Evanston graduate James Farr has spent the summer improving his quickness, his jump shot and his knowledge of Hungarian cuisine and geography.
“I’ve been reading about goulash, which is a beef stew, and I heard it’s good,” Farr said. “I also know that Székesfehérvár, (the city) where I’ll be playing, is about a 45-minute drive from Budapest.”
Hungary became the first destination of Farr’s professional basketball career on Wednesday, July 6, when the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Farr signed a one-year contract with TLI-Alba Fehérvár, perennially one of that country’s top club teams. TLI-Alba lost to three-time defending champion Szolnoki Olaj in the finals of last season’s Hungarian national championship.
Farr, a Xavier alumnus who was third in the Big East in rebounding last winter, has been back in Evanston recently, training, playing basketball and spending time with family and friends. He is scheduled to leave for Europe on Monday, Aug. 15.
“It’s very exciting, but there are some nerves knowing that I’m going to be living in a different country for a year,” said Farr, who graduated from Xavier in May with a degree in sociology. “I am blessed. There are not many people who get to play the sport of their dreams after college.”
While the early part of the summer included some disappointment — Farr did not get invited to play in the NBA Summer League — he drew a fair amount of interest from overseas teams. Farr’s agent, Zachary Charles of 3pt Sports Management, said he and Farr also considered opportunities in Australia, Belgium, Greece and Italy before choosing TLI-Alba.
“I think this will be a successful beginning to his career,” Charles said. “Alba is one of the top teams in Hungary and (in 2016-17) they will play in the (fourth-tier) FIBA Europe Cup. Once James puts up the numbers we know he can, he’ll have a lot of opportunities (in 2017), whether that’s the NBA Summer League or something else (a bigger European league). I believe this puts him on a path to something bigger and better.”
Charles said Farr’s contract will pay nearly three times what he would have made in the NBA’s Development League and also includes an apartment, a car, meal money and insurance.
The agent said it was important to get Farr on a winning team like TLI-Alba, which has a recent history of successfully incorporating American players. Charles said he’ll be in regular contact with Farr and the club during the season, and said his company has an international partner, Tamas Deri, in the region to work on Farr’s behalf.
Farr said he’s been preparing for his European adventure by seeking advice from his agent and from former teammates and other acquaintances who have played overseas.
“Most of the advice is to stay aggressive and stay positive because there are a lot of things you can’t control,” Farr said. “You can’t control if you like the food in the country, or whether the gym is not as big as the college gyms you used to play in, or whether you have to take a bus when you were used to charter flights. You just have to stay positive and stay ready.”
As a senior for the Musketeers, who finished the 2015-16 season 28-6 after losing to Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Farr posted career-high numbers in points (10.7) and rebounds (7.8) per game. Prior to the season, Xavier coach Chris Mack said he talked to Farr about sacrificing some of his offense in order to focus on doing the dirty work on the boards.
“He bought in completely and because of it he may have been the most improved player in the Big East Conference,” Mack said in a statement.
However, Farr did not stand out at April’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a pre-NBA Draft showcase.
Farr had individual workouts for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks, but Charles said scouts currently are looking for quick big men with good ballhandling skills in the increasingly fast-paced NBA.
He believes Farr can get there physically and skill-wise, but it will take some work. This summer he arranged for Farr to work out with Chicago trainer Andre Battle, whose client list includes former Chicago Bulls center and NBA veteran Nazr Mohammed.
Battle has Farr lifting weights, boxing and working out on the beach in addition to honing his on-court skills.
A few months into the training, Farr said he’s seen improvement in his shot and ballhandling and felt his confidence grow. Now, he’s ready to chase his NBA dream, even if the road initially takes him to towns like Körmend, Zalaegerszeg and Szombathely.
“I’m playing basketball as a professional, making money to play the game I love,” Farr said. “I don’t view (playing in Hungary) as a step back. I look at it as a different route to where I want to end up.”
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press