Former Tide Stars Reunite In Turkey

As teammates at the University of Alabama in 2003, forwards Kennedy Winston and Erwin Dudley helped lead Alabama to NCAA postseason play. Now the two will combine forces again, this time on the professional basketball playing level.

Kennedy Winston, a native of Prichard signed a contract on July 30 to play basketball for Turk Telekom, a Turkey-based team whose star is Erwin Dudley. Turk Telekom lost in the Turkish league championship final to Fenerbahce Ulker in 2008.

Dudley, the power forward from Uniontown who was the 2002 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and an AP All-America, has been playing for Turk Telekom the past three seasons. Dudley graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2003 following his senior season with the Crimson Tide.

Winston played for Alabama three seasons, leaving after his junior season in 2005 to pursue a pro career. He was a freshman at Alabama in 2003, Dudley’s senior year. The All-SEC small forward led the league in scoring in 2005 with his average of 17.9 points for the Tide and was a key player on Alabama’s 2004 NCAA Elite Eight team. Winston began his professional basketball player in Spain in 2005-06, playing for CB Gran Canaria. Moving to Greece to play the following season, he played for Panionios BC in 2006-07 and for Panathinaikos B.C. this past season in 2007-08. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds at Panathinaikos BC for the season. In 10 postseason games in 2007-08 for Panathinaikos BC, Winston averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds. His season highlight this past year was a 26 points performance against Olympiacos BC. Winston made seven of eight 3-point shots attempted in that game. He helped Panathinaikos win both the Greek League and the Greek Cup titles.

The Crimson Tide had several former players listed on European professional basketball rosters this past season. Proexposure, which follows the European league and its transactions, has a latest team list of those Tide players for this past season and/or the upcoming season. Its list includes Demetrius Alexander (Latvia), Michael Ansley (Poland), Evan Brock (Venezuela), Shea Cotton (Venezuela), Chuck Davis (Belgium), Dudley (Turkey), Rod Grizzard (Australia). MC Mazique (Finland), Earnest Shelton (Belgium), Kenny Walker (Czech Republic), Eric Washington (Finland), and Winston (Turkey).

Alabama has six former players currently making up NBA rosters including Charlotte teammates Gerald Wallace and Jermareo Davidson, San Antonio’s Robert Horry, Detroit’s Antonio McDyess, Milwaukee’s Mo Williams and Golden State’s Richard Hendrix.

Playing in the U.S. this past season in the Premier Basketball League was Chauncey Jones who played for the Quad City Riverhawks.