By Stefan Djordjevic / info@eurohoops.net
Darussafaka Tekfen went through a lot of changes to the roster over the summer as the club prepared for a new chapter which would include its debut in the Basketball Champions League.
Their first clash in BCL came against Filou Oostende in the second week of the 2020-21 season and it was a successful one, ending with a 79-74 win for the Turkish side.
One of the team’s new additions in Grant Jerrett was the main reason behind the victory.
The historic BCL debut
The 27-year-old American big logged 27 points on 58.8% shooting from the field including 2-3 from deep while also grabbing eight rebounds, dishing one assist, and stealing the ball once.
While it may not seem too flashy, Jerrett is, in fact, only the third player to score more than 25 points and grab more than five rebounds in his first BCL game. Jarrod Jones (October 2017) and Marcos Knight (January 2019) were the ones to do it before him.
A top prospect stuck in a ‘limbo’
Jerrett’s journey started off in the US in the Lutheran High School and he quickly proved to be one of the biggest talents nation-wide. He reached as high as the Top 5 recruits on some lists and he eventually committed to the Arizona Wildcats.
He had a fairly solid season for a freshman but didn’t get too many minutes and started only twice. The youngster didn’t plan on staying too long in Arizona and decided to either enter the NBA Draft or change location.
And the NBA Draft it was. Jerrett got selected in 2013 by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 40th overall pick but was quickly traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While his rise happened very fast, there might have been some steps skipped and that perhaps cost Jerrett in the long run. It was a great success to reach the NBA at such a young age but his career got stuck in somewhat of a limbo afterward.
He spent the next four years split between the G League and the NBA, going through a couple of trades as well as having practically a whole season off before moving on.
Jerrett logged five games for the Thunder and three games for the Jazz while also playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, Idaho Stampede, and the Canton Charge.
If anything, he had a regular spot on the G League rosters, managing to show his skills, especially when scoring and rebounding.
Searching for opportunities outside the US
In the 2016-17 season, Jerrett decided to move outside the US for the first time and try out his luck in China with the Beijing Ducks. He had a great year, averaging a double-double with 17.8 points and 10.2 rebounds.
He then decided to return to the US and make another push through the G League. He re-signed with the Canton Charge and that period was when he logged some of his best games, including the one with career-high 29 points against Delaware 87ers.
After that year, Jerrett went to Asia once again but this time to Japan where he joined the SeaHorses Mikawa. He played 12 games for the Japanese team before finally moving to Europe for the first time.
Adjusting to and finding himself in the Euro ball
Bosnia, ABA League, and Igokea were his first European destination but he couldn’t find his role on the team and adjust quickly enough. However, that was his introduction to the Euro ball and although midway through his career, in reality, it was a new beginning.
The following season, Jerret moved on to Germany and ratiopharm Ulm where he showed that there is a place for him on the European stage.
He started every single game he played during the season, a total of 33, split between the German League, German Cup and the EuroCup which gave Jerrett additional and crucial experience. He was scoring in double-digits and had a high presence in the paint, especially so on the boards.
And the journey reached the current point. Jerrett moved to Turkey and put on the jersey of Darussafaka with which he already played six games.
He’s been averaging 13 points and 6.5 rebounds but what has been truly impressive so far is his three-point percentages. Granted, he doesn’t take a lot of shots from deep but still, when he does, it’s very precise and he stands at 57% at the moment.
The team is currently holding a 2-4 record in Turkey while they won the only game in BCL so far, but if that BCL game has foreshadowed something, then a lot can be expected from Jerrett and Darussafaka going forward.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League