A.J. English's professional journey will begin in Italy after Iona point guard signed his first contract Wednesday. (Photo by Vincent Simone/NYC Buckets)
A.J. English has taken his talents to the professional level.
Four months removed from a career-defining March in which he led Iona to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, English will begin his pro career in Italy, signing with New Basket Enel Brindisi of Serie A.
A three-time first team all-MAAC selection, English averaged 22.6 points, 6.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game for Iona last season, leading the Gaels to their sixth consecutive postseason appearance and first conference title since 2013. The 6-foot-4 point guard capped off his final campaign with Most Outstanding Player honors in the MAAC tournament, lifting Iona past regular season champion Monmouth to earn an automatic bid into the 68-team NCAA Tournament field.
After an impressive showing in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he received Most Valuable Player recognition, English was considered a potential second-round pick in last month's NBA Draft. He was not one of the 60 players selected, though, and most recently played on the Golden State Warriors' Summer League team alongside former Iona teammate David Laury.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed. English joins a roster at Enel Brindisi that includes some household names at the collegiate level in the United States, such as former SMU point guard Nic Moore and one-time Syracuse wing Kris Joseph.
Great for AJ; he deserves this opportunity. This is a high level league and he'll be paid very well. It shows the strength of Iona's program to have some many of its former players making good money playing overseas.
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