Catching up with former Notre Dame players in the pros

Notre Dame saw its professional basketball streak of sorts snapped this past season.

For the first time since 1969-70, an NBA season unfolded without at least one former Irish playing at the sport’s highest level. The 13 former Irish still playing professionally all are doing so overseas, or for the NBA’s devlopment league.

A year ago, Notre Dame had six players on an NBA roster at one time or another. But three of those players (Matt Carroll, Troy Murphy, Chris Quinn) have since retired. Three others — Luke Harangody, Ben Hansbrough and Luke Zeller — did not earn NBA roster spots for 2013-14.

Following is a recap of how former Irish fared this season. Players are listed alphabetically with years played at Notre Dame in parentheses.

TIM ABROMAITIS (2008-12)

Country: France.

Team: Strasbourg.

Record: 20-10, first place among 16 teams in the ProA (high) League.

Stats: Appearing in 31 games, Abromaitis averaged 7.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.2 steals in 16.9 minutes. He shot 58.6 percent from the field, 43.9 percent from 3 and 86.7 percent from the foul line.

Best game: He had 22 points with seven rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes during a 73-43 victory Nov. 24 over Pau-Lacq-Orthez.

Notes: Abromaitis also played in France for ASVEL during the 2012-13 season before earning a roster spot with the Boston Celtics for the 2013 Orlando Pro Summer League. He was not invited to fall camp and returned to Europe.

RYAN AYERS (2006-09)

Country: Finland.

Team: KTP.

Record: 25-19, fourth place in the 12-team Korisligia (highest level) League.

Stats: Ayers appeared in 40 games and averaged 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.7 minutes. He shot 54.7 percent from the field, 46.9 percent from 3 and 89.5 percent from the foul line.

Best game: He had 23 points with seven rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes Feb. 28 during a 91-86 loss to Pyrinto.

Notes: Ayers scored in single figures only seven times this season … He also has played professionally elsewhere in Finland as well as France and the NBA Development League.

RUSSELL CARTER (2004-07)

Country: France.

Team: Roven.

Record: 16-28, 14th in the 18-team ProB (second level) league.

Stats: The shooting guard appeared in 25 games and averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 21.8 minutes. He shot 41.2 percent from the field, 32.2 percent from 3 and 78.9 percent from the free throw line.

Best game: In a 74-68 loss to Orchy on Nov. 12, Carter scored 24 points on 6-of-10 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the line and had 10 rebounds in 29 minutes.

Notes: He also has played professionally in Columbia, France, Mexico and Venezuela.

JACK COOLEY (2010-13)

Country: Turkey

Team: Trabzonspor

Record: 13-17, ninth place among the 16 teams in the Turkish Basketball League.

Stats: Averaged 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 steals and .5 blocks in 22.3 minutes over 29 games. He shot 51.5 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from 3 and 68.8 percent from the foul line.

Best game: He scored 23 points and had 16 rebounds, two steals and a block in 36 minutes during an 83-80 loss to Tofas on Nov. 23.

Notes: Having played for a handful of teams during the 2013 summer league, including Memphis and Houston, Cooley has been invited to play this summer for Brooklyn, Cleveland, San Antonio and Utah.

TORIN FRANCIS (2003-06)

Country: Turkey.

Team: Olin-Edirne

Record: 8-22, 14th in the 16-team Turkish Basketball League.

Stats: Francis averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.6 blocks in 31.4 minutes over 30 games. He shot 59 percent from the field and 69.8 percent from the foul line.

Best game: In a 93-85 loss Jan. 25 to Karsiyaka, Francis had 20 points on 9-of-13 from the floor with 13 rebounds and three steals.

Notes: This was the third different stop for Francis in Turkey. He also has played professionally in Germany, Greece and Venezuela.

BEN HANSBROUGH (2010-11)

Country: Spain.

Team: Gran Canaria.

Record: 10-12, fifth place in the 18-team Liga Endesa (highest level).

Stats: Through Friday, Hansbrough was averaging 11.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.6 steals in 22.9 minutes over 29 games. He was shooting 52 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from 3 and 81.7 percent from the foul line.

Best game: He had 23 points on 8-of-12 from the floor and 4-of-8 from 3 with two rebounds and five assists Jan. 24 in an 89-60 victory over BdR Valladolid.

Notes: Hansbrough spent partial seasons with teams in Germany and Slovenia during his rookie year of 2011-12 before catching on as an undrafted free agent with the Indiana Pacers for the 2012-13 season. The 2011 Big East player of the year spent the 2013 summer league with the Pacers but was not invited to training camp.

LUKE HARANGODY (2007-10)

Country: Russia.

Team: Unics.

Record: 17-1, first place in the 10-team Group A (highest level) League. Unics also was 5-1 in EuroCup play.

Stats: Harangody averaged 7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 16.6 minutes in 23 games. He shot 59.2 percent from the field, 45.6 percent from 3 and 78.9 percent from the foul line.

Best game: He had 18 points and seven rebounds and two assists Dec. 18 in an 88-62 victory over MZT Skoje.

Notes: After registering 64 double-doubles for points and rebounds during his collegiate career, Harangody finished with one double-double this season. … He is the last Irish player selected in the NBA draft after going to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2010 draft.

RYAN HOOVER (1993-96)

Country: Italy.

Teams: Pallacanestio Triest, Fileni BPA Jesi

Records: Pallacanestio finished 11-19 and 12th place in the 17team LNP Gold (second level) league. Jesi finished 12-18 in the LNP Gold.

Stats: Hoover averaged 10.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.9 minutes over 15 games with Triest. He shot 32.6 percent from the floor, 45.9 percent from 3 and 97.5 percent from the foul line. He then played eight games with Jesi and averaged 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.3 minutes.

Best game: In an 87-65 victory April 6 over Aget Seville IM, Hoover had 15 points with one rebound and seven assists.

Notes: Jesi was the sixth different team Hoover has played for in Italy during his pro career.

SCOTT MARTIN (2010-13)

Country: United Kingdom.

Team: Newcastle.

Record: 28-5, first place in the 12-team BBL (high level).

Stats: Working as the team’s starting shooting guard, Martin averaged 14.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.3 minutes over 37 games. He shot 56.4 percent from the field, 33.8 percent from 3 and 63.3 percent from the foul line.

Best game: In a 129-70 victory Oct. 11 over Birmingham, Martin had 24 points on 8-of-13 from the floor with 16 rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes.

Notes: Martin had 18 double-doubles for points and rebounds in his first professional season after being limited to 18 games his final year at Notre Dame because of a knee injury.

KYLE MCALARNEY (2006-09)

Country: France

Team: Orleans.

Record: 16-14, ninth place in the 16-team ProA (highest level) League.

Stats: Averaged a team-high 14.3 points with 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.3 minutes over 29 games. He shot 53.9 percent from the field, 46.4 percent from 3 and 92.9 percent from the foul line.

Best game: McAlarney had 25 points with three rebounds and a steal in 36 minutes during a 74-69 victory Dec. 7 over Gravelines.

Notes: McAlarney recently signed a two-year contract to return to Orleans next season.

TY NASH (2008-11)

Country: Germany.

Team: Walter Tigers.

Record: 10-24, 17th place out of 18 teams in the BBL (highest level).

Stats: Averaged 10.2 points (second on the team) with 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 28.4 minutes over 33 games. Nash shot 50 percent from the field, 30.6 percent from 3 and 68.4 percent from the foul line.

Best game: He had 25 points with seven rebounds and two blocks in 32 minutes Feb. 23 during a 78-70 loss to Bayern Muenchen.

Notes: Nash, who has played three seasons with Walter, finished 2013-14 with two double-doubles for points and rebounds.

CARLETON SCOTT (2008-11)

Country: Italy.

Team: Juve Caserta

Record: 15-15, ninth place among 16 teams in the SerieA (highest level) League.

Stats: Averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 16.3 minutes over 30 games. Scott shot 58.5 percent from the field, 27.2 percent from 3 and 76.7 percent from the foul line.

Best game: Scored 15 points and had eight rebounds and three steals in a 74-68 victory Feb. 15 over Grissin Bon RE.

Notes: Scott, who bypassed a fifth year at Notre Dame for the chance to chase his NAB dream, has spent the previous two summer leagues with the Brooklyn Nets but has not played one regular-season game in the NBA.

LUKE ZELLER (2006-09)

Country: USA.

Team: Austin (Texas) Toros.

Record: 19-31, sixth place in the NBA Development League’s Central Division.

Stats: Averaged 5.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals in 19.5 minutes over 35 games. He shot 40.8 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from 3 and 83.3 percent from the foul line.

Best game: Zeller had 14 points with six rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes Feb. 23 in a 123-103 loss to Santa Cruz.

Notes: Zeller spent part of the 2012-13 season with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns before being released … He was one of 22 players to appear in at least one game this season for the Toros, an affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs.