Giddings signs to play pro basketball in Cyprus

The small Mediterranean island of Cyprus is known more for its beaches than its basketball, but one former Spider will be spending most of his time there on the court.

Former University of Richmond forward Jarhon Giddings, who finished his college career last season, signed a professional contract on Sept. 15 to play for ENAD, a First Division team in Cyprus. Giddings left for Cyprus on Sept. 21 to begin training with his new team.

Giddings played for the Spiders for four years, but battled injuries during the beginning of his career. Last season, he was named team captain and started all 36 games, averaging eight points and four rebounds per game.

The team chose Giddings as a captain because of his work ethic, personality and ability to lead the younger players, head basketball coach Chris Mooney said.

"He always had a great voice," Mooney said. "He was a guy the younger guys could trust and look up to."

Giddings said he had been working out every day since he finished his senior season with the Spiders and hired a personal trainer to get into better shape.

Giddings had always wanted to continue playing basketball, but also considered trying to find a more typical job in the United States. But the job market and circumstances of the ENAD offer made it an opportunity he thought he should take.

"This year, with the economy, jobs were hard to come by," Giddings said. "This was the best thing I came upon. It's a beautiful country and a competitive league, so I think it's a great opportunity."

Giddings will now hope to carry the same success he had with the Spiders to Cyprus, a country where the basketball is similar, but the culture is much different. The country's two official languages are Greek and Turkish, both of which use alphabets and characters much different from English.

"The language is different," Giddings said. "There are different types of food. It's going to take some time to get used to."

In Cyprus, ENAD will supply Giddings with a place to live until the end of the season. The team includes players from Cyprus, the United States and other European countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Georgia, according to its Web site.

The First Division league in Cyprus consists of nine teams that all play each other twice during the season, with the top eight teams making the playoffs. The last-place team each year is relegated to the Second Division, while the first-place team automatically qualifies for the FIBA EuroChallenge basketball tournament.

Based on Giddings' attitude and personality in college, Mooney said he thought the transition to a new country would not be too difficult for him.

"I think he'll thrive in dealing with that kind of change," Mooney said. "He's very intelligent and willing to learn and he's curious about different cultures. He's not going to be the guy looking for the nearest McDonald's."

With Cyprus' proximity to Greece and other European countries, Giddings said he hoped to get the opportunity to do some traveling, but that his focus would be on basketball first.

"Hopefully I have the chance to see Greece and Cyprus," Giddings said. "There are some nice beaches there and museums and things I can visit. But the focus will be totally on the team and our success over there."

Mooney said Giddings' versatility on the court could make him effective in almost any offense or any role he was put in.

"If he's needed to make a 3-point shot, great," Mooney said. "If he's needed to play center, great. I expect he should be able to contribute fairly early and regularly."

Even with the many cultural adjustments Giddings will need to make, he was confident that he and his teammates would share a common goal that would allow them to work together successfully.

"One thing we're going to have in common is that we're all going to want to win," Giddings said. "Whatever language or cultural barriers there are between us, the common bond we will share is that desire to win."

Contact staff writer Reilly Moore at reilly.moore@richmond.edu