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LEBANON WEATHER

HOOPS – Tavon King signs pro contract




Former Cumberland University All-American guard Tavon KingSteve Wampler

Former Cumberland University All-American guard Tavon KingSteve Wampler

Cumberland All-American guard –

LEBANON – Former Cumberland University basketball standout and Lauderdale County native Tavon King has turned pro.

King, an NAIA All-American selection in 2022, inked a professional contract with Basketbalový Klub Iskra Svit in the Slovenská Basketbalová Liga (SBL).

The SBL is the highest level tier league of men’s professional club basketball in Slovakia.

“I am extremely happy for Tavon and his family,” said CU coach Jeremy Lewis. “I really truly believe that this shows if you can play you will have your opportunity to move on after college and play professionally no matter what level you play at in college.

“This is really the result of not just Tavon’s talent, but also his commitment to the game and his commitment to his teammates. I said all season long that Tavon is the type of kid that could have led the country in scoring, but all he cared about was winning.

“He sacrificed his own personal numbers and still signed a pro contract. The kid is special. He is going to do exceptionally well in Europe and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”

In just two seasons at Cumberland after transferring from the University of North Alabama, King scored 927 points ranking him fifth-highest amongst two-year players at CU and was just the third player in 10 seasons to score over 500 points in one year.

He is the latest men’s basketball player to earn All-American honors after scoring a career-high 17.8 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range, both are career-highs.

The former Halls High School standout ranked fourth in the Mid-South Conference in scoring behind First Team All-American Ryan Batte (Thomas More), All-American Kortland Martin (Freed-Hardeman) and Jahi Hinson (Univ. of the Cumberlands).

King was a key part of one of the best seasons in Cumberland men’s basketball history, as the team earned a trip to the NAIA Tournament for the first time since 2008-09 and recorded its first tournament win since 2004.

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