Prolonging a career in the overseas professional ranks entails a certain level of mental toughness.
Especially for Americans, who aren’t always utilized to their strengths in unfamiliar, foreign territory.
There’s a certain between the ears grit and willingness to be adaptive and assimilate to a new environment you must have.
There’s also a desire and readiness to the mindset of being far away from home, being able to pack up everything and leave the homeland at the 11th hour when a new contract opportunity presents itself.
For Indiana native Michael Ramey, the process is a familiar one.
Even prior to his emergence as a deadeye 3-point triggerman, a creator and focal point in Mexico, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound combo guard experienced a nomadic campus to campus odyssey in his collegiate days.
Now, after brief roadblock, which included another roadblock that included a pass through in Mexico, Ramey has signed a one-year contract with Condores de Cundinamarca in the Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano , Colombia’s premiere league. It is Ramey’s 11th professional contract since pursuing the professional route.
Staying active in the here today, gone tomorrow world of the overseas professional landscape, Ramey has readied himself for a scoring role.
The former Southern Mississippi guard brings NBA 3-point range, a facet of his game evident during a breakout 2017-18 season with Centauros de Chihuahua of Mexico. Ramey averaged 29.2 PPG that season, solidifying a bigger contract during the ensuing fall.
The Journey Continues
The vagabond lifestyle of an overseas pro doesn’t faze Ramey. He’s been here before. He knows the road to success entails sacrifice. It’s also never straight.
His well traveled and seemingly unpredictable collegiate career is emblematic of this truism.
Ramey initially committed to Ball State after surfacing as a three-time All Marion County selection during a career which saw him surpass the 1000-point milestone at Southport HS in Indiana.
He was recruited by then Ball State assistant coach Mitch Gilfillan, the former Lehigh University point guard who was sold on Ramey’s ability to spread the floor as a kickout shooter and score it in consistent fashion.
The plot shifted, however, when Ramey transferred after a brief stay and acclimatized to the Florida JUCO ranks, playing at both Miami Dade College in South Florida and then Seminole State, where he established himself as one of the best 3-point marksmen in the country and hovered over 55 percent from beyond the arc.
Ramey’s brief stay at Seminole State enabled him to revitalize his career, landing him a role as a two guard at Southern Miss.
His offensive torrent of six consecutive three-pointers, which catapulted his team to a Conference USA victory over North Texas his senior year, is embedded in program lore.
Now, Ramey has made tweaks to his game and become more of a prolific scorer while simultaneously adding to his all around game.
“He has a pro’s game now,” said John Parker of Rush The Court Training, who has worked with Ramey and numerous professionals, including nine NBA draft picks.
“He was known for his shooting coming out of high school. His game has evolved. He can now make plays with the ball in his hands for himself or his teammates. His work ethic is unmatched.”
