Walter Roderick Sellers
(born August 7, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. He played at
Wilson High School in his native
Florence, South Carolina
Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropolit ...
, and played
college basketball at
UConn, where he was an all-conference performer in his senior year in 1992. After going undrafted in the
1992 NBA draft
The 1992 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1992, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The draft is considered to be one of the deepest in NBA history. The top three picks (Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner) were considere ...
, Sellers opted not to sign for the
Grand Rapids Hoops, which had selected him first overall in the
CBA draft, and instead went to
Europe, starting his professional career with
Greek side
AEK Athens. Sellers spent his whole career in Europe, playing in Greece,
France,
Italy,
Spain and
Turkey: he appeared in three
Euroleague seasons and in 1999 he was the
FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer. In his 14-year career he has won 1
French league The French League (: "French League for purging, mutual aid and European collaboration") was a collaborationist French movement founded by Pierre Costantini in September 1940. Its journal was entitled '' L'Appel''.
Bibliography
* Pierre Phi ...
, 2
French cups, 1
Italian Supercup and 1
Semaine des As.
High school career
Sellers was born in
Florence, South Carolina
Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropolit ...
: his father died when he was 12, leaving Sellers alone with his brother Patrick, who was one year older than him.
Sellers attended
Wilson High School in Florence, where he initially played
baseball, but after injuring his eye he dedicated himself more to basketball; a member of the varsity team since his sophomore year,
in his junior year he was considered among the best players of the team together with his brother,
and he was named Conference Tournament MVP.
In his senior year Sellers was tall, and weighed ;
in 27 games he scored 583 points (21.6 average), grabbed 416 rebounds (15.4 per game) and shot 197/314 (62.7%) from the field. He was a second-team all-state selection and he was named 5A Conference Player of the Year.
College career
Sellers was not recruited by major colleges until his junior year; in his senior year his brother was playing at
Central Connecticut State and CCSU's coach named Sellers to
Howie Dickenman, an assistant coach at UConn.
Despite interest from coach
Jim Satalin of
Duquesne, Sellers signed for UConn in May 1988. In his first year Sellers chose jersey number 22 and he debuted on November 26, 1988 against
Hartford, posting 13 points and 12 rebounds: throughout the season he performed inconsistently,
and the one against Hartford was the only double double of his season.
He played 16.7 minutes per game
and averaged 3.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. He was second on the team in rebounds per game behind senior
Clifford Robinson, and third in blocks behind Robinson and Willie McCloud.
In his sophomore year coach
Jim Calhoun promoted Sellers to a full-time starting role, and the center started 35 of his 37 games. On December 9, 1989 Sellers shot 11-for-12 from the field against
Maine, for a field goal percentage of 91.7%, which at the time was the best recorded in UConn history. The record has since been surpassed and is the third-best as of 2019. Sellers led the team in blocks (0.8 per game) and in field goal percentage with 53.8% of his shots converted.
[''UConn Men's Basketball 2019-20 Media Guide'', 2019, p. 127.] He was also the fifth-best scorer on the team with 8.2 points per game, and the third-best rebounder with 5.3. In his junior season Sellers had 10 double doubles, the first of which was a 21-point, 10-rebound performance against Hartford on November 27.
On January 10, 1991 he recorded a career-high 14 rebounds along with 13 points against
Central Connecticut.
On February 27, 1991 Sellers scored 21 points and had 12 rebounds against
Seton Hall.
On March 14, 1991 he had 13 points and 10 rebounds against
LSU, battling opposing All-American center
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
during the
1991 NCAA tournament.
Coach Calhoun increased Sellers' minutes to 30.8 in the 1990–91 season,
and the center led the team in field goal percentage with 55.4%.
Sellers had also increased his scoring average to 11.7 points per game – his first season in double figures – and he was the team's leading rebounder with 8 per game.
In his senior season Sellers started all of his 29 games. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds against Hartford on November 22, 1991,
and on February 2, 1992 he scored his 1,000 point in a game against
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
. On February 8, 1992 Sellers had 19 rebounds in a game against Seton Hall, which as of 2019 it is tied for most in a single game in UConn history (together with
Emeka Okafor's 19 on December 7, 2002). In that game he also scored 17 points.
[''UConn Men's Basketball 2019-20 Media Guide'', 2019, p. 137.] On February 22, 1992 he had a 19-point, 16-rebound double double against
Providence, and on March 4 he posted 18 points and 14 rebounds against Syracuse.
On March 21, 1992 he recorded his last career double double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in a game against
Ohio State during the
1992 NCAA tournament.
He was the best rebounder on the team with 8.7 per game,
and he led the team in field goal percentage for the third straight season, with 59.2%.
Sellers was also the third-best scorer on the team with 12.3 points per game behind
Chris Smith and
Scott Burrell. That year he was included in the
All-Big East Third Team.
He scored a total 1,143 points and started 112 career games, the 7th most for a UConn player as of 2019.
[''UConn Men's Basketball 2019-20 Media Guide'', 2019, p. 122.] He also ranks 19th for most games played with 128, and 7th for highest field goal percentage for a career, with 54.8%.
College statistics
, -
, align="left" ,
1988–89
, align="left" ,
UConn
, 31 , , , , 16.7 , , .464 , , .000 , , .538 , , 4.2 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 0.3 , , 3.8
, -
, align="left" ,
1989–90
, align="left" ,
UConn
, 37 , , 35 , , 23.1 , , .538 , , .000 , , .524 , , 5.3 , , 0.4 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 8.2
, -
, align="left" ,
1990–91
, align="left" ,
UConn
, 31 , , , , 30.8 , , .554 , , .000 , , .570 , , 8.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 0.9 , , 11.7
, -
, align="left" ,
1991–92
, align="left" ,
UConn
, 29 , , 29 , , 31.7 , , .592 , , .000 , , .663 , , 8.7 , , 1.4 , , 0.6, , 0.4 , , 12.3
, -
, align="left" , Career
, align="left" ,
, 128 , , 112 , , 25.4 , , .548 , , .000 , , .587 , , 6.4 , , 0.8 , , 0.7 , , 0.6 , , 8.9
, -
Professional career
After the end of his senior season at UConn, Sellers was automatically eligible for the
1992 NBA draft
The 1992 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1992, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The draft is considered to be one of the deepest in NBA history. The top three picks (Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner) were considere ...
, but he went undrafted. After contacts with the
New Haven Skyhawks of the
United States Basketball League, Sellers participated in training camp with the
Washington Bullets in the summer of 1992. In August 1992 he was the first overall pick of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
(CBA) draft, selected by the
Grand Rapids Hoops. Sellers stayed with the Bullets for the preseason training, but he was waived in late October, just before the start of the
1992–93 NBA season
Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...
, together with
Reggie Cross.
Instead of joining a CBA team, Sellers opted to go overseas and signed for
AEK B.C.
AEK Basketball Club ( el, ΚΑΕ ΑΕΚ ; Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ''Athlitikà Énosis Konstantinoupóleos'', "Athletic Union of Constantinople"), also known as AEK B.C. or AEK, and more commonly kno ...
of
Athens,
Greece, and started his professional career there.
At AEK he replaced
Miloš Babić, joining the team during Week 9 of the 1992–93
Greek Basket League season.
Sellers joined
Apollon Patras B.C. the following season, and was named the regular season rebounding leader after averaging 14.3 rebounds per game.
After the end of the 1993–94 season Sellers joined
Spanish side
Cáceres CB of the
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...
. In the
1994–95 ACB season
Regular season
Relegation playoffs
'' Leche RÃo Breogán and Pamesa Valencia, relegated to Liga EBA.''
Championship Playoffs
See also
* Liga ACB
External links
ACB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1994-95 ACB season
Liga ACB seasons
Spain
, ...
Sellers averaged 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. The team also reached the semifinals in the
1994–95 FIBA Korać Cup The 1994–95 FIBA Korać Cup was the 24th edition of FIBA's Korać Cup Korać is a surname. Notable persons with that name include:
* Dušan Korać (disambiguation), multiple people
* Milorad Korać (born 1969), Serbian football player and manag ...
. For the
following season Sellers improved his averages to 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, posting several double doubles
and earning the
ACB Player of the Month Award
The ACB Player of the Month Award is a basketball award that recognises the best Liga ACB player for each month of the season.
This award has been given out since the 1991–92 season, and it is not decided by the Performance Index Rating
Per ...
in September 1995.
He was also selected for the ACB All-Star game in 1996.
In the
1996–97 ACB season
The 1996–97 ACB season was the 16th season of the Liga ACB.
Regular season
Relegation playoffs
'' CB Murcia Artel and Fuenlabrada, relegated to LEB.''
Championship Playoffs
See also
* Liga ACB
External links
ACB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT ...
Sellers averaged 16.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, being named Player of the Week on Week 2.
During the
1997 Copa del Rey de Baloncesto The 1997 Copa del Rey was the 61st edition of the Spanish basketball Cup. It was organized by the ACB and was played in León in the Palacio de los Deportes between January 31 and February 3, 1997. Joventut Badalona won its seventh title after ove ...
Cáceres reached the finals, where they lost to
Joventut Badalona despite Sellers' 23 points in the final game.
In 1997 Sellers left Spain for
Turkey, and signed a contract
Efes Pilsen
Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independe ...
. This marked his debut in the
EuroLeague, participating in the
1997–98 edition. In the
domestic league he averaged 11.3 points and 7.9 rebounds over 16 appearances (26.8 minutes of average playing time). After the stint in Turkey Sellers went back to Spain and signed for
Valencia Basket, at the time known as Pamesa Cerámica for sponsorship reasons, and replaced
Nigerian player
Ime Oduok.
In the
1998–99 ACB season
The 1998-1999 ACB season was the 17th season of the Liga ACB.
Regular season
Playoffs
See also
* Liga ACB
External links
ACB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1998-99 ACB season
Liga ACB seasons
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de Españ ...
Sellers played 31 games, with averages of 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. In 1999 he joined
Panionios B.C., and spent another season in Greece.
In 2000 he signed for
Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, and played one season in
Serie A in
Italy: he improved his averages to 15.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 34 minutes of playing time, while recording a career high 2 steals per game. In 2001 Sellers joined
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
team
Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez. He played 27 games in the
LNB Pro A
The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...
, posting 14.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, shooting 55.8% from the field; he also appeared in 14 games during the
2001–02 Euroleague
The 2001–02 Euroleague was the second season of the professional basketball competition for elite clubs throughout Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball Company, and it was the 45th season of the premier competition for European men's club ...
, and averaged 14.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. His team won the
French Basketball Cup that year, and he was selected for the All-Star game.
The 2002–03 season was the most successful at team level for Sellers: he won the
LNB Pro A
The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...
title, the
Semaine des As, and his second consecutive French Cup. He again took part in the Euroleague, and in the
2002–03 edition he scored 16.6 points per game and had 5.5 rebounds per game. In 29 Pro A games, Sellers averaged 14.3 points while playing 23.8 minutes per game.
After winning three trophies in the 2002–03 season, Sellers left France, and returned to Italy for the second time in his career, signing with
Olimpia Milano, then known as Breil Milano for sponsorship reasons. He appeared in the
2003–04 Lega Basket Serie A
The 2003–04 Lega Basket Serie A, known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons, was the 82nd season of the Lega Basket Serie A, the highest professional basketball league in Italy.
The regular season ran from October 4, 2003 to May 9, 2004, ...
and in the
2003–04 ULEB Cup
The 2003–04 ULEB Cup was the second season of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, EuroCup Basketball, organized by the Euroleague Basketball Company. The EuroCup is the European-wide league level that is on ...
, his last appearance at international level. He averaged 11 points per game in both competitions, playing 27.2 minutes in Serie A and 30.4 in the ULEB Cup. In 2004 he joined
Tenerife CB
Tenerife Club de Baloncesto was a professional basketball team based in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
History
Tenerife CB was founded in 1996 after the fusion of some teams of the islands and debuts in LEB Oro in the 1996–97 season, the ...
, and participated in the
2004–05 ACB season. In 2005 he played for
Club Melilla Baloncesto
Club Melilla Baloncesto is a professional basketball team based in Melilla that plays in the LEB league. This is the only team in Spain that played all LEB seasons.
The team's home arena is the Pabellón Javier Imbroda Ortiz (formerly known a ...
in the second level of Spanish basketball, and he retired in 2006 after a season with
Murcia.
References
External links
Career stats at ProBallers.comCareer stats at BasketInfo.comProfile at RealGM.com*
Italian league statsTurkish league stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sellers, Rod
1970 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in France
American expatriate basketball people in Greece
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Spain
American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
American men's basketball players
AEK B.C. players
Anadolu Efes S.K. players
Apollon Patras B.C. players
Basketball players from South Carolina
CB Murcia players
Centers (basketball)
Club Melilla Baloncesto players
Élan Béarnais players
Liga ACB players
Olimpia Milano players
Virtus Roma players
Panionios B.C. players
Sportspeople from Florence, South Carolina
Tenerife CB players
UConn Huskies men's basketball players
Valencia Basket players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople