Jaguars in the Pros

Basketball | Golf | Baseball | Former Pros

Basketball

(Name/Current Team/Current League/Years at ASU)

Garrett Siler, Phoenix Suns, NBA, 2005-2009
After playing for the Shangai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association for one season after college, Siler was invited to the 2010 NBA summer league, where he impressed scouts enough to sign a two-year deal with Suns. Atlanta and Miami were also in the running to sign him.

In his first NBA season, Siler averaged 2.1 points and 1.3 rebounds a game while backing up Robin Lopez, the 15th overall draft pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He scored a career-high eight points in just three minutes against Oklahoma City in March. The Suns went 40-42.

At Augusta State, Siler led the Jags to three straight NCAA Elite Eight appearances, and holds the NCAA record for career field goal percentage.

http://www.nba.com/home/playerfile/garret_siler/
Greg Hire, Perth Wildcats, National Basketball League (Australia), 2009-2010
Hire plays for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL as a rotational player, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game last season.

At Augusta State, Hire posted a home record of 57-4, bringing new meaning to the term 'home court advantage.' He helped the Jags to a Final Four and Elite Eight appearance, averaging 5.4 points and rebounds a contest while starting every game his senior year.

http://www.nbl.com.au/teams/wildcats-home/team/greg-hire/

Ben Madgen, Sydney Kings, National Basketball League (Australia), 2007-2010
As a rookie in 2010-11, Madgen averaged 10 points and three rebounds a contest en route to winning the NBL Rookie of the Year award. He shot 45.6% from the field, including 38% from behind the arc as the Kings went 8-20.

At ASU, Madgen compiled an astounding career that saw a national title game appearance and consecutive straight Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He owns the scoring record in the Peach Belt Conference, was the second player even named All-Conference all four years, and led the Jags to their first PBC Tournament win in six years.

His number, 1, was retired March 3, 2010 in a ceremony before ASU's first round game against Armstrong Atlantic in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

http://www.nbl.com.au/teams/kings-shortcut/team/roster/ben-madgen/
Fred Brathwaite, Leipzig, 2009-2010
Currently plays professionally in Germany.

As a Jaguar, Brathwaite helped his team to consecutive Elite Eight appearances, leading the team with 21 points and seven rebounds in the Final Four versus Cal Poly Pomona. He averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game his senior season.
 A.J. Bowman, Ola Verde, 2005-2008
Bowman currently plays professionally in Mexico.

At ASU, Bowman was near the top of the nation in field goal percentage and points per game, averaging 20.5 points in the 2006-07 campaign while shooting 53.1% from the floor and grabbing 7.5 rebounds a contest. He averaged 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds a game his senior year, including 26 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a block in the 2008 NCAA Division II National Finals.

His number, 23, has been retired.

Kavossy Franklin, Harbour Heat, New Zealand NBL
Franklin signed with the Heat in the offseason after playing for the Wollongong Hawks from 2008-09.

He began his professional career with the Sydney Kings in 2003, winning an NBL Championship that season. His 2007-08 campaign ended with a nomination as All-NBL Third Team.

In one season at ASU in 1998-99, Franklin averaged 20 points and 5.4 rebounds, nailing 40 percent of three pointers. He was named PBC Conference Player of the Year and Daktronics All-Region First-Team.

Golf

(Name/Current Tour/Years at ASU)

Vaughn Taylor, PGA Tour, 1996-1999
Taylor struggled in 2011, failing to place in the top-20 once all season.

He began playing on the PGA Tour full-time in 2004, and has carded two wins (2004/2005 Reno-Tahoe Open), eight top-three finishes, and 27 top-ten results. He led on day three of the 2007 Masters, winding up tied for tenth in a career-best major finish.

In his time as a Jag, Taylor earned honorable mention All-America honors as a senior, carding ten top-20 finishes. He led ASU to two NCAA Championship appearances, and three NCAA Regionals, including a No. 15 ranking in 1998. He capped his career with a 71.62 stroke average, a school record at the time.

http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/023325/vaughn-taylor/
Jamie Elson, European Tour, 1999-2001
In 2011, Elson netted a second place finish at the Joburg Open in Europe for his highest-paying finish to date, and had three top-10 finishes.

Elson has played in Europe for the past six years; he has accrued two second-place finishes and four top ten results overall. Elson has “made the money” in nearly half of his events, and won the 2003 Volvo Finnish Open while playing on the Challenge Tour.

In three seasons at Augusta State, Elson was named an All-American twice, once to the second-team and another to the third. He posted ten top-20s, eight top-10s and five top fives in his final year, including a tie for second at the NCAA Championships at Duke University Golf Club.

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=31697/bio/index.html

Scott Jamieson, European Tour, 2002-2005
Jamieson enjoyed a banner year in 2011, posting five top-ten and seven top-15 finishes, highlighted by a third place finish in The Barclays Scottish Open and BMW International Open. He also competed in The 140th Open Championship, (finishing 125th) and US Open (157th).

Jamieson has been on tour for four years, beginning in the Challenge Tour before being promoted in 2010 after a strong finish, capped by six straight top-20 finishes.

As a senior at ASU, Jamieson garnered All-American and NCAA All-Independent Player of the Year honors while firing a team-best 16 rounds of par or better. He ran off a string of five straight top-13 finishes, won The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, and played on the Palmer Cup team, going 2-2.

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=34771/index.html

Oliver Wilson, European Tour, 2000-2003
Wilson struggled a bit in 2011, carding one top-15 finish. He played in The 140th Open Championship, ending up 157th.

He has enjoyed professional success, with nine second-place finishes on tour. In 2009, he finished 24th in The 138th Open Championship, marking his best major championship finish. He scored an epic comeback in the 2008 Ryder Cup, roaring back with Henrik Stenson to come back from four down and beat the team of Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim 2 and 1.

As a Jaguar, Wilson put together one of the best careers in ASU history his senior year, earning four wins, 14 top-5s, and 30 top-20 results. He became the first three-time All-American in school history, and was the No. 1 ranked golfer in the nation for a two-week span before settling for a final ranking of No. 11. He competed in the Walker and Palmer Cups for Britain, winning both.

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=33164/index.html
 

Major Manning, Nationwide Tour, 2003-2006
Manning finished a career-best tied for fifth at the South Georgia Classic in 2011, and placing 103rd on the Nationwide Tour money list. He ranks 12th on the tour in driving distance.

He turned pro in 2009 after a successful career at ASU, earning two All-American selections and shooting an eight-under 208 in the NCAA West Regional. He was the round one clubhouse leader at the 2005 NCAA Championships before finishing fourth individually.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/03/28/75/

Henrik Norlander, Challenge Tour, 2008-2011
Norlander turned professional after playing the in the 2011 Palmer Cup, one week after winning a second consecutive NCAA Division I National Title for Augusta State. He competed in European Tour Qualifying School, failing to advance by one stroke. He also carded two top-20s in the Norweigan Challenge and Credit Suisse Challenge.

At Augusta State, Norlander was a three-time All-American, won four tournaments, and had a career stroke average below 72. He ended his career ranked 16th nationally.

http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/players/playerid=34964/index.html

Patrick Reed, 2010-2011
Reed turned professional in 2011 after winning the NCAA Championship and being named a First-Team All-American. He has advanced past the first stage of European Tour Qualifying School, and looks to attempt qualifying for the PGA Tour soon.

He played in the 2011 FedEx St. Jude Classic and Wydnham Championship on a sponsor's exemption on the PGA Tour, posting a missed cut and 66th place finish, respectively. He also competed in two Nationwide Tour events, notching a 25th place finish and a missed cut.

As a Jaguar for two seasons, Reed garnered two All-American selections and finished third individually in the 2011 NCAA Championships. He ended the year ranked fourth in the nation.

http://espn.go.com/golf/player/_/id/5579/patrick-reed
   Jake Amos, EuroPro Tour, 2008-2009
Amos took to the PGA EuroPro tour in 2011, posting back-to-back top-30 finishes in The Lingfield Golf Park Championship 2011 (T27) and Network Veka Classic (T28). He placed 15th in the first stage of Q-school before finishing 45th in the final stage.

As a Jag, Amos competed in the NCAA Championships in 2008, and helped led Augusta State to a second-place finish in the NCAA East Regional. He notched his first career collegiate victory at the Mason Rudolph Invitational.

http://europro.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/europro11/profile/jamos9/tresults.htm
Wallace Booth, Challenge Tour, 2004-2007
Booth suffered a shoulder injury in 2011, hampering his chance to build on a successful 2010 campaign that saw him win the First Qualifying State, Section C at Dundonald Links, and card a 281 (-3) for a 54th place finish in the Roma Golf Open 2010 Presented by REZZA.

As a Jag, Booth competed in back-to-back NCAA Regionals, and won the The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in 2007. He was named an All-American Scholar.

http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/players/playerid=36363/index.html
  James Heath, Challenge Tour, 2003
Heath moved up to the Challenge Tour in 2011 after winning the EuroPro Tour Championship the year before to qualify. He carded two top-10s in the Norweigan Challenge (sixth) and Scottish Hydro Challenge (eighth), with an eleventh-place finish at the M2M Russian Challenge Cup as well. He made the cut in 14 of 20 tournaments.

In one season at Augusta State, Heath tied for seventh individually at the NCAA East Regional at Auburn University Club in 2003, and finished tied for 42nd in the NCAA Championships.

http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/players/playerid=32432/index.html
  Janne Kaske, Challenge Tour, 2006-2009
Kaske didn't play for most of 2011, entering the First Qualifying Stage Section A – Ebreichsdorf and finishing 50th.

At Augusta State, Kaske helped the Jaguars to a spot in the top-25, and won The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in 2009. He finished tied for 55th in the 2009 NCAA Regional.

http://www.jannekaske.com/p/esittely.html

Gary Murphy, European Tour, 1992-1994
Murphy kept bouncing between European Tour and Challenge Tour events, scoring a 21st place finish in the Austrian GolfOpen presented by Lyonness to score a 10,000+ Euro payday.

He has enjoyed a lengthy career on the European Tour with 13 top-10 finishes, including finishing tied for third in the 2008 Irish Open and fourth in the 2003 Barclays Scottish Open. He has earned over two million euros in career earnings on the European Tour.

Murphy carded what was then the fifth-best season in school history, tying for 13th in the NCAA East Regional as a freshman with a 73.8 stroke average. He had five top-20 finishes his sophomore season.

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=309/index.html
Jay Haas, Jr., eGolf Tour, 1999-2003
Haas Jr. rode an up-and-down year in 2011, making five of nine cuts on the eGolf Tour. He earned a 25th place finish at the Bolle Classic at Sapona Country Club in June.

As a Jag, Haas enjoyed a run to the NCAA Championships in 2003, shooting a 9-over 236 in the Regionals to finish tied for 36th.

http://tarheel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/tarheel11/profile/jhaasjr7/tresults.htm

Mitch Krywulvcz, eGolf Tour, 2007-2011
Krywulvcz grabbed two top-20 finishes in 2011 on the eGolf Tour, placing 18th in both the Bolle Classic and Salisbury Classic in October.

Krywulvcz was a key member of ASU's back-to-back National Championships, scoring victories in both championship matches, including the down-to-the-wire clincher in 2010.

http://tarheel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/tarheel11/profile/mkrywulycz7/tresults.htm

Carter Newman, eGolf Tour, 2007-11
Newman struggled inititally, failing to make the cut in his first two tournaments before roaring to a fifth-place finish in The Southern Open, shooting a 14-under 27. He has three other top-50 finishes on the season.

He was part of the back-to-back title teams, dominating in the 2011 final with a 7-and-5 victory after clinching ASU's spot in the final with an extra-hole victory in the semis.

http://tarheel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/tarheel11/profile/cnewman41/tresults.htm

Baseball

(Name/Current Team/Years Played at ASU)

Shannon Wilkerson, Salem Red Sox, 2007-2009
Wilkerson spent last season playing high-A ball in Salem, batting .251 in 102 games with 10 homers and 39 RBI, scoring 54 runs along with 13 stolen bases.

Signed in 2009 as an eighth-round draft pick, Wilkerson began his minor league career with the single-A Lowell Spinners, batting .264 in 31 games with 10 doubles, 11 RBI, and five stolen bases.

At ASU, Wilkerson was the 2009 NCAA Division II Player of the Year, batting .441 with 24 HR and 82 RBI. He tacked on 17 doubles, seven triples, and 13 stolen bases to go along with a .502 on-base percentage for the campaign.

Minor League Baseball Stats

http://www.soxprospects.com/players/wilkerson-shannon.htm

Former Pros

  Richard Johnson, PGA Tour, 1991-1995
Johnson won the Nationwide Tour money title in 2007, winning the Mark Christopher Charity Classic and Nationwide Championship. Made a hole-in-one on a 374-yard par four in the New Zealand Open, the second player in Nationwide Tour history to do so. His best finish on the PGA Tour was a tied for 27th at the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/02/31/57/
  Taylor Smith, PGA Tour, 1985-1986
Smith had a banner year in 1996, notching two top-five finishes. He is best known for being disqualified in a 1996 tournament for having the grips on his long putter too close together, breaking an little-known PGA Tour rule. The disqualification prevented him from playing in playoff against Tiger Woods. Smith passed away in 2007 at the age of 40 in his home in Texas, but will always be remembered for interjecting the phrase 'Can you believe it?' throughout conversation.

http://www.pgatour.com/2007/r/07/23/maginnes/index.html

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/2007-08/gw070803fields
  David Park, Challenge Tour, 1995-1996
Park gave up playing on the European Tour in 2009, opting to become the charity executive of the Tour Players Foundation in 2009. His best major finish was 79th in the 2002 Open Championship, and he carded three wins, including the 1999 Compaq European Grand Prix by one shot over David Carter and Reteif Goosen.

He started his ASU career hot, winning the Wolfpack Invitational and ended it just as well, winning the Palmetto Invitational and forcing the NCAA to choose between ASU and VCU for the final NCAA Tournament berth.

BBC story on giving up golf: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8082762.stm

http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/players/playerid=7993/index.html
  Gary Boodnikoff, NBL (Australia), 1999-2002
Boodnikoff's professional career was marked by longevity, as he racked up over 250 starts in Australia's National Basketball League, primarily with the Cairns Taipans. He is regarded as one of the faces of the NBL, despite being hampered by leg injuries the past few seasons.

As a Jag, Boodnikoff capped his career by averaging 19.5 points a game, shooting 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc. He helped ASU to two consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, notching 10 points and five rebounds in a win over Johnson C. Smith in the first round of the 2002 tournament.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/01/27/89951_local-sport-news.html