Josh Jones, 25, of Jefferson, left Aug. 7 for Germany. The Erskine Academy, and Husson University basketball star has signed a 10 month contract with SC Rist Wedel. He is one of three Americans playing on the Pro B North Division basketball team out of Hamburg Germany.
The 6’5″ forward was named the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year his senior year at Husson. He was drafted by the NBA Development team Rio Grande Vipers in a sixth round pick. He was traded to the Portland Red Claws, but his nerves got the better of him in try-outs and he did not make the final cut.
Jones spent the spring playing for the Albany Legends of the Independent Basketball Association (IBA) league in New York. The Legends finished the season with a 12-6 record, and made it to the championship round, placing second. Jones scored 21 points in the semi-final game and 19 points in the championship game.
The SC Rist Wedel team in Germany plays a 26 game schedule. The regular season schedule runs from Sept. 25 through March 10.
Jones hopes to return to the US and have another shot at playing in the D League, his mother Sarah, of Jefferson said. “He hopes to use his knowledge and experience to go to the next level of play after this season,” Sarah Jones said.
