A pair of former Fordham men’s basketball standouts have signed professional contracts with European teams according to Eurobasket.com. Erten Gazi, who graduated last spring, will join the Anadolu Efes Istanbul (BSL) in Turkey while Javontae Hawkins, who played as a graduate transfer at Fordham in 2016-2017, signed with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (BBL).
Gazi, who transferred to Fordham from DePaul, appeared in 22 games last year for the Rams, starting 16. He averaged 8.9 ppg, fourth on the team, and 3.0 rpg, netting a career-best 22 points, sinking four three-pointers, against George Mason.
Gazi averaged 8.2 ppg in his Fordham career, a career that was interrupted by injury, and over his collegiate career, Gazi was a .504 (127-252) shooter from the field.
Gazi will not be the only former Ram with Anadolu Efes, the defending league champions, as Bryant Dunston, a 2008 graduate and Fordham Athletic Hall of Famer, will begin his sixth season with the club in 2020-2021.
Hawkins will begin his fourth season as a professional player in 2020-2021. Prior to this season he played for HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. In 19 BBL games in Germany in 2019-2020 he averaged 15.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.4 apg, earning Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga Second Team honors.
Prior to last season, Hawkins played at Holargos B.C. (Greek A1) in 2018-2019 where he averaged 11.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 1.2 apg in 29 games. He has also played professionally in Finland (Vilpas).
In the 2016-2017 season at Fordham, Hawkins appeared 31 games, starting 30. He averaged a team-high 14.0 ppg and grabbed 4.9 rpg, second best on team. Hawkins scored in double figures in 24 of the 31 games, with five 20-point games, and was named A-10 Co-Player of the Week once.
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