CHICAGO (November 1, 2019) – A handful of former Loyola University Chicago men's basketball student-athletes are off to strong starts to the 2019-20 season with their respective professional teams overseas.
 
Clayton Custer, the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, is averaging 5.0 points and 2.4 assists per game for WKS Slask Wroclaw, which owns a 2-3 overall record in the Polish EBL. The 6-foot-1 point guard, who has been coming off the bench for WKS Slask Wroclaw, turned in his best outing of the young season on October 5 when he totaled 11 points, four assists, a rebound and a steal in a 98-94 loss to MKS Dobrowa Gornicza, the former team of Custer's Loyola and high school teammate, Ben Richardson. In a 99-82 victory over Polpharma October 24, Custer, who is playing his first season of professional basketball, contributed seven points, a pair of assists, a rebound and a steal in only 11 minutes of action. 
 
Jordan Hicks, who wrapped up his Loyola career in 2013, is currently suiting up for Union Tours in France. Through six games, the 6-foot-6 Rochester, Minnesota native is accounting for 6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 1.5 apg for a Union Tours team that sports a 5-1 overall record, which puts them in second place in the French NM. He went for a season-high 15 points and added three boards in an 80-73 decision over Toulouse on September 24 and most recently registered five points, three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals in an 87-39 pasting of Lorient on October 25.
 
After opening the season by playing in the Ukraine, Aundre Jackson has moved on to Cyprus, where he is off to an hot start to the season for BC Apollon Limassol in the Cypriot OPAP Basket League. In two games with the team, the 2017 MVC Sixth Man of the Year is tallying 15.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 2.0 apg. The 6-foot-5 forward made quite an impression in his first game with his new team, pouring in 18 points and adding eight rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals in an 88-75 win versus E.N. Paralimni on October 19. He tallied 13 points and added eight boards and a pair of helpers Sunday to help BC Apollon Limassol slip past Omonia, 86-85.
 
Ben Richardson, who just signed at the beginning of October with BK Geosan Kolin in the Czech Republic, has provided instant impact, averaging 15.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg and 3.2 spg through six outings. Wednesday, he collected 17 points, four caroms and three steals to lift BK Geosan Kolin to an 82-58 win against BK Olomoucko. The 2018 MVC Defensive Player of the Year and 2018 NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player has scored in double figures in all six games this year and produced a season-best 22 tallies versus BK Decin October 9 in just his second game with the team.
 
In five games with Sport Club Corinthians Paulista in Brazil, former Rambler Tracy Robinson, a 2008 Loyola graduate, is contributing 9.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.2 apg. The 6-foot-7 forward put up seven points and dished out three assists last Saturday in an 85-70 victory over Sao Jose.
 
Long-time European star Blake Schilb, a three-time All-Horizon League selection during his Loyola career, is going for 10.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 3.2 apg with Champagne Chalons-Reims in France. In a setback versus Limoges CSP Elite last Saturday, the versatile guard racked up 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. On October 18, he had a perfect shooting night, hitting all six of his field goal attempts and three tosses from the charity stripe to finish with 16 points, matching a season high, while also pitching in six rebounds in a 98-91 victory versus Nanterre.
 
Marques Townes, the 2019 MVC Player of the Year, is in his first season with Universidad Catolica de Murcia in the Spanish Liga Endesa, where he is recording 5.5 points per game and is shooting 55.6 percent (5-for-9) from the field in two appearances. The 6-foot-4 guard notched four points against Fuenlabrada October 20 in his most recent action.
 
Two other Ramblers, Milton Doyle and Donte Ingram, are set to begin their seasons in the NBA G League. Doyle, who in 2017-18 became the first Loyola product to appear in an NBA game, will play for the Windy City Bulls this winter, while Ingram, a 2018 MVC Second Team All-Horizon League pick, was recently acquired by the Greensboro Swarm.