August 20, 2013 – Since the Fall of 2009, Nick Washburn has been a fixture for the Hillsdale College men's basketball program. He started all 111 games he played as a Charger, and helped lead the program to its longest run of sustained success in three decades.
Now, he will become the third player under head coach John Tharp to play professional basketball in Europe.
Monday afternoon, Washburn announced he has signed with CB Peñas Huesca, a professional basketball team in Spain, competing in the LEB Oro League. He departs Saturday, Aug. 24, and the team's season is slated to begin on Oct. 4.
He joins fellow Charger men's basketball alumni Tony Gugino (Class of 2009) and Brad Guinane (Class of 2012) as Chargers to sign pro basketball contracts. Gugino will be entering his sixth professional season in 2013-14, returning to Switzerland, where he began his career. Guinane played the 2012-13 season with the Durham Wildcats in England.
Washburn caught the eye of many European coaches and general managers in two separate training camps in Madrid, Spain earlier in the summer. He was able to parlay impressive showings in those camps into the contract he just signed with CB Peñas Huesca. The skills he showed throughout his collegiate career, the ability to handle and shoot for a player his size, as well as his superior ability to protect the rim, came to the forefront in those camp workouts.
"Before I went to Madrid there were a handful of teams interested, but were nervous because they hadn't seen me in person, or watched me play live," Washburn said. "Going to Madrid helped me meet those different coaches and see them in person. There were quite a bit of scouts that came through the gym each day. Scouts, head coaches, General Managers, and even a hundred or so fans stopped in to watch numerous talented players compete."
Tharp cited Washburn's complete offensive game as one of his assets as he moves up to this higher level of competition.
"Nick is extremely skilled and has the total offensive package," Tharp said. "He can score with his back to the basket and can step and shoot the 3. His perimeter shooting has really improved and his 3 point shooting will be an asset in Spain. For a 6-10, 260 pound kid he can also handle the ball as well. Defensively his length and timing has also made him a terrific basket protector."
Washburn will be competing in the second-highest rated pro basketball league in Spain. There are four divisions of professional basketball in the country, and Washburn will be competing with and against some of the top talent in Europe, along with a healthy sampling of NCAA Division I players from the United States.
The franchise is located an hour north west of Barcelona, and is close to the country's border with France. Washburn's contract is for one year, and as is typical with European pro basketball contracts, the team pays for his car and apartment.
Tharp said he immediately knew Washburn had the potential to play at the next level, and credited the player's hard work and determination in helping him accomplish this goal.
"After his sophomore year he changed his body for the better and became more confident in his game," Tharp said. "At that point we believed he had a chance to play overseas. He was great when we played Valparaiso and Michigan State in exhibition games his junior year. He was as good as any big man on the floor for those two games."
Washburn cited the culture of excellence that exists within the men's basketball program as a big reason for his opportunity to play basketball professionally.
"Nothing really prepared me more than the great coaches and teammates I had through my four years," Washburn said. "Coach Tharp and Dan Evans pushed me every day to be the best I could be. Since I was a freshman, they have always held me accountable if I was slacking or not giving it my all. Everything that they taught me and the countless hours they spent with me outside practice has greatly helped me make this next step.
"I've also got to thank my teammates for where I am today. We pushed each other every day in practice. Players like Brad Guinane, Tim Dezelski, Tony Nelson, Matt Justus, Brandon Crane, and Jason Pretzer I can't thank enough for taking all the elbows and battling with me every day in the paint. It truly made me the player I am today."
While at Hillsdale, Washburn was one of the rare players that started every game of his career. He was the team's defensive anchor, finishing fifth in school history with 132 blocked shots. He totaled 1,080 points, 524 rebounds and made 416 field goals in his outstanding career. One aspect of his game that improved last year was his outside shooting. He made 16 3-point field goals, shooting nearly 40 percent from that part of the court. His good touch and willingness to take the outside shot, as a big man, are skills that will be put to good use in the European style of basketball.
He also led the Chargers to an impressive level of team success throughout his career. The Chargers went 77-34 in games he played in, put together back-to-back 20-win seasons (2010-11, 2011-12), won the 2012 GLIAC regular season championship (first one since 1981) and helped the team to its first NCAA Division II tournament berth since 2002. Hillsdale also advanced to the GLIAC Tournament championship game twice during his career.