Leiden, NETHERLANDS --- Former Fresno State guard Braxton Huggins has a signed a one-year professional contract to play for Zorg and Zekerheid Leiden (ZZ Leiden) in the Netherlands.
"I am super excited and ready to handle business," Huggins said of signing his first professional contract. "I want to thank ZZ Leiden for giving me this opportunity and believing in me."
Huggins (Bakersfield, Calif.), who was the 2018-19 Mountain West Newcomer of the Year, delivered a memorable senior season back home in the Valley as one of the league's most dynamic scorers.
For the season, Huggins averaged a team-best 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his senior campaign. Huggins finished the season with 101 made 3-pointers, which is the fourth-most ever in a single season in program history, and set a single-game school record with 10 made 3-pointers in the Bulldogs' 121-81 victory over San Jose State on March 9.
Huggins, a 2018-19 first-team NABC District 17 and second-team All-MW honoree, helped the 'Dogs obliterate a 12-year-old school record with 342 made 3-pointers, which was 39 more than the previous record of 303 made 3-point field goals during the 2006-07 season.
Huggins also earned his bachelor's degree in criminology with an option in law enforcement this past May.
Prior to transferring to Fresno State in 2017, Huggins played his first three collegiate seasons at New Mexico State and helped lead the Aggies to three postseason appearances, including NCAA appearances in 2015 and 2017 and a NIT appearance in 2016.
ZZ Leiden is coached by Rolf Franke and won the 2019 National Basketball Bond (NBB) Cup in March. ZZ Leiden also finished third out of 10 teams in the Dutch Basketball League last season and reached the Round of 16 in the 2018-19 FIBA Europe Cup.
"We are very happy with the arrival of Braxton," Franke said of Huggins. "We have filled an important spot on the perimeter. We want to play basketball quickly and technically and this signing fits in well with that."
Huggins is the second player from last year's squad to sign a professional contract (Deshon Taylor - NBL's Adelaide 36ers) and joins a long list of former Bulldogs to continue their playing careers at the professional level.
Fresno State (23-9) has won at least 20 games in each of the past four seasons (five of the past six seasons) and reached the MW semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons. Fresno State first-year head coach Justin Hutson won more games (23) than any Fresno State head men's basketball coach in their first season in program history.
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