Former UM players hoping to catch on with Israeli squad

Brian Asbury wakes up each day at 5 a.m.

A quick breakfast is followed by a three-mile run, and a few hours later the former Miami Hurricanes basketball player meets with ex- NBA standout Tim Hardaway. They work on individual drills for a couple of hours before Asbury heads to the gym to play pickup ball.

Asbury has his college degree but isn't ready to settle for working in the corporate world. He and four other former UM players still have aspirations of playing professionally.

That's why they were all at Nova Southeastern on Monday and Tuesday for tryouts with the Maccabi Haifa Heat, an Israeli Premier League team. The players are competing for a one-year contract. Salaries can range from $35,000 to $250,000 based on experience.

"Playing basketball, that's something I love to do," said Asbury, who completed his college eligibility last season. "I'll play wherever, go wherever they want. I'm going to try as long as I'm able to do it. This is what I want to do."

Asbury noticed a few familiar faces as he warmed up before tryouts began. Sitting in the first row was former teammate Raymond Hicks, a college power forward who is trying to make the transition to shooting guard. Hicks has played one season in South America, but he and agent Seth Cohen have made the rounds in hopes of landing with another team. So far their travels have taken them to Mexico and England for workouts.

"Sometimes, we have to leave the States just to get a workout," said Hicks, who last played for the Hurricanes in 2008. "You get to see other things, meet other people. It's always good to make contacts. We make new friends every day. That's the main thing about this business."

If Hicks and Asbury need advice on playing overseas, they can turn to former UM point guard Anthony Harris. After his college career ended in 2007, he had a brief stint in Anaheim in the NBDL. Basketball then took him to Hungary, where he played professionally for one season. Although he earned a salary close to $100,000, he said players should be cautious before deciding to leave the country.

"It's a big adjustment," Harris said. "You're 10,000 miles away from home. You don't have access to things that you're normally used to. It's not the same. You can't call home like you want to. Usually going home is a worry, but calling home is a worry now."

Still, that is unlikely to deter any of the players from pursuing their basketball careers. No one in the group, which also includes Gary Hamilton and Steve Edwards, is ready to eliminate something that has been part of life for so many years.

"It's been in my life so much," Hicks said. "I just want to ride it out until it's over. I'm going to ride the horse until it falls. They're going to have to drag me off the court."


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(orlandosentinel.com)