July 31, 2006

ARLINGTON, Texas - Former Maverick basketball players Jarrett Howell and Steven Thomas have signed professional contracts to play in Europe next season.

Howell, who led the Mavericks with 14.2 points a contest and was named second-team all-SLC, will suit up with SKK Katwica-Kolobrzeg of the Polish Dominet Basket Liga. The team finished 8-18 last season and failed to make the league playoffs.

Thomas, the second-leading scorer for UT Arlington and was also a second-team all-SLC performer, will play for Grindavik of the Iceland Express League. The team finished with a 14-8 record and lost in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

"The teams are getting two of the hardest working, most competitive players I have coached," UT Arlington head coach Scott Cross said. "They are both winners and will help their respective teams win a championship."

Howell and Thomas join former Mavericks Derrick Obasohan and Donny Beachum who both have played overseas for the last two seasons. Obasohan, who played for the Pepinster Verviers in the Belgium Division I league where he averaged 9.4 ppg and 2.7 rpg, will be playing for Hyeres-Toulon in the French Pro-A league. Beachum played for TTU-A. Le Coq in the Estonia First League.

Both Obasohan and Beachum where key components of the 2003-04 Maverick squad that captured the school's first conference title, finishing in a three-way tie for the crown.