Josiah Strong signs pro deal

Champlin Park-alum Josiah Strong has signed his first professional contract as a basketball player, joining Bosnian team HKK Siroki ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Strong concluded his college career last season as a graduate student at Colorado State. He previously played for Illinois State. He played 758 minutes last season and went 72-for-182 on two-pointers, 21-for-98 on three-pointers, and had 46 assists. He had three blocks and 14 steals.

Colorado State went 25-11 last season, playing two March Madness games including a 67-42 win over Virginia and a 56-44 loss to Texas.

Siroki, based in the city of Siroki Brijeg, plays in the premier Bosnian basketball league, known in English as the Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The team also takes part in the ABA League, which features teams from across the Balkans region of Europe.

The 50-year-old basketball team finished top of the standings in the regular season for 2023/24 but dropped off in the later stages of the season and were eventually knocked out in the semifinals.