PHILADELPHIA — When Nick Schlitzer finished up his stellar, four-year career at Philadelphia University this past spring, he didn’t want it to be the end of his basketball playing days.
Schlitzer had his sights set on turning pro, with Europe the most likely target.
It didn’t take very long for it to happen.
Schlitzer, a 2011 Pottsville graduate, signed his first professional contact late Thursday night, inking a deal with the Surrey Scorchers of the British Basketball League. Schlitzer didn’t want to disclose the financial terms of the contact, but he said it is for one year, a standard contract for a rookie.
“It is something I always wanted to do,” said Schlitzer, who is currently working towards his MBA in marketing at Philadelphia University. “It kind of seems weird that it is here right now. I always said when I was younger I didn’t want to work a desk job right away, I wanted to keep playing basketball as long as I can. This is the first opportunity I get to do that and I am thrilled and excited.”
Schlitzer will report to the Scorchers, who will be in their inaugural season, Aug. 23. They open the season Sept. 19 at the Bristol Flyers, while their first home game is Sept. 25 against the Newcastle Eagles.
Schlitzer’s name was all over social media and was the first story to come up on both the Scorchers’ and BBL’s websites Friday announcing the news. The Scorchers also had a #WELCOMENICK on the home page of their Twitter account.
Schlitzer, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, has taken part in two pro combines since he graduated from Philadelphia University to get himself some exposure. He attended an iBall United Pro Combine on May 30-31 at Pottstown High School, and just returned from the three-day, Oversees Basketball Combine in Las Vegas, Nevada, held July 10-12.
Schlitzer’s signing with the Scorchers started with Nathan Ningerly, Schlitzer’s agent based out of San Diego and who has been Schlitzer’s agent since mid-May. Kingerly got in contact with the Scorchers, and the club then got in contact with Philadelphia University head coach Herb McGee.
Surrey offered Schlitzer a contract about a week ago, and he believes it is the right situation to get into right now.
“It’s a top league in England, that’s a plus,” Schlitzer said. “The other thing is you get accustomed to the European game. It is good to do to it in a country that speaks the same language. So that is an easy transition for a guy going over for his first year. It is a respected league and if you do well, you can move up.”
The BBL is 13-team league with clubs throughout England that started play in 1987. Surrey is a county in the southeastern part of England, and borders London to its northeast. The Scorchers play their home games at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, which is 30 miles southwest of London.
Schlitzer is the third player the Scorchers have signed this month. They signed league veteran Tayo Ogedengbe, a 6-4 forward, on July 2 and D.J. Felder, a 6-7 power forward from Jacksonville State, on July 10.
Creon Raftopoulos was named the Scorchers head coach July 1.
Schlitzer graduated from Pottsville as the Crimson Tide’s all-time leader scorer with 1,884 career points. An all-around excellent player on both ends of the floor, Schlitzer averaged 17.7 points a game during his four-career for the Rams, who qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2012, ’14 and ’15 and won back-to-back Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference championships in 2014 and 2015.
Schlitzer finished his college career with 1,707 career points, good for 12th place on Philadelphia University’s all-time list. Schlitzer scored 566 points this past season and is a career 39.7 percent 3-point shooter, third in school history.
“Nick is one of the finest shooters that I have ever coached and is a tremendous team player,” McGee said in a press release from the university. “He was a great player for us and his accomplishments speak for themselves.”
Schlitzer hopes his play speaks for itself and can provide him the longevity in his career that he wants.
“My goal is to have a long career over there,” he said. “This is Step 1. You have to play well to stay over there. It is a harsh business. Obviously you want your team to win. The better the team does, the better you look, and they then bring you back for more money. If you are successful and help your team, then you can help your career. My goal has always been to play as long as I can.”