Buzz Anthony ‘22 stars in rookie professional season while still bleeding lemon and black.

One of the biggest supporters of Randolph-Macon Men’s Basketball doesn’t even live in the United States, let alone Ashland. He’s across the Atlantic Ocean in Paderborn, Germany, getting up at 1 a.m. because of the six-hour time difference to watch the Yellow Jackets.

Buzz Anthony ‘22 has had a successful start to a professional career in Germany’s ProA league, leading Uni Baskets Paderborn in points per game (14.4), assists per game (7.1), and three-point percentage (36.7%) in his rookie season. 

And yet, he still bleeds lemon and black.The point guard sends texts to his former teammates, giving them guidance on their game and their journey through college. He also has a weekly call scheduled with RMC head coach Josh Merkel where the pair discusses life, leadership, and, of course, basketball. Anthony watches film of the Yellow Jackets and has even provided some coaching assistance from afar.

“We’ve put in some plays we’ve seen [Paderborn] have success with,” Merkel said. “One game in particular, I don’t know if we would have won without implementing some things that Buzz’s team is doing.”

Anthony’s success at the professional level won’t come as a surprise to anybody who watched his career inside Crenshaw Gym. His list of accolades is overflowing: Four-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year; Four-time All-American; 2022 D3hoops.com National Player of the Year; RMC record-holder for both career assists and career steals, while ranking in the top five for career points, three-pointers, and free throw percentage.And of course, there’s the one RMC fans will remember the most: Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship as the Yellow Jackets captured the school’s first-ever national title.

When the dust settled after the Yellow Jackets’ national title victory, Anthony was in Merkel’s office inquiring about what it would take to start a pro career overseas. Merkel reached out to a friend in coaching who had played internationally for 10 years, and that friend sent Anthony’s film to his former agent, Dave Gasman. Gasman signed on to represent Anthony, noting the Arnold, Md., native was better than players he had worked with from higher levels of college basketball.

With options to play in Cyprus and Germany, Anthony signed with Paderborn in late July and flew to Germany eight days later. His wife, Becca ’22 (an All-ODAC player in her own right), joined a month later.

Buzz and Becca have enjoyed the perks of city life in Paderborn, like being able to walk to grab a coffee or to and from practice. They’ve made friends and had the opportunity to travel on off-weekends, including a trip to the Netherlands. On the court, Buzz has emerged as Paderborn’s star point guard.

“I’ve really enjoyed the teammates I’ve had,” Anthony said. “The season’s been up and down, but we’re in a fight for a playoff spot now, so that’s got a lot of excitement around the city.”

While he’s undersized for the pro game at 5-foot-11, he makes up for it with great athleticism and an unmatched work ethic.

“He is chasing excellence in everything that he does,” Merkel said of his former point guard. “He’s so skilled; the ball is on a string. He’s an underrated athlete. He’s a good jumper, he’s got a great burst, he can change speeds, but he’s also got great balance.”

Paderborn’s free-flowing, offensive style has also allowed the mental side of Anthony’s game to shine.

“It’s a very read-and-react kind of system,” Anthony said. “I was able to pick it up quicker than maybe some other guys because as a point guard, you’re used to reading a lot of the game.”

Playing in a foreign country, being the new kid on the block, adjusting to a new culture can all be a challenge for a player. For Anthony, the moment where it all started to click was a home game in front of a raucous crowd against RASTA Vechta, the top team in the ProA. Anthony poured in a game-high 25 points and dished a game-high seven assists as Paderborn claimed an 86-80 victory.

“That was a really cool moment for me, individually, to show I’m here to stay and I can continuously compete at the highest level here,” Anthony said.

Playing in Europe comes with a level of uncertainty, as most teams operate on one-year contracts, but the opportunity is there for Anthony to have an extended career. When he does decide to hang it up, he’s already well-prepared for the career he has always intended: college coaching.

“The intensity of living life with the people in college, the intensity of compounding year after year, the redemptive story after a loss, a group of guys coming together, that’s what I love and that’s what I want to get into college coaching for,” Anthony said.

“He was a guy that, to me, was an extension of our staff. He was an assistant coach while he played for me,” Merkel said. “I look at [Marquette head coach] Shaka Smart, who played Division III. [Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations] Brad Stevens played Division III…If Buzz was an NBA head coach, I would not be surprised. In fact, I would say I told you so.”