Bowling Green State University Athletics
Toledo Blade Feature on Len Matela
June 27, 2002 | Men's Basketball
June 27, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio - Len Matela took a 4 a.m. flight out of Chicago on Tuesday, crossing the Eastern United States, the Atlantic Ocean and half of the European continent. Matela hopes the journey takes him even farther - to a career in professional basketball.
The 6-9 graduate of Bowling Green State University will work out in front of officials from the Italian National Basketball League over the next week, and hopes the informal audition leads to a fulltime position in the top pro league in the country.
"I look at this as a great opportunity for me, a chance to earn a paycheck for doing what I really enjoy, playing basketball," Matela said. "They told me to be ready for lots of playing - to be in 40-minute game shape - so I've been running a lot and lifting weights. They've looked at film, and said they wanted to see me play in person."
Matela, who grew up in Merrillville, Ind., just east of Chicago, is represented by Chicago-based agent Herb Rudoy, who has NBA players Toni Kukoc and Pau Gasol among his clients.
"My agent has a lot of contacts, and he set this up," Matela said. "He said the play is physical, and he pointed out that the league has strong ties to the NBA in America."
Matela will be working out for Benetton, a team based in Treviso, a city just north of Venice that is located near the Adriatic Sea in northeastern Italy, not far from the Alps. Benetton Treviso, coached by former Marshall University standout Mike D'Antoni, won the league title this past season.
General managers and coaches from other Italian professional teams also will attend the workout, which will feature other American players.
Matela hopes to be offered a contract while in Italy, and if he signs with a team he would return to Europe in August or September to prepare for the fall season.
"This is a great thing, just to have the chance to play for pro coaches and team reps over there," Matela said. "I plan on just relaxing and not putting any pressure on myself. I play better when I relax and do the things I've learned while playing in college. I feel like I've got a real solid foundation; now I have to play hard and show them what I can do."
Matela averaged 15.9 points per game and better than eight rebounds per game as the Falcons went 24-9 in his senior season. BG finished 12-6 in the Mid-American Conference and Matela led the league in shooting at 59 percent from the field. He was a second-team All-MAC selection.
