Former Clinton Junior College basketball player Jermaine Ferguson, who graduated last winter from Geneva College (Pa.), will replace his best friend Lloyd Deloatch on an elite professional basketball team in Nässjö, Sweden, a town of 16,000 located two hours south of Stockholm.
“It’s a very big opportunity,” said Ferguson, who graduated from E.C. Glass in 2002 and went on to play at Clinton Junior college in Rock Hill, S.C., before transferring to Geneva. “It’ll be a different land, different language, and different food. It’s going to be very cold.”
His family will drive him to Washington, D.C., on Friday for Saturday’s flight overseas, according to his mother, Desirée.
KFUM Basket Nässjö Sweden’s first scrimmage is set for Sept. 13 and the season extends as late as mid-April, “depending on how far you go,” Ferguson said.
Chad Briscoe, Ferguson’s assistant coach at Geneva who also coached Deloatch at Anderson (Ind.) University, recommended both players to the Swedish team after playing in Scandinavia himself from 1995 to 2001.
Deloatch played at Rustburg before transferring to Oak Hill Academy and going on to play at Radford, Anderson and Nässjö, where he started at point guard and was an emotional leader, leading his team in steals and assists.
“He told me everything to look forward to, what to do, not to do, things I should do to go over there and dominate,” Ferguson said.
He may have to adapt to a different brand of basketball than he’s accustomed to playing.
Though Sweden didn’t qualify for the Olympics, the sport is improving and gaining popularity in the country.
“They’ve had a professional league over there for a while,” Ferguson said. “It’s kind of physical. I expect a whole lot of diversity. I’ll be the only American on the team. Some are Swedish and some are from other countries.”
At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Ferguson can play anywhere from shooting guard to small or power forward. He expects to get plenty of playing time from the start.
“I’m going to try to make an immediate impact,” said Ferguson, who was an NAIA honorable mention All-American his senior year at Geneva, averaging 15.8 points, three assists, two blocks and two steals per game. “This is my first year doing it, so I have to make a good impression, to show what I’m worth and get my name (established).”
He wants to fit in quickly and not ruffle too many feathers.
“I hear the referees watch Americans a lot and expect Americans to be (confrontational),” he said. “I plan on getting on the good side of the refs while I’m over there.”
Ferguson hopes playing in Nässjö will help launch a professional career, something he’s dreamed of doing since he started playing basketball as a sophomore at Glass.
“The plan is to go over there and do well and continue playing basketball, always moving up,” he said. “Wherever the doors open, whatever God opens up for me … Whatever happens, happens.”