KTE-Duna Aszfalt Press Release
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Although he is more than two years removed from being named the Great American Conference Player of the Year, SWOSU Basketball alum Rod Camphor still considers Weatherford as his second home and he has returned to his alma mater to prepare for his third season of playing professional basketball overseas.
On Wednesday, it was announced by KTE-Duna Aszfalt – an A Division team from Hungary – that they have signed Camphor to a one-year contract. Camphor will join the team after playing for the Bayer Giants of the German Pro-A league last season and playing his rookie season with Nevezis from the Lithuanian league. He departs for Kecskemet, Hungary near the end of August to accept the first guaranteed contract of his career, one that runs from September through April.
"This was a good career move for me," Camphor said of the signing. "I've been able to have some success early in my career, but my teams haven't done that well. I was trying to find a good fit for me and this was a perfect opportunity for my career and I'm excited to play in Hungary."
Camphor has filled up the stat sheet early in his professional career. He played in 16 games for the Bayer Giants last season, averaging 15.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. In his rookie season, he appeared in 39 games for Nevezis, putting up 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In joining KTE-Duna Aszfalt, he's hoping to take the next step of his career and compete in the postseason.
"I had a couple other offers, but they weren't as great of a fit and situation as this," Camphor said. "My new team finished two games out of the playoffs last year, but if I work hard I think I can help them make it back this year. It's good now that I don't have to work about getting a contract, I can work on training and focus on that for the rest of the summer."
Camphor played two seasons for the Bulldogs, concluding his eligibility in 2014 by being named the Great American Conference Player of the Year. He was named First Team All-GAC, Second Team All-Central Region (Daktronics), First Team All-District (NABC) and Honorable Mention All-American (Division II Bulletin). In addition, he became the first player from the Great American Conference to be selected for the Reese's Division II College All-Star Game, where he scored a team-high 17 points for the East All-Stars.
Though he hails from Baltimore, it's Weatherford that Camphor calls home in the offseason, thanks in large part to the support of the community and the relationships built with his former college coaches. He is a regular visitor at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center and the SWOSU Strength facility, where he works out alongside of current members of the Bulldog Basketball team.
"It's a small town, no distractions," Camphor said about returning to campus when he's not in season. "I can focus and work my hardest because good things happen when I come back here. I've built a strong relationship with Coach (Bob) Battisti, he's the best coach I've ever played for, and Coach (Kris) Johnson is like an older brother for me."
