By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A new challenge for French-Guinean forward/center Alpha Kaba.
Kaba, 26, penned a two-year contract with Buducnost VOLI, the team announced Thursday. Coming off a solid campaign in Turkey and being named MVP of the BSL, he will be back in the 7DAYS EuroCup field looking to add to the tally of 36 games played in the second-tier competition of Euroleague Basketball.
In 2017, the Elan Bearnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez youth product was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 60th and final pick of the NBA draft. The same summer, wrapping up his stint at Serbia’s Mega Leks, he returned to France and joined LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. From there to Boulazac in 2019 and Nanterre 92 in 2020, before landing in Turkey last season.
In 2021-22, he averaged 13.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 assists per game en route to becoming the season MVP in Turkey.
Previous EuroCup experience is split between ASVEL and Nanterre. Earlier in his career, he logged 12 appearances in the Basketball Champions League playing for Mega.
Beyond club duties, he played internationally for France at the junior level and switched to Guinea at the senior level. The 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers produced his first three caps with Guinea and also helped his side survive Group C to advance to the final qualifying round.
Up next for Kaba is joining forces with Edin Atic, Trae Bell-Haynes, Phil Booth, Igor Drobnjak, Aleksa Ilic, Marko Jagodic-Kuridza, Kenan Kamenjas, Aleksandar Lazic, Petar Popovic, Cameron Reynolds, Kenan Reynolds, and Suad Sehovic at the team based in Podgorica.
Photo Credit: EuroCup