Spencer Playing Ball in Germany

Pat Spencer surprised some people when he decided to pursue basketball instead of lacrosse after graduating from Loyola Maryland.

Spencer capped his record-breaking collegiate career by receiving the Tewaaraton Award as the best player in college lacrosse as a senior in 2019. The Davidsonville resident then used a fifth year of eligibility to play basketball for Northwestern of the Big Ten Conference.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder proved he could play at the highest level of Division I, starting at point guard and ranking second on the squad in scoring with 10.4 points per game. He led the Wildcats with 122 assists and 24 steals.

Still, most observers figured Spencer would return to lacrosse on the professional level after becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 Premier Lacrosse League inaugural draft.

But the Boys’ Latin product later announced he was going to stick with basketball with the hope of one day playing in the NBA. That dream suffered a setback when the G League announced it was going to play its 2021 season in a bubble with only 15 games and far fewer players.

As a result, Spencer was unable to obtain one of only 10 roster spots with any of the 18 G League franchises. Matt Laczkowski, who represents Spencer on behalf of Tandem Sports & Entertainment, worked overtime to find his client another opportunity.

Last week, Spencer made a successful pro debut with the Hamburg Towers of the easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga.

Spencer scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds on April 23 to help Hamburg defeat Wurzburg, 95-83, and had an assist and two steals in 24 minutes of action.