Gamecocks in the Pros

Former Jacksonville State guard Walker Russell (2003-06) became the first Gamecock to play in the NBA on Jan . 20, 2012, when he was signed by the Detroit Pistons and made his debut against the Memphis Grizzlies in the same day . An All-OVC player for the Gamecocks and a member of JSU’s 1,000-Point Club, Russell played the remainder of the 2011-12 season with Detroit after a five-year career in the NBA Developmental league that saw him earn multiple all-star nods and average 15 .1 points, 8 .3 assists and 3 .4 rebounds per game .

Nick Murphy

Former Jacksonville State forward Nick Murphy (2007-11) played three seasons in the NBA Development League, two with the Iowa Energy and one with the Tulsa 66’ers . He averaged eight points and two rebounds in his final pro season in 2014 . Murphy finished his JSU career as the school’s Division I record holder for points and rebounds, while his 1,498 career points ranks him fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list . Murphy grabbed 679 rebounds in his four seasons, just 20 away from landing him in the top 10 on the all-time rebounds list .

Norbertas Giga

Former Jacksonville State forward/center Norbertas Giga became the first Gamecock since Russell to suit up in an NBA uniform in the summer of 2018 . The Kaunas, Lithuania native received an invitation to mini camp with the Philadelphia 76ers, aced the tryout and was named to the Sixers’ NBA Summer League roster less than a week later . Giga made his NBA Summer League debut July 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring four points on two shots with an offensive rebound . He posted a summer-high 12 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on July 12, scoring four points with an assist, a rebound and two steals . He grabbed a summer-best four rebounds July 15 against the Memphis Grizzlies, had one steal and scored a point in his final game . Following the Summer League, Giga signed to play basketball with Rytas Vilnius of the Lithuanian Basketball League . He has since spent four seasons playing in Lithuania, one in Poland, and 2022-23 begins his first in the Iceland Express League .

Jamall Gregory

During the 2019-20 season, former JSU guard Jamall Gregory became just the third Gamecock to compete in an NBA G League (formerly the NBA Development League) game . The Washington D .C . native played three games with the Capital City GoGo, the G League affiliate of the Washington Wizards .

Gregory was a two-year letter winner for Jax State following his JUCO career at Chipola College . The 6-foot-3 guard became quickly known for his thunderous dunks and hops that earned him the No . 1 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 once and the No . 2 highlight twice . Following the 2018-19 season, Gregory was invited to the College Slam Dunk Contest in Minneapolis, Minnesota . Gregory finishing third in the annual skills competition and received a standing ovation from guest judge/Minnesota Timberwolves star Derrick Rose after his first slam .

Former Gamecock star Jason Burnell is entering his fourth professional season in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the FIBA Basketball Champions League (BCL) . He signed with Pallacanestro Cantù on July 17, 2019 . In his first professional season, Burnell averaged 11 .7 points, 5 .2 rebounds, 1 .5 assists and 1 .1 steals in 20 Serie A games . Burnell then signed with Dinamo Sassari on June 6, 2020 where he averaged 11 .3 points and 6 .8 rebounds per game . On July 8, 2021, he re-signed with the team following a short stint on the Denver Nuggets’ Summer League roster .

Darian Adams

JSU’s 2022 Eagle Owl Award winner became the latest Gamecock to begin his professional playing career, signing with the Glasgow Rocks during the summer of 2022 . Prior to his first season, the franchise rebranded as the Caledonia Gladiators . The Glasgow, Scotlandbased team compete in the British Basketball League, the top tier of British basketball . Adams recently wrapped up his stellar JSU career guiding the Gamecocks back to the NCAA Tournament last March . The 6-foot-3 guard from Montgomery, Ala ., led the Gamecocks in scoring last season en route to his second-straight first-team all-conference honor . He scored more than 900 points and dished over 200 assists during his two seasons with the Red and White . Immediately following his collegiate career, Adams was selected to compete in the 3x3U national championship in New Orleans at the 2022 NCAA Final Four .

Jalen Gibbs

A 6-foot-3 guard from Indian Head, Md ., Gibbs made his one-and-only season with the Gamecocks count in 2021-22 . In addition to guiding JSU to just its second Division I NCAA Tournament, Gibbs became one of the hottest shooters in the nation from beyond the arc . His 77 three-pointers were the third-most in a single season by a Gamecock . That November, he established JSU’s Div . I program record for points in a single game when he scored 40 on the road at Elon . He signed his first professional contract with the Giessen Pointers in August 2022 . The Giessen Pointers play in Germany’s Pro B league . Officially, the Pro B is part of the Basketball Bundesliga, which consists of the two hierarchical leagues ProA and ProB . At the end of the league stage, the winning team of the playoffs in each division, qualify for the ProA .

Kayne Henry

Former Jax State star Kayne Henry signed his first professional contract over the summer, joining the Kirchheim Knights of Germany’s ProA division . Henry, a 6-foot-7 forward out of London, England, spent three seasons with the Gamecocks . He averaged just under 10 points during his 89 career games, shooting 49-percent from the field and 35-percent from long range . As a senior, he helped JSU win the ASUN Conference championship and earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament . Prior to his start with Kirchheim, Henry competed for Team England in 3x3 basketball at the 2022 Commonwealth Games . He team won the championship, earning his home country’s first-ever Commonwealth Gold medal in basketball .

Brandon Huffman

Following his two seasons at JSU (2020-22), Huffman signed professionally with Bornova of the Turkey TBL . The big man’s size made him a staple for the Gamecocks in the post, and his early games at the professional level proved no different as he collected 12 and 13 rebounds in his first two outings in October 2022 .