A dream becomes reality
By Staci Reafsnyder | Sports Editor
Once an ordinary University of Indianapolis student, former Greyhound David Logan is now living out his childhood dream, and every other basketball players dream for that matter. He is now playing in the professional league in Europe.
The former Greyhound basketball player just signed a two year contract with the Turow Zgorzelec team and was also recently named MVP of Poland’s Dominet Banke Ektraliga basketball league
“If you can’t beat them, join them I guess,” Logan said.
According to Logan, after he graduated in 2005, he started his professional career, signing to play in the second division of Italy. After passing up some job opportunities in his second year, he ended up signing with Poland for three months. Afterwards he came back to play with Turow again in his third year in Europe.
He led the league in scoring that season with an average of 19.7 points a game.
By signing with Turow this year, they team will play in the toughest league outside of the NBA, the Euroleague, starting in October. With Logan averaging 17.5 points in preseason play thus far, he has helped Turow to a 9-1 record.
“He’s a guy who loves playing,” said head basketball coach Stan Gouard. “He approaches every game like it’s his last.”
Logan’s spark for basketball came at the early age.
Born in Chicago, Ill., Logan said he started playing basketball around the age of six or seven. His uncle would take his brother and him to the lake front and shoot hoops three or four times a week.
When Logan moved to Indianapolis, he played eighth grade basketball for Westlane Middle School and continued his career at North Central High School.
“I played with David in high school,” said former UIndy teammate Eric Rhodes.
According to Rhodes, Logan didn’t play a lot of basketball at North Central his freshman and sophomore years. But David set the bar for the years to come, Rhodes said.
According to Logan he really didn’t blossom until his senior year of high school, averaging around 23 points a game. He also achieved a career high of 42 points in sectional play.
Rhodes also said that by the time David was a senior in high school everyone was in awe of his abilities as a basketball player. After high school, Logan came to UIndy to play for the Greyhounds.
“I chose UIndy because it was close to home, and [because former] coach Sturgeon said I would play a lot as a freshman,” Logan said. “I ended up breaking a lot of records at UIndy and [in the] GLVC.”
Gouard said it was a blessing to have Logan recruited to the UIndy team. He had qualified for Division I schools and could’ve easily played in the Big Ten.
According to Gouard, during the offseason, Logan would stay on campus and video tape his practices in order to critique them. He shot around 1,000 baskets a day, and worked on his ball handling.
“His work ethic is stronger than any basketball player I’ve seen,” Rhodes said. “He never was a bragger. You knew he was busting his butt practicing.”
During his senior year at UIndy, Logan averaged 28.6 points a game, leading the country in scoring and was also named player of the year in Division II basketball.
According to Gouard, Logan’s approach was entirely different going into his senior year. He practiced as hard as he would play in a game and his attitude was good. He never looked down on anyone.
Gouard said that Logan had a vision, to practice and become what it took to be a professional basketball player. His hard work and determination throughout his basketball career has led him to the basketball player he is today.
“It’s a positive thing for him,” Gouard said.
