Random Athlete Of The Day- A.J. Abrams

Former Longhorn A.J. Abrams is from Sherman, Texas; which was of course named after General Sidney Sherman who was a hero of the Texas Revolution. Abrams dominated at McNeil High School and was named MVP of the district three times earning him a spot on the University of Texas basketball squad.

His Freshman year, Abrams was named Big 12 All-Freshman team with 6.4 ppg and 3 apg in 21.5 mpg. The next season he took on the starting point guard role and flourished along with this dude named Kevin Durant scoring 15.5 ppg. As a Junior Abrams shot a career high 42FG%, dropped 16.5 ppg, and broke the 1,000-point mark. The next season Abrams shot threes like douchebags used to wear Von Dutch hats and broke the career Big 12 3-pointer record originally set by Jeff Boschee. The 5-11 guard averaged 16.6 ppg and his career came to an end in a NCAA loss to Kyle Singler and the Blue Devils.

In the 2009 NBA Draft Abrams was not selected, instead teams decided to take international players that wouldn’t even play for them that year or even the year after. He worked out with some NBA teams but ended up going to the Greek League to play for Trikala in 2009. The next year he signed with Scaligera Basket Verona in Italy and most recently signed with CEZ Nymburk in the Czech Republic averaging 11.8 ppg with a 41.6 3PT%.

Long story short Abrams is a cherished Longhorn who deserved a chance in the NBA, but it was a blessing in disguise he didn’t get drafted because his International basketball career was inevitable. He was a great shooting guard stuck in a 5-11 body. If he was 4 inches taller he could have been a complete different player, then again so would I.

-Schotz