Bethlehem, PA – Former Lehigh standouts Austen Rowland and Brett Eppehimer have continued their success on the hardwood overseas in various locations and leagues.
Rowland just finished his first season with FC Kaiserslautern in
Germany’s B league, while Eppehimer has played for several teams in Germany, England, Spain, Greece, Romania and Albania. While Rowland is certain he will return to Europe for season number two, Eppehimer is unsure of what his future will hold.
Eppehimer, who ranks fifth in Lehigh history with 1742 points, has been fortunate to have landed in some pretty exotic locations throughout his international playing days. While in Spain, Eppehimer lived in Tenerife directly on the beach, while in Greece, he could see the Acropolis from his apartment building. Eppehimer’s brother Nick, who played his collegiate ball at Marist in New York, also plays professionally overseas, in Sweden. The two brothers have never faced off against each other on the court however, not during college or in the professional ranks.
During his first season in Europe, Eppehimer averaged 20 points and six assists for Braunschweig in Germany, before moving to Spain. There, the 5-11 guard played for Tenerfire Atun Canarias in one of the islands that makes up the Canary Islands. In 2001-02, Eppehimer switched teams again, this time playing for Haribo London Towers, where he pumped in 14 points per game. During his time in Greece in late 2002 and early 2003, he averaged 15 points per contest for Ilysiakos, before returning to Spain to play for Los Barrios Cadix where he scored ten points per game.
In November of 2003, Eppehimer signed with Sicilia Messina in Italy, while his latest team, Eurorida Scafati in Italy’s B league is where he's been since January 2005. Despite his success, Eppehimer is unsure of whether he will return next season, or he may opt to continue working as a real estate agent, which he returns home to do each summer.
Rowland had an outstanding first season in Germany, as the former Patriot League Player of the Year and All-American led his team in scoring at 21.6 points per game. Rowland also grabbed 4.6 rebounds, handed out 5.1 assists and recorded 2.7 steals per contest. Rowland led the team in minutes as well, averaging just fewer than 36 per game.
Rowland, who plays point guard for FC Kaiserslautern, earned an invitation to a European showcase last summer in New Jersey following his playing days at Lehigh. After a solid performance at the showcase, Rowland flew to Germany to compete in his first pro camp, which ultimately led to him landing his current role.
Other former Lehigh players that are currently enjoying successful careers overseas are Zlatko Savovic (’03) who was a First-Team All-Patriot League selection as a senior after pouring in 14.6 points per game, and is currently playing in Serbia, and Dozie Mbonu (’92) who is enjoying the game of basketball in Cyprus.
