OSTRAVA, Czechia – Vanguard basketball alum
Erik Howlin is continuing his overseas journey as the guard has signed with BK Nova Hut Ostrava in the top-tiered National Basketball League in the Czech Republic.
This continues a tremendous story for the 22-year-old, after his final collegiate season saw him lead the PacWest in scoring at 19.6 points per game on .519/.356/.768 shooting splits en route to being named the Player of the Year for the conference. The accolades did not stop there, as he was named the PacWest Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year after landing on the Division II Conference Commissioners Association First Team All-Region and the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American Second Team.
"To think that I am a professional now is kind of crazy. I want to thank God first and foremost. And, of course, my family's support has been tremendous. But I have also been extremely fortunate to be able to have amazing coaches who have pushed me to get to where I am. I still talk to most of my coaches, and I think that says something," relayed Howlin.
The La Habra native recently played in the Japan Summer League from May through June, where he earned the honor of being the championship game's Most Valuable Player. Howlin regularly scored over 15 points per game despite each contest lasting only 20 minutes. With success abroad, Howlin crosses continents to join an NH Ostrava club coming off the heels of a 10-26 season, placing them in 11th out of a 12-team league. The team was sixth in scoring at 85.7ppg, with champions ERA Nymburk (32-4) pacing the league at 100.4ppg. Howlin's addition is sure to help whittle away at that disparity and, as the team's only rookie import, could feature early and often in the lineup.
While the lone rookie in Ostrava, he will not be alone as an American, as two other rostered players from the team come from the USA. Andre Screen is a 7'1" Virginia native who played collegiately at Butler, while Alex Lomax is a 6'0" guard from Tennessee who played for the University of Memphis. Screen is in his second season in Europe, and Lomax spent time with the Charlotte Hornets G-League affiliate before heading across the Atlantic. The trio get to live in the third-largest city in the country, which lies in the eastern end of the nation and is just a short drive away from the Polish border.
Having a bit of home with him is certainly a plus, but Howlin is thrilled to be hooping period.
"For me personally, I am excited to see how far I can take basketball, and this caliber organization is a great next step in my journey. I am super excited to get started with this organization. I am very appreciative of the coaching staff for giving me the opportunity, and I cannot wait to get over there," said the guard.
The NBL season runs from September through June, with their first game coming on September 19 on the road at BK Opava, who finished fifth last season. His first home game will be four days later.
The Lions wish
Erik Howlin the best of luck!
