Justinian Jessup is lighting up the EuroCup by playing the best basketball of his five-year pro career, which is saying something for the former NBA draft pick.
The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter out of Nome is averaging 18.7 points on 56% shooting along with 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists to key his German team’s 3-0 start in the tournament.
Jessup, 26, kept Ulm unbeaten after pumping in 27 points to propel Tuesday’s 94-76 road win over Lithuanian power Vilnius. The former Boise State star was lights out from the field, making 9-of-12 shots including five of seven from downtown. He also hit all four free throws.
The Alaskan didn’t just provide offense as he collected three rebounds and two assists before taking his first shot, which he made, to extend his team’s lead to 19-15. In the second quarter, he scored five points in 12 seconds. He had 10 points in the third quarter, including a 3 that made it 65-61.
Thanks to Jessup, Ulm is one of four unbeaten clubs among the 20 teams in the EuroCup, which runs through April’s title game. The 2020 Golden State Warriors’ second round draft pick leads the EuroCup in 3s on 12-of-21 shooting.
He arrived in Germany with a nice resume that included stops in the Australian NBL, where he averaged 13.2 points and hit 135 3s in 68 games before going to the famed ACB league in Spain, where he played for Zaragoza and averaged 11.6 points in 28 games.
Jessup’s 27 points are the most for a player from Alaska in the EuroCup since Anchorage’s Travante Williams also had 27 in 2021 for Portugal power Sporting.
Williams, who is now playing for Oradea of Romania, played in his first EuroCup game with his new team this week.
🇵🇹 Travante Williams in Oradea’s 77-75 win over Spójnia Stargard, in the FIBA Europe Cup:
• 5 points (1/4 2P, 1/3 3P)
• 4 rebounds
• 4 assists
• 1 steal
• 1 block
• +6 box plus/minus
• 26’17” minutes#SomosBasquetebol pic.twitter.com/SqXqi8nSjm— Borracha Laranja (@borrachalaranja) October 9, 2024
The former UAF standout leads all Alaskans when it comes to career games (24) and points (349) in EuroCup play.
This season’s EuroCup features a third Alaskan in Jeremiah Bailey of Fairbanks. The third-year pro player is in his first season with Sporting after spending his first two seasons in the United Kingdom.
In his tournament debut, he produced two points, three rebounds and three assists in a loss to Sassari of Italy. He averaged 13.5 points in two qualifying games to help the Portuguese team punch its ticket.
Bailey’s older brother, Kyle, played in the EuroCup in 2011 for Germany’s Gottingen.
In all, seven Alaskans have laced ’em up in the EuroCup.
MOST EUROCUP GAMES
24 – Travante Williams, Anchorage
15 – Doron Perkins, Anchorage
6 – Jacob Calloway, Juneau
6 – Ramon Harris, Anchorage
4 – Kyle Bailey, Fairbanks
3 – Justinian Jessup, Nome
1 – Jeremiah Bailey, Fairbanks