IRVINE, Calif. – Former UC Irvine men's basketball standouts and recent graduates Jonathan Galloway and Eyassu Worku are both playing professionally together for KK Zadar in Croatia.

The 2020-21 season got underway in September where the two Anteater alum compete with KK Zadar in the domestic Croatian league and the international ABA league. Between the two leagues, Galloway and Worku will play about 60 regular season games from September to June.

With the season just beginning, Worku and Galloway are adjusting to life abroad. Galloway, who is in his second season of professional basketball, played last year in Denmark for the Bakken Bears. He averaged 8.2 points per and 8.9 rebounds per game in 2019-20. Galloway, UCI's all-time leading rebounder and the Big West's only three-time Defensive Player of the Year, found life abroad challenging but overall rewarding.

"I love life overseas. It's crazy thinking about the fact that I live in another country. I try my best to cherish every moment and experience the different cities I've been to," said Galloway. "However, there are a lot of ups and downs with being a professional athlete. Pro ball seemed like a whole new world my rookie season. In college, everyone is roughly within the same age range. But overseas it's completely different. I've had teammates that were 10 years older than me with families. Another difference is the level of talent. Many of the players are grown men that have been playing for years. Along with the level of talent comes a higher level of expectation. It's not like college where if you have a rough season you can come back the following year. Everyone is expected to produce, if not you risk being sent home."
 
Worku, a Big West All-Conference player and UCI's fifth all-time assists leader, graduated from UCI in June 2020 and immediately started to look for opportunities to play abroad. However, the pandemic slowed things down a bit and when he finally found a contract it was a quick move to Croatia.
 
"It was a long process because of the pandemic and it was very hard for rookies to find contracts. I stayed patient and prayed to get an opportunity to play and stayed ready by working out. I did have to move quickly when I signed. I signed and my flight was booked the week after so I had to pack and say goodbye to my family and friends," said Worku.
 
He added, "The move was very long tiring. I had troubles getting into the country when I first came in but everything worked out. I landed in Croatia after a 10 hour flight and moved into my apartment which is an awesome spot. The transition so far has been smooth. There has obviously been some ups and downs but I've been having a positive attitude about everything. The country is very beautiful and the people here are very nice and welcoming so I've settled very well over here."
 
Like Galloway, Worku is adjusting to the level of professional basketball and the young season. "The season has been going well. We are a very young team so we have had our ups and downs but we are getting better. I think the biggest difference between pro and college is the spacing and different defense schemes that people play so you must always be a step ahead of your opponent. Obviously, it is much more physical with everyone being much older but I'm learning the European way and getting better," remarked Worku.
 
Worku and Galloway trained together this summer and talked about potentially being able to play together overseas. Worku signed first in August and when he landed in Croatia he got a text from Galloway saying that he too had signed for Zadar and joined Worku about a week later.
 
"It's been great playing with him because we know each other's game and we keep each other accountable," said Worku. "Also, we push each other on and off the court. It has made my transition much easier because he is someone that I already know very well and being in a different country by myself I know it would be extremely difficult. Being away from my family and friends in general has been difficult for me but especially my family and close friends. Gallow also given me advice about how to carry myself as a rookie and play at a high level right away since he went though it last year. He has been a huge help no doubt."
 
Galloway also enjoys having Worku on his team. "Being on the same team again has been fun. We continue to push each other every day and Eyassu definitely has a bright future ahead. He hasn't needed much of my help. He's a great individual on and off the court. I've just shared with him my experiences as a rookie and other things to lookout for."
 
Galloway and Worku both played on UCI's historic 2018-19 team that compiled a program record 31 wins, Big West regular season and tournament championships and a historic NCAA Tournament run that saw the Anteaters upset Kansas State in the first round.
 
Both Galloway and Worku credit UCI for the smooth transition to the pro life and are thankful for the lessons they learned under head coach Russell Turner and the Anteater staff.
 
"Personally, I believe one of the most important things that UCI taught me was how to push myself. Both of my parents showed me what hard work was at a young age and playing at UCI allowed me to develop an even deeper drive. We have a competitive culture at UCI. Everyone involved in the program wants to be great and I owe it to all of my coaches and teammates for helping me reach the professional ranks," said Galloway.
 
"UCI prepared me very well to be a pro. The foundations that coach Turner has instilled in our program has helped me carry myself like a professional. Shooting off the move and spacing has been something that I learned at UCI and it has helped me have a smooth transition into playing pro," said Worku.
 
Galloway and Worku join the many other Anteater alum who have reached the professional ranks under Turner.