Matt Haarms is going to start his pro career not far from his home in the Netherlands.
The former BYU center signed a two-year contract with Fraport Skyliners — a Frankfurt-based team that competes in Basketball Bundesliga, the highest pro level in Germany — the team announced Tuesday.
“I have always dreamed of playing basketball professionally and I am extremely grateful that the Fraport Skyliners give me this opportunity,” Haarms said in a press release. “I believe in the organization and the trainers and I am happy to work and live in such a great city.”
The 7-foot-3 Haarms played one season in Provo after three years at Purdue, and he averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.9 blocks per game for the Cougars last season. He was named the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season.
In May, Haarms announced he would forgo coming back to BYU for one last season and instead pursue a pro career. “It is time for me to move into the next chapter of my life,” he said at the time.
“We believe that Matt is a present and future player who brings a lot to the table and can help the team,” Skyliners coach Diego Ocampo said in a press release, as translated by Google Translate. “He’s a great player who is intimidating because of his size but still has good mobility. Offensively he is a complete player.”