Woods also plays in Lebanon.
Shakur, who played at Arizona from 2003-2007, signed a 10-day contract with Oklahoma City late this season and played in three games with the Thunder but was sent back to Tulsa of the D-League on March 28.
He averaged 16.8 points and 6.1 assists a game for Tulsa. He was selected the D-League’s Player of the Month in February.
Shakur signing in Lebanon RT @ETdeus90: Tadamon announced Garnett Thompson, set to sign Mustafa Shakur http://t.co/fWYpO2Qc00
— Sportando (@sportando) April 16, 2014
Shakur is still relatively young in basketball terms. He has yet to turn 30, which he will do in August. Time will tell if he played his last game in the D-League, which was created to help young, up-and-coming players to have a chance to play in the NBA.
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FORMER ARIZONA PLAYERS IN D-LEAGUE
a-Now with Oklahoma City. b-Now with Indiana. c-Now with Lebanese pro team.
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PREMIER BASKETBALL LEAGUE
Semi-pro league based in Midwest/East coast of U.S. Season is complete.
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FORMER ARIZONA PLAYERS INTERNATIONAL
a-Transferred from Arizona before ending collegiate career
b-No longer affiliated with listed professional team
c-Season is complete
BELGIUM
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CANADA
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CHINA
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CROATIA
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FINLAND
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FRANCE
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JAPAN
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LEBANON
Shakur yet to play/close to signing
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LITHUANIA
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MEXICO
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POLAND
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PUERTO RICO
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QATAR
Stats unavailable
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ROMANIA
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SERBIA
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TURKEY
*Now goes by Turkish name Ali Karadeniz
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UKRAINE
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URUGUAY
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VENEZUELA
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STAT LEADERS ABROAD
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Changed the Internet feed from the Arizona game to find Josiah Turner playing for a D League playoff spot.
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) March 30, 2014
One interesting development this season was former Wildcat star Luke Walton coaching wayward player Josiah Turner, who left Arizona after a tumultuous season in Tucson in 2011-12. Walton served as an assistant coach with the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders, which included Turner as a reserve point guard.
Turner played in 37 games with two starts and averaged 11.2 points and 4.3 assists. He had 16 points and five assists in 27 minutes in the D-Fenders’ 138-126 to Santa Cruz (Calif.) in an elimination game of the D-League playoffs last Saturday.
Channing Frye discusses his comeback from an enlarged heart (NBA.com video)
It was reported this morning that former Arizona center Channing Frye wants to work out a contract extension with the Suns.
Frye has a $6.8 million player option for next season. He averaged 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds this season on 43.3 percent shooting, including 37.1 percent from three-point range.
“I want to talk to the Suns and make sure we’re both on the same page about what I want,” Frye told the Arizona Republic. “I’d love to stay here. It’s up to them and their future and what they want to do. I love wearing this uniform. I think I take a little more pride in it than everyone else because I’m from here.
“It’s looking for the future and if I could get something longer. I got kids and I want to be somewhere. I’ve been here for five years already so it wouldn’t be bad to kind of not be worried about being traded or buying a house.”
Only one #Suns player will start every game this season and you never would have guessed which one in October. http://t.co/przt0xJMM2
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) April 16, 2014
If the NBA still had the comeback player of the year award, Frye would be the winner, but the league changed the title to the “Most Improved Player Award” in 1985. Frye excelled for Phoenix coming back from a year without basketball because of an enlarged heart.
NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper still took the time to list candidates for a would-be comeback player of the year award and listed Frye the favorite ahead of Kevin Love, Jared Sullinger, Greg Oden, Eric Gordon and Shaun Livingston.
With the NBA regular-season ending today, Frye will finish with the top scoring average among former Arizona players. His 11.2 points a game tops Richard Jefferson’s 10.1 average. Jefferson is a significant comeback story also for Utah after coming off the bench last year with Golden State.
Lamont “MoMo” Jones, who helped Arizona achieve an Elite Eight appearance in 2011, has played professionally in Japan and Qatar this season after concluding his collegiate career at Iona.
Jones is not letting go of his Arizona past, which is symbolic of his respect for Arizona, Sean Miller and assistant Book Richardson (who played a significant role in Jones coming to Tucson in 2009). He will conduct a skills academy in Tucson at the Lohse YMCA from June 20-24. Jones is also holding a clinic in his native New York City right after his stop in Tucson, from June 25-29.
The clinics are for kids ages 10-18 and the fee is $100 for each participant. Jones will have guest appearances from NCAA coaches and players and NBA players.
If you are located in the AZ area and would like to register for my Skills Academy please either email me pic.twitter.com/j1NWf5FXu9
— Momo Jones (@FoundationMomo) April 8, 2014
Hassan Adams is back with Guaros de Lara in Venezuela. He played his second game Tuesday.
Hoy regresó Hassan Adams #ADNGUARO #150 http://t.co/NAhlmsSIIW
— Guaros de Lara (@GuarosOficial) April 13, 2014
Here is the Instagram photo:
Jamelle Horne recently left Mexico to play professionally in Puerto Rico.
@PrinciJose ok I play defense igual de quebradillas jefe. Gracias pic.twitter.com/FDeBirnaQt
— Jamelle Horne (@horne_42) April 2, 2014
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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