Justin Watts
| No. 19 – Takamatsu Five Arrows | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / Small forward |
| League | bj league |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
July 1, 1990 Durham, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Jordan (Durham, North Carolina) |
| College | North Carolina (2008–2012) |
| NBA draft | 2012 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2013–present |
| Career history | |
| 2013 | Rockhampton Rockets (Australia) |
| 2014 | Mineros de Caborca (Mexico) |
| 2014–present | Takamatsu Five Arrows (Japan) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Justin Lee Watts (born July 1, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Takamatsu Five Arrows of the Japanese bj league. He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina.
High school career
Watts attended Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina where was a three-time all-conference selection for coach Kim Annas. As the team captain his senior year in 2007–08, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 rebounds per game as he was named the Pac-6 Conference Player of the Year and the District 6 Player of the Year.[1]
College career
In his freshman season at North Carolina, Watts was a member of the 2009 national championship team. He had a season-high nine points and four rebounds in Maui against Chaminade. In 27 games, he averaged just 0.7 points per game.[1][2]
In his sophomore season, Watts' role increased only slightly. He made his first college start on December 12, 2010 against Presbyterian and finished with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a career-high 22 minutes of action. In 23 games, he averaged 1.7 points in 6.2 minutes per game.[1][2]
In his junior season, Watts' role again increased only slightly. He scored a career-high 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor in the win over Hofstra, marking his first career double-figure scoring game as a Tar Heel. In 34 games, he averaged 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game.[1][2]
In his senior season, Watts' role dropped slightly. In 38 games, he averaged 1.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game.[2]
Throughout his college career, Watts was co-captain on a team who were perennial finalists with multiple players every year being drafted to the NBA, and although his opportunities were limited playing alongside numerous NBA recruits, he still made an impact when he was on the court, as his versatility allowed him to play multiple positions from point guard to power forward.[3]
Professional career
Watts went undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft and subsequently did not play professionally in 2012–13.
Australia (2013)
In March 2013, Watts signed with the Rockhampton Rockets for the 2013 QBL season.[3] Playing alongside fellow starters Stephen Weigh, Michael Kingma, Brad Williamson and Mitch Philp, the Rockets dominated the QBL, as they went on to win the 2013 championship with a 102-95 grand final win over the Brisbane Capitals.[4] In 18 games, he averaged 22.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.[5]
Mexico (2014)
In March 2014, Watts signed with Mineros de Caborca of Mexico for the 2014 CIBACOPA season.[6] On March 28, Watts made his debut for Caborca in the team's season opener. Playing the entire game, he recorded 36 points and 6 rebounds in an 86-97 loss to Zonkeys de Tijuana.[7] In 21 games, he averaged 22.8 points per game.[8]
Japan (2014–present)
On August 20, 2014, Watts signed with the Takamatsu Five Arrows of Japan for the 2014–15 bj league season.[9] On January 9, 2015, he was named a Western Conference All-Star to compete in the 2015 bj league All-Star Game.[10]
Personal
Watts is the son of Gregory and Linda Watts. His cousin, Hank Poteat, played eight NFL seasons with Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, New England and the New York Jets.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Justin Watts Biography". GoHeels.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Justin Watts Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Rockets to blast into 2013 season with new recruit, Watts". TheMorningBulletin.com.au. March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Rockampton Rockets beat Brisbane to win the QBL Championship". TheMorningBulletin.com.au. August 30, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Player statistics for Justin Watts – QBL". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ Williams, Guy (March 13, 2014). "US star Justin Watts bouncing his way to Mexico not Rocky". TheMorningBulletin.com.au. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Mineros vs Zonkeys". FIBALiveStats.com. March 28, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Player statistics for Justin Watts – CIBACOPA". SportingPulse.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- ↑ Odeven, Ed (August 21, 2014). "Grouses remain in transition as preseason looms". JapanTimes.co.jp. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
- ↑ Odeven, Ed (January 9, 2015). "Rosters finalized for bj-league All-Star Game". JapanTimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
External links
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