Former Seattle University men’s basketball player Charles Garcia has joined the Seoul Samsung Thunders of the Korean Basketball League, reported earlier this month by the EuroBasket News Center.
Garcia joined the Thunders after playing 34 games for the Goyang Orions of the same league, averaging 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as he shot 50.6 percent (124-for-245) from the field. He has appeared in six games so far for the Thunders, averaging 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Garcia led Seattle U to a 17-14 record in the 2009-10 season, scoring 580 points and pulling down 256 rebounds for averages of 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He led the team in scoring 18 times during the season, including a 41-point performance against Wofford on Nov. 28, 2009. He was named the Independent Player of the Year as well as to the CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson All-America Team.
After turning pro, Garcia has played all over the world, participating in professional leagues in Mexico, Turkey, Spain, and Bahrain as well as a stint with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL). In the summer of 2013, he helped Atleticos de San German of the Puerto Rico BSN league reach the Cano Jirao Cup Final Four, averaging 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Garcia is one of several former Redhawks who have played professional basketball overseas. Aaron Broussard continues to enjoy a solid career as he is with Fos Ouest Provence of the French League, and Chad Rasmussen earned a stint with Agustinos-Eras in Spain last year.
Seattle University, currently third in the Western Athletic Conference with a 3-2 league record as part of a 10-9 overall mark, heads south this weekend to face the Bakersfield Roadrunners Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. The Redhawks return home to face Grand Canyon Thursday, Feb. 5, and Utah Valley Saturday, Feb. 7, with tickets for both games available through Ticketmaster and the KeyArena Box Office.