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DAVIS, Calif. – As undergraduate student-athletes, they helped UC Davis men's basketball win numerous championships, earn multiple trips to the postseason — including the program's inaugural Division I NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament appearance — and earn a place on college basketball's national map.
 
After earning a degree from the fifth-ranked public school in the nation, numerous Aggies enjoyed successful seasons at the professional level until COVID-19 forced a sudden and premature end to respective 2019-2020 campaigns.
 
 
Brynton Lemar
The 2017 Big West All-Tournament Team selection enjoyed an outstanding season with MKS Start Lublin, and finished second in the Polish Basketball League's MVP voting by averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
 
Led by his season-high 34 points (in 33 minutes) against Polpharma Starogard Gdanski, Lemar scored double figures in 19 of 22 games and posted 20 or more points eight times.
 
Prior to signing with MKS Start Lublin, he averaged 19 points and three rebounds in 2018-19 with Soproni, a team that competes in Hungary's top league, and finished his inaugural season as a pro (2017-18) by averaging 14.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg as a member of Caen BC. Between his year-long tenures with each team, Lemar played 14 games with SLUC Nancy Basket, another French organization.
 
This summer has been a memorable one for Lemar since he is now married and will continue his career with one of the top teams in Turkey after signing with Ganziantep Basketbol in June. 
 

TJ Shorts II
The first student-athlete in Big West Conference history to win its top two individual awards — Newcomer and Player of the Year —  joined Ventspils of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League for his inaugural season as a pro.
 
By averaging 11.8 points, 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and shooting 57 percent from the floor, TJ Shorts quickly earned a spot in Ventspils' starting rotation and was in the running for the league's MVP award.
 
Shorts II displayed his dynamic skill set when we scored a season-high 19 points, in 24 minutes, in a December league game versus against Rakvere Tarvas.
 
Shorts II led Ventspils to an 11-3 record and a Round of 16 finish in the FIBA Europe Cup — this annual tournament features eligible teams from leagues across the continent — and helped his team win 18 of 24 Latvian-Estonian League games.
 
 
Chima Moneke
After enjoying another outstanding season in France, Chima Moneke will compete in the country's top-tier men's professional basketball league after signing with Orléans Loiret Basket in June.
 
Moneke was a 2019-20 MVP candidate by averaging team highs of 15.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with UJAP Quimper. In addition to scoring double figures in all 24 games played, the 2017 Big West Conference Newcomer of the Year and Big West Tournament MVP also posted a pair of 20-point games and finished with a double-double on four occasions.
 
After opening the 2018-19 season with Rouen Métropole Basket, he played the final 27 games of the year with Denain Voltaire Basket and quickly became its primary scoring option. Not only did he record double-digit point totals in 20 games, he scored 20 or more six times and ended the season with two double-doubles.
 

Josh Ritchart
After averaging more than 23 points and seven rebounds per game throughout his last two seasons with the organization, Josh Ritchart will return to the Rockingham Flames for his third year with the organization after recently signing another contract.
 
Located in Rockingham, Western Australia, Rockingham is a member of the State Basketball League. Known as the best big man in the league, Ritchart is a two-time SBL all-star competing for a team that is a legitimate championship contender in 2021.
 
"I love it there so it was easy to decide to come back," said Ritchart, following the team's 2019 postseason run.
 
Before calling Rockingham his home, Ritchart played two seasons in Japan for Bambitious Nara, and spent a season in Greece and Sweden for Koroivos Amaliadas and Malbas, respectively.
 
 
Josh Fox
Following a successful two-year tenure with the Ballarat Miners, Fox decided to continue his career in Australia by signing a with Melbourne-based Frankston RSL Blues in December, 2019. The Blues were training for their April 18 season opener when the National Basketball League suspended 2020 competition.
 
After returning to the Bay Area shortly thereafter, he received his MBA in May.
 
Named vice captain during his stint with the Miners, he averaged 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds one season and a double-double of 14.5 and 11.7 in the other.
 
The former Big West Sixth Man of the Year also represented Fiji at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Pre-qualifiers, and was named one of the top 10 players in the event by averaging 21.7 points, the third-highest figure, a tournament-high 17.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
 

AJ John
In his first season as a professional, AJ John averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds for Japan's Gifu Swoops. The team's leading scorer averaged 32.2 minutes per game, shot 54 percent overall, 31 percent from three and led all players with 2.8 assists per game.
 
The Swoops played 39 games and had another 21 remaining when Basketball Japan officials ended the season in late February.  
 
 
Siler Schneider
The former Big West Conference Sixth Man of the Year enjoyed a successful, if brief season in Romania with BC Athletic Constanta. Not only did he average 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, he also shot 50 pct. overall, 33 pct. from three and 76 pct. at the free throw line.
 
 
 
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel and a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
 
The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.