Former Louisville forward signs pro deal overseas as basketball journey continues

Louisville basketball found out some exciting news for a former Cardinal as Noah Waterman signed a professional deal overseas in Japan. The 6-foot-11 forward only spent one year with Louisville, but played six years in college and showed he has the potential to be a solid role piece overseas.

Waterman doesn't want to quit on his basketball dream just yet, as the 25-year-old was signed by Yamagata Wyverns, a team in Japan’s B-league division. The former Cardinals spent two years with Detroit Mercy and then two years with BYU before finally transferring to Louisville with the Cardinals center Aly Khalifa.

In his lone season with the Cardinals, it was a disappointment as the forward was inconsistent in his 20 games, but still was a valuable piece off the bench when the injury bug hit Pat Kelsey. Waterman averaged  6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 36.9 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Former Louisville forward signs pro deal overseas

Waterman will look to get healthy and recover from Louisville's March Madness run and be a key piece for the Wyverns. The 6-foot-11 forward has the potential to be a valuable asset as he enters his final year with the Cougars. In his final year, he averaged 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The forward can stroke it from deep, as he made 206 3-pointers in his college career, including that last season with BYU, where he splashed 57. While the Cardinals didn't necessarily get the best version of Waterman, the fans, of course, will always support a former Louisville Cardinal and wish him the best overseas.

Waterman did have some special moments with Louisville, including his season-high 16-point performance against Indiana, which was highlighted by four 3-pointers. Another key game came against Florida State, where he found his shot yet again, connecting on four 3-pointers, and ending the game with 15 points.

The former Cardinal scored 190 points last season for Louisville and 1,090 points in his collegiate career. Waterman will now travel overseas and try to make the transition to the pro-level and keep his dream alive.

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