Iowa State Cyclones center Georgis Tsalmpouris has decided to turn professional and forgo his three remaining seasons of eligibility. Cyclones head coach Steve Prohm made the announcement, which was reported by Rob Dauster of NBC Sports’ College Basketball Talk.
“We are happy for Georgios and his family that he’ll have the opportunity to realize his dream of playing professionally,” Prohm said. “We appreciate his contributions to the program. Georgios will always be a Cyclone and we wish him the best at the professional level.”
Just where Tsalmpouris, a native of Greece, plays next has not been made public. He has excellent size at 7-foot-1, 227 pounds, so perhaps he will head home in hopes of latching on with a team there and playing well enough to warrant being selected in the NBA Draft a few years down the road. Tsalmpouris appeared in just eight games as a freshman last year, averaging 1.4 points over 4.4 minutes per game.
Though some may frown at his decision to leave school and turn professional with such limited experience on the collegiate level, Tsalmpouris is still only 19 and has plenty of time to develop his game. He may not break out for a few more years, but he is obviously make the decision he feels is best for himself and his family.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to Des Moines Register
