Ludlow, Vermont's Tyler Kathan Goes Pro In England Basketball League

Kathan goes up for two.Published in The Green Mountain Outlook
Former Black River and Springfield High School basketball stand out Tyler Kathan, who also starred at Keene State College, recently signed a contract and is playing professional hoop in the England Basketball League (EBL). Established in 2003, the EBL is a semi-pro basketball league in England, which forms the second tier of competition below the professional British Basketball League.
In high school and after playing two years for Black River under Coach Martin, Kathan played his junior and senior years for Springfield High School under coach Hatl before moving on to play Division III college hoops at Keene State College in Keene, NH. Tyler graduated in 2009 after a stellar career for the Owls, finishing third on the schools’ all-time scoring list with 1,805 points and third in rebounds with 939.
In his senior season, Kathan averaged 18.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, while being named Co-Little East Conference Player of the Year. Tyler was also named the NH Division III Coaches Association Player of the Year, and was also chosen a D3Hoops.com third team All-American.
Five months ago Kathan signed a contract to play for two EBL teams, the Division II Northampton Neptunes and the Leicester Warriors, a team transitioning this season from Division II to Division I. So how exactly does one find his way from Keene State College to the England pro league?
"It was the Neptunes who found me," Kathan said in a recent interview. "They had just recently had a couple players from the New England area and they thought I would be a good fit, but they are not a part of the EBL this season. This year, the coach for the Warriors asked my coach to play and to bring his two best players with him, so that's how I got on the team."
Kathan moves it around the perameter.Because the Neptunes were not part of the EBL this season, it allowed Kathan to get the experience of playing for both teams. The Neptunes season is nearly over, while the Warriors season continues into July. Kathan also does some youth basketball coaching at local primary schools, which is a part of his contract. "I really enjoy that part of it," Kathan added. "I really like coaching these kids, and I've always wanted to coach, so I feel this is just another avenue into that aspect of basketball."
Since joined the Warriors, Kathan has certainly created an impact, including a 30-point effort against the Bristol Academy team in mid December, in which he hit six 3-pointers in the second half in a 93-84 comeback win. In the previous game against the London Leopards, Kathan also had a 21-point effort in a 92-85 Warriors win.
So how does the competition in the EBL compare to the competition at Keene State?
"It's really hard for me to tell if the competition in the EBL is higher, because the way we play here is much different than the college level," Kathan added. "The guys I'm playing against now are much taller, stronger and more physical than the guys in college. However, it is not as much of a team game as it is in college. Because there is a 24 second clock here, it is much more difficult to run a streneous offense like it is in school, there is a lot more one-on-one play and ball screens here."
The Leicester WarriorRight now, Tyler Kathan is living the dream of being able to continuing his basketball career beyond the college level, and is enjoying the experience of living overseas, broadening his game through learning a different style of play and even helping to teach young people the fundamentals of the game.
Sounds like a very sweet deal to this sports editor.