Ferris State All-America Guard Drew Lehman Inks Pro Hoops Contract To Play In Iceland's Top League

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University standout men's basketball guard Drew Lehman (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic), who this past season became only the school's second All-American in the last 40 years, has inked a professional contract to play in Iceland for the 2015-16 season.

The 6-0 Lehman agreed to terms on Thursday as an import player with the Thor Thorl Basketball Club, which competes in Iceland's top professional Domino's League. Thor Thorl is guided by head coach Benedikt Guðmundsson and recently finished as the league runner-up in 2012 and co-regular season runner-up in 2013.

The Domino's League is regarded as the premier or highest level of basketball among clubs in Iceland and consists of a home-and-away schedule followed by an eight-team playoff round. It is governed by the Icelandic Basketball Federation, which is a member of FIBA Europe and the global International Basketball Federation.

Lehman will begin his first professional season this fall in the Icelandic league with regular-season action stretching from October thru March.

"We're thrilled Drew has an opportunity to continue his basketball career on the professional level," said FSU head coach Andy Bronkema. "He had an outstanding four years for us capped off by a tremendous championship season this past year. He follows in the footsteps of other recent alums who have played professionally and has earned this opportunity thru hard work and dedication. 

"We know he'll continue to be a great representative of Ferris State Basketball in the years ahead and look forward to following his professional career," he added.

As a collegiate senior this past season, Lehman was named to the 2015 Division II Bulletin All-America squad after leading the Bulldogs to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship and an NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance. He became only FSU's fifth All-American ever in program history and first since past standout Justin Keenan achieved laurels from various sources back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011. Keenan and Lehman represent the only NCAA Division II All-America picks in Bulldog history.

The Bulldog senior guard also was a first-team All-Midwest Region selection this past season by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Daktronics after guiding the Bulldogs to the school's 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in his final campaign.

In 2014-15, Lehman averaged a personal career-high 18.3 points per game while ranking among the league leaders in scoring, assists and three-point field goals. He reached double-figure scoring 27 times this season and compiled 20 points or more in 15 games, including twice with 37 points or more. Lehman tallied a personal-best 38 points as the Bulldogs beat Lake Superior State in the 2015 GLIAC Tournament Championship Game on March 8 in Sault Ste. Marie, earning the GLIAC Tourney Most Valuable Player honor.

Lehman wrapped up his Bulldog career ranked 11th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,463 career points and finished third in career three-point field goals with 174 over his four seasons of action. The four-year letterwinner also concluded his career ranked 10th in career assists with 298 total. This season, Lehman finished with 585 total points in 32 games, which ranks ninth on the school's single-season leaders list. His 74 three's as a senior also marks the fifth-best seasonal performance in Bulldog annals.

A two-time All-GLIAC honoree, Lehman claimed first team all-conference status this past year. He wrapped up the year third in scoring, fifth in three-pointers made, sixth in assists and 10th in steals for all games played among league players in the 2014-15 campaign.

Lehman led the Bulldogs to a 23-9 overall record this past season in his final campaign. In addition to the NCAA Tourney appearance and winning the GLIAC Tournament Championship this year, the Bulldogs' season was also highlighted by several other accomplishments including a top 20 national ranking, a 15-game regular season win streak, an exhibition victory over NCAA Division I Bowling Green and several signature wins such as the team's first-ever victory at Findlay's Croy Gymnasium. FSU also led the GLIAC in attendance during the regular season.

In addition to his All-America accolades, Lehman was also invited and participated in two All-Star games at the end of the season. He earned Most Valuable Player honors after hitting the game-winning shot in the closing seconds at the Champions of Character West Michigan All-Star Game before scoring in double figures and having a strong showing in the Reese's Division II Collegiate All-Star Game as one of the nation's top 20 players in Evansville, Ind.

Lehman joins a group of past Bulldog standouts on the professional level. This past season, Keenan was tabbed as one of the top five players in Mexico, Central and South America in his fourth campaign at the international level. Along with Keenan, Bulldog alum Jerrell Sanders was drafted in the sixth round by the NBA D-League's Grand Rapids Drive and officially saw game action late this past season in the inaugural campaign for the Detroit Pistons' affiliate. He had ranked among the top players in Germany the previous year.

Among others, former standout point guard Dennis Springs spent time overseas before playing professionally in the International Basketball League (IBL) with the Holland Blast. In addition, former forward Terrance Shaw ranked among the IBL's top scoring leaders for several seasons while playing with several different teams.

Another former Bulldog, guard Kenny Brown, received a tryout with the NBA's Detroit Pistons prior to the 2013 NBA Draft after wrapping up his FSU career and has played pro hoops in El Salvador and Iraq following time with the Lake Michigan Admirals of the Premier Basketball League. 

Yet another past Bulldog guard, Courtney Blackmore, claimed the Premier Basketball League's Defensive Player of the Year honor for the Lake Michigan Admirals last year while ex-guard Austin Randel scored the first-ever basket for professional basketball's Grand Rapids Cyclones in their first outing in 2014. Former standout center Adam Anderson previously played with another Grand Rapids-based team in the Flight of the now-defunct IBL for several years. 

Over the past decade, the Bulldog men's basketball program has reached the NCAA Tournament four times and claimed four league championships in addition to this year's conference tournament title.