Former Cecil College athlete to play basketball in Croatia
Published on July 19, 2024
NORTH EAST, Md: Former Cecil College men’s basketball player Khalid Gates has signed a contract to play professional basketball for KK Marsonia in Croatia. KK Marsonia is a franchise of the First Men’s Basketball League, representing the town of Slavonski Brod, Croatia.
“I am excited for Khalid as he has worked very hard to get where he is,” said Cecil College Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Ed Durham. “I am extremely proud to have witnessed his growth during his time here and to see the continued growth. The Cecil staff are happy for him, and I am sure his family is super proud.”
Professional basketball in Croatia is organized in a two-tier format. The franchise that wins the Second Men’s Basketball League title is elevated to the First Men’s Basketball League, also known as the Premier League.
Gates spent the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons playing for the Seahawks. He was the catalyst behind the Cecil College men’s basketball team his sophomore year, which qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament for the second time in three seasons. The six-foot-five forward from Washington Academy in the nation’s capital was the leading scorer for the Seahawks with 15.6 points per game average.
Gates, a general studies major, was named All-Region 20 First Team as he averaged 7.8 rebounds per game and his scoring average. He was honored as a First Team All-American for NJCAA Division II men’s basketball and was selected to compete at the 2022 NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Twenty-four athletes from across the three divisions of the NJCAA were selected. Cecil College is a Division II program.
The Seahawks finished the 2021-2022 season with a 27-4 record after winning the Region 20 championship before attending the national tournament in Danville, Ill. Gates was a member of both teams that qualified for the national tournament, with the Seahawks placing third in the nation during the 2018-2019 season. The 2020-2021 season was canceled due to the pandemic.
Gates finished his career as a Seahawk with 671 career points, 452 coming from the 2021-2022 season.