Howard County native and University of Richmond product Kevin Steenberge signed a one-year contract with a Spanish professional team last week.
“I?m pretty excited to have money for once,” Steenberge said.
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The River Hill High School graduate will play for the Division II C.B. Sabadell, close to Barcelona. Sabadell is an up-and-coming team, with aspirations of moving to the upper Division in Europe.
“There?s so much opportunity over there,” Steenberge said. “It?s a great league, so I?m excited that I got into it.”
Steenberge was courted by several European teams, including one in Cyprus, but agent John Spencer felt that the best fit for the rangy 6-foot-11 center was with Sabadell.
“He?s going to be paid very well and be treated the way he deserves to be treated,” said Spencer, who played 14 years professionally in Europe.
As part of Steenberge?s contract, the team will pay for his fully furnished apartment, a car and utilities. Steenberge will join his team next month for six weeks of training camp to prepare for the season.
Four years ago, Steenberge had one of the most dominant seasons in Howard County boys basketball history at River Hill, scoring 24.8 points a game, including 17.2 rebounds and 7.5 blocks per contest. At Richmond, he committed to one coach who left for another position and played for another two. His best season was his junior year, where he scored 12.6 points and grabbed six rebounds a night. Last season, he was asked to become more of a shooter in the Spiders? offense. He took 83 three-pointers, making 27 of them, and scored 10.2 points a night as a senior.
Steenberge went through several workouts in the early part of the summer with NBA teams and said they “went well.”
He understood the long odds of making an NBA and was thankful for the opportunity to play in Europe. He?s not giving up on his dream of playing in the NBA, but he realizes he can make a mark overseas.
“Hopefully, I can work my way back,” Steenberge said.
