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Romeo Travis, Dru Joyce III happy with chance to play pro basketball
By Michael Beaven
Special to the Beacon Journal
Published on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007
They forever will be linked together in Akron, yet this basketball season, they are separated in Europe.
Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce III have begun their professional basketball careers after both were standout players at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and the University of Akron.
Travis, who turned 23 on Dec. 10, and Joyce, who will be 23 on Jan. 29, are taking sep
arate journeys after signing one-year contracts in August.
Travis is playing in Spain; Joyce is playing in Germany.
Neither seems to mind finding himself far away from family and friends in Akron.
''I am extremely happy to go to Spain and play basketball,'' said Travis, who originally played with Alerta Cantabria of the LEB Gold league and now plays for Ciudad de Huelva. ''It's one of the top leagues in the world, the second-best league in Spain. I am really excited for a new experience.
''I'm open to new things. I am not nervous, I'm ready. It's time for a change. It's time for something new.''
Joyce shared in Travis' enthusiasm about playing abroad.
''I am definitely excited,'' said Joyce, who plays for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Bundesliga league. ''It's a great opportunity to pursue my career. I look at it as a profession now. This is my job and I look at it as something I like to do.
''I have never been completely nervous about it. It's not intimidating. I don't know what I am fully getting into, and that obviously presents a couple nerves, but my main thing is I am still playing basketball.''
As of last week, Joyce had played in 13 games, averaging 5.8 points and 1.9 assists in about 16 minutes per game. Travis appeared in eight games for Cantabria and averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in about 12 minutes a game. In his first two games with Huelva, he scored seven points and had seven rebounds in about 11 minutes per game.
Travis said the Spanish team spotted him at the NBA predraft camp in Portsmouth, then saw him play for the Cavaliers' summer team. Joyce was spotted during the college season and at a camp in Columbus.
''I have always had a vision of making this my career,'' Joyce said. ''This is going to be my 9-to-5 job. This is just the start. Hopefully, I play well enough in Germany to further my career. The main goal is to get back home and play in the States.''
Travis and Joyce were key players for the Zips in 2006-07 — a season when UA went 26-7, won the Mid-American Conference East Division, defeated rival Kent State three times and lost to Miami University 53-52 in the MAC Championship Game at Quicken Loans Arena.
Travis earned MAC Player of the Year honors and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American after averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and two blocks per game. Joyce was second-team All-MAC after averaging 10 points and 4.3 assists.
Special bond with coach
Keith Dambrot feels like a proud father, having coached both players at St. V-M and at UA. He has watched them mature and grow into men after seeing them as youngsters. He reflects on when Joyce was a 5-foot-3, 95-pound freshman who lifted St. V-M to a state title with seven 3-pointers and 21 points.
''I am happy for both guys,'' said Dambrot, whose UA teams were 68-27 in three seasons with Travis and Joyce. ''It is great that they get to continue their basketball careers. I knew they would. A lot of people expected Romeo to play professionally, but most people were not expecting Dru to.
''Dru has really turned out to be a heck of a player, and Romeo has gotten a lot of the individual accolades.''
Travis and Joyce said they think of Dambrot as not only their coach, but also a member of the family.
''Coach Dambrot has affected my life immensely,'' Travis said. ''He has been one of my pillars, both on and off the court. He is like a family member. I sincerely love coach Dambrot; I know he would be there to help my family if needed.''
Travis, who transferred to St. V-M in 2000 from Central-Hower, joined Joyce, future Cavaliers star LeBron James, Sian Cotton and Willie McGee to win two state championships and one mythical national title.
Before Travis' arrival, the Fighting Irish won a state title when the other four were freshmen. Dambrot was the coach for the first two title seasons.
''Coach Dambrot is more than just a coach. We have had a relationship where he is a great friend,'' Joyce said. ''I can go to his house and just hang out like a friend whenever.''
Adapting to change
Travis and Joyce join former UA teammates Rob Preston (Bulgaria) and Buchtel graduate Matt Futch (Mexico) as recent Zips who are playing professionally.
Both Travis and Joyce feel confident about playing in Europe, but each said adjusting to not having loved ones around takes time.
''There will be times where I will miss home, miss my family, my daughter and my friends,'' said Travis, who played on summer all-star teams that traveled to Italy and Chile.
Travis' Spanish is limited, and Joyce's German is in the developmental stage, but both said they are adapting and learning the languages and cultures.
''I have found myself to be a good communicator and I will definitely find a way to get my point across,'' Joyce said.
Legacy at UA
Travis and Joyce helped turn the UA program into a perennial favorite in the MAC, with consecutive 20-win seasons, an appearance and win in the National Invitation Tournament (over Temple) and an 81-42 record in four seasons.
''It's a tribute to them and the winning mentality that they have brought to their teams,'' Dambrot said. ''They put the team first, and generally when you do that, good things will happen to you as an individual.''
Travis and Joyce each said they plan on finishing their academic requirements and getting their degrees in communications. Travis is about 18 credits shy, and Joyce is around 12 credits away.
''I didn't just come here to play basketball; academics was part of the deal, too,'' Joyce said. ''I definitely want to finish. I am close. I'm coming down the home stretch and want to finish the race.''
Travis is UA's all-time leader in blocks (165) and ranks seventh in scoring with 1,491 points. Joyce is UA's all-time leader in assists (503) and games played (123), and ranks 31st in scoring with 1,046 points.
''I think we will be most remembered in Akron for being able to help bring Akron to prominence,'' Travis said. ''I was a player that helped turn the program around.''
They forever will be linked together in Akron, yet this basketball season, they are separated in Europe.
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