Iowa State men’s basketball: Melvin Ejim will play in Rome next season
By Brian Spaen
After having aspirations to play in the NBA this fall, Melvin Ejim will instead be working on getting there by playing overseas in Rome.
The former Iowa State forward announced on Twitter that he will be taking his talents overseas.
I'm very excited to begin my pro career playing for Virtus Roma.I've heard great things about the Club & I can't wait to move to Rome.
— Melvin Ejim (@MelvinEjim) July 23, 2014
I look forward to this next chapter of my career and the challenge of competing in one of the top leagues in Europe.
— Melvin Ejim (@MelvinEjim) July 23, 2014
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Ejim is already on the roster for Pallacanestro Virtus Roma team, part of Italy-Serie A. The squad was founded back in 1960 and play at either the Palazzetto dello Sport, which sits 3,500 people, and the PalaLottomatica, which sits 11,200.
Some notables players that have participated with Virtus Roma include Brian Shawk, Jeff Sanders, Anthony Parker, Brandon Jennings, and Rick Mahorn. Slightly familiar players from last season’s team include Bobby Jordan Taylor, Quinton Hosley, Jimmy Baron, and Trevor Mbakwe.
Virtus Roma made the playoffs last year, finishing with a 17-13 record, the sixth best record in Serie A. The top eight teams go through a traditional playoff, much like the NBA postseason, while the team with the worst record gets relegated. Virtus Roma defeated Pallacanestro Cantu 3-0 in a best-of-5 and then lost to Montepaschi Siena 4-1 in a best-of-7 semifinal series.
This news comes on the heels of Ejim joining the Canadian men’s national team. He’s experiencing European action as we speak as he completes an 11-game jaunt with his Canadian teammates through mid-August.
It’s initially disappointing to see Ejim not get to his dreams immediately, especially after being projected as a person that was going to be drafted about a month ago today. Still, at least he has an opportunity to hone his skills and make another attempt next season.
We’ll keep you up to date on Ejim’s capades in Rome. The Italy-Serie A regular season runs from October through May.