Several Pittsburgh-area college hoops standouts are now balling out in Slovakia

March Madness usually means a fun distraction at the close of winter. But to the athletes at the heart of the madness, it means something far different.

For most, that final college game will be the last time they play the sport they love at such a high level. Many elite players go on to compete for precious few NBA roster spots. Thirty or so have the talent and good fortune to earn guaranteed contracts at that level. Others settle for the G-League — the NBA’s low-paying minor league — with hopes of earning a call up. 

More adventurous hoopers crisscross the globe playing ball for the highest bidders. Five former U.S. college basketball standouts — including some with ties to the Pittsburgh area — chose the latter option and, today, find themselves in Bratislava, Slovakia. R.J. Gunn (Duquesne University), Dontay Caruthers (University at Buffalo), Isaiah Cousins (University of Oklahoma), Shamiel Stevenson (Pitt and University of Nebraska), and Trent Buttrick (Penn State and University of Massachusetts) all star for BK Inter Bratislava, a team that simultaneously competes in the Slovak Basketball League (the Slovenská Basketbalová Liga to the Slovaks) and the European North Basketball League. As spring breaks, these talented basketball nomads hope to bring home a championship for their fervent Bratislavan fans. 

March 7, 2025: Gopass Arena, Bratislava

On this unseasonably warm, 65-degree Thursday evening, the team has practice at their home arena, located near the center of Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital. They are coming off a road victory the night before and have a big home game scheduled for Saturday. Tonight, they just stretch and have a light shoot-around. Afterward, Gunn and Caruthers take some time to shed light on their overseas experiences.

Both had successful collegiate careers and had no trouble finding agents to represent them. Like the large majority of overseas professional hoopers, they are working their way from lower-paying leagues to higher-paying ones (such as those in France and Italy); the Slovakian league is somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to overseas ball. 

After Gunn obtained his master’s in leadership from Duquesne, he started his career with a team in the Netherlands. He spent the following summer playing in Colombia and, while there, signed his contract with BK Inter Bratislava. 

Caruthers has spent more time in the professional ranks. After he obtained his master’s in educational studies from Buffalo, he spent a short time in the G-League. He then played in Germany for a couple months before COVID derailed the season and led to him taking a year off from basketball. Taking time off tends to scare teams away, so Caruthers had to take a step down in competition and work his way back up to the bigger leagues. He spent time playing in Bosnia and Macedonia before signing with BK Inter Bratislava near the start of the current season. 

Gunn, a South Carolina native, describes Slovakia as “a very chill place,” likening it to a cold-weather northern state in the U.S. Caruthers, a Rochester, N.Y. native, describes Slovakia as “one of the best places” where he has played. 

While the transition from the U.S. to Europe has been relatively smooth for both talented young men, as expected, their experiences have included some minor bumps in the road. Gunn chuckles about arriving in Europe without the adapters needed to power his electronic devices. Caruthers has taken up cooking to get a taste of home without having to settle for fast food every day.   

Gunn and Caruthers have a positive arrangement with BK Inter Bratislava. Because the team provides them with housing, meals, and use of a vehicle, they can bank a decent amount of their salary. While frequent games and practices keep them busy, they still find time to immerse themselves in the local culture. When the weather allows, they set out on foot to explore the city. They sample the local cuisine. And they spend time in nearby Vienna, Austria.   

They speak positively about their experiences with the club. Caruthers explains; “The people here have treated us as their own [and] show[n] nothing but respect since we arrived.” 

The feeling is mutual. Team manager Andrej Hyza praises the Americans’ talent and character; he describes all of the Americans on the squad as good guys. As a result, the team has good chemistry and has experienced quite a bit of success so far this season. That success has not come without challenges, and their foe on Saturday may pose their biggest challenge yet. 

March 8, 2025 – Gopass Arena, Bratislava

Tonight, Inter Bratislava BK clashes with Patrioti Levice for the fourth time this season. Patrioti Levice, which has its own cadre of talented U.S. players and is seeking its fourth straight league title, came out on top in each of those prior meetings.  

Gopass Arena — BK Inter Bratislava’s home venue — hold​s​ up to 4,500 fans. This is more of a hockey and soccer city, so less than half the seats are filled for tonight’s big game. Still, the fans who do show up make their presence felt. They’re into the game from start to finish, led by two fans seated near courtside who incessantly bang on drums. American hip-hop music is played during warmups and virtually every stoppage in play.

Gunn, Caruthers, Cousins, and two Slovak players start the game. They get off to a slow start, and Patrioti Levice takes a 22-13 lead at the close of the first quarter, much to the displeasure of Bratislava’s head coach, Aramis Naglić. Naglić stands around six-foot-eight, has a shaved head, and looks like a villain from a James Bond movie. He was a member of Croatia’s 1992 silver medal-winning team — a team that would have likely won the gold, had the U.S. not sent the Dream Team to compete in Barcelona that year.

In the second quarter, the team turns the game around. 

Gunn, a six-foot-seven, all-around talent does whatever the team needs, helping to facilitate the offense and pulling down tough rebounds. Caruthers, a six-foot-one point guard, is a pest on defense and turns that defense into offense. Isaiah, a six-foot-four guard, provides a consistent scoring punch. Stevenson, standing six-foot-six, is an ultra-athletic perimeter player who makes tough shots. Buttrick, who just joined the team last month, is six-foot-nine and provides an inside presence. 

It’s an excellent all-around team effort, with the Slovak players making key contributions as well. In the end, Bratislava finally takes down their nemesis 81-73. Gunn, acknowledging that Patrioti Levice is “a really good team,” explains that “it is important to pull out those kinds of wins.”  

The Slovak Basketball League season comes to a close later this month. That’s when true career uncertainty begins for these hired guns. It’s not necessarily a bad thing — They’ve all had strong seasons and should have no shortage of suitors for their talents. While there is the possibility of remaining in Slovakia, players who enjoy the level of success they’ve enjoyed this season tend to end up elsewhere in Europe, Asia, or… who knows.

​​Slovakia has been a good fit for them, ​but ​there are higher-paying leagues out there, and professional basketball players have a limited window to maximize their earnings. Such uncertainty would cause most a great deal of anxiety. But this is the life these talented ball players chose — they get to play the game they love in front of adoring fans, all while receiving a cultural education few others are fortunate enough to enjoy.

This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2025.