The Brass City is pretty darn good at basketball.
Need proof? Well, here’s some good evidence.
B.J. Monteiro, former star at Crosby High School, was named Player of the Year for Nationale Masculine 1 by Eurobasket.com for the 2017 season. Monteiro plays guard for the Caen Basket Calvados in that league. He earned First Team honors for the league, and he was also chosen as Import Player of the Year. Monteiro led Caen in points (15.5), rebounds (6.7), assists (4.3, tied), blocks (0.9, tied) and minutes (31.1) per game.
Monteiro, a graduate of Duquesne University, has also played in Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Canada and Venezuela.
Monteiro is far from the first Waterbury basketball player to be recognized for outstanding play in an international league.
Ta’Quan Zimmerman, a former standout at Holy Cross High School, was named to the Canadian National Basketball League’s All-Rookie team. Zimmerman is a guard for the Halifax Hurricanes. Zimmerman tied for second in assists on the team at 3.1 per game. Zimmerman was nearly the sixth Halifax player to average double figures in points (9.9). He was also a strong three-point shooter for the Hurricanes.
Before Halifax, Zimmerman was a member of the Idaho Stampede in the NBA D-League. Zimmerman went to Monroe Community College in New York before moving on to Thompson Rivers.
Still need more evidence?
Add former Crosby star Anthony Ireland to the mix. Ireland was team leader for Trefl Sopot in points, assists and minutes per game. Ireland, who has been a solid player for Trefl since his arrival, has scored in bunches, including a 31-point outburst on Jan. 6.
Ireland was a star at Loyola Marymount University, where he played all four years. After college, Ireland played in the NBA Summer League with the Las Vegas Lakers, but did so for just three games. His international career began in France, followed by a stint in Greece. Ireland seems to have found a home with Trefl Sopot in the Polish Basketball League.
There have been others who have found playing time on international courts. A few recent examples are Marcus James, Julian Allen and Damian Saunders.
James played for the Boca Juniors in Argentina. Allen played in Canada, Estonia and Italy. Saunders spent most of his pro basketball career in the NBA D-League, but he also played in Chile as recently as 2015-16.
Current players like Monteiro, Zimmerman and Ireland show that the Brass City can indeed play basketball at the pro level.
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