July 29, 2008

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria - Former Samford basketball star Travis Peterson will begin his professional career in Europe this week as the Bulldogs' 2008 graduate has officially signed a 10-month contract with the BK Rilski Sportist club.

The BK Rilski Sportist basketball club is located in Samokov, Bulgaria, only 20 minutes from the capital city of Sofia.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to play professionally," said Peterson. "The head coach is one of the assistants to the Bulgarian National Team and he said he wants me to play 35 minutes a game. I really think that I can play a key role on the team and I think it is going to be a great time to go over there."

Last season, Peterson held the nationally distinguished honor of being the only center in the country to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists per game. The Bulldogs' 6-foot-10 center averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists during the 2007-08 campaign.

A force on the defensive half of the court as well, Peterson also paced the Bulldogs with 41 blocks last season.

Peterson finished his illustrious four-year Samford career with 1,121 points, the 16th-highest total in school history. He was a staple in the Bulldogs' starting lineup since the 2005 season and became the 21st player in school history to reach the prestigious 1,000-point plateau.

Peterson earned Second-Team All-OVC honors as a senior and was named the team's Most Outstanding Offensive player. As a two-time All-OVC preseason selection, he compiled over 400 career rebounds and started in 88 of the team's final 93 games.

On Tuesday, Peterson began his travels to Bulgaria and will later start play in his first season as a professional athlete in August.

"I am really excited and ready to show people over there just how good we are," Peterson said. "It's a great opportunity for me to continue to play basketball and I'm also looking forward to getting to travel the world as well."