BYU basketball: Eric Mika signs deal with Italian pro basketball team

Former BYU basketball star Eric Mika didn’t make it to the NBA. Instead, the center is headed to Italy for his pro career.

Eric Mika left BYU basketball for pro hoops. Today, the center inked a deal with Pallancestro Pesaro, a team in Italy.

Depending on who you asked, Mika’s end goal was never the National Basketball Association. And that makes sense, considering no credible draft analysts had Mika in the top 60 draft eligible players.

Then his NBA Summer League tenure with Miami was uninspiring.

It seems like he always had his eye on Europe for his pro career.

Now he’s made that dream a reality, joining Pallancestro Pesaro.

Pesaro plays in Lega Basket Serie A, which is the best league Italy has to offer.

Surely Mika wanted to go specifically to Italy. He served an LDS mission in Rome, and his wife also served in Italy. Now the Mika family returns.

Obviously, it would have been great to have Mika return to BYU basketball for two more seasons. His sophomore campaign was incredible (20.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game) and he only would’ve gotten better.

However, Mika’s only responsibility is to himself and his family – and it appears he made the right decision.

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Even if it hurts BYU basketball fans.

Mika might get his playing time sooner rather than later, too. Pesaro wasn’t anything to write home about last year, finishing next to last in the standings. Not to mention, the team currently has just six players on the roster.

I still think that Mika’s decision to leave BYU basketball wasn’t just about money. I’ve had sources pass along rumors that the locker room over the last two years wasn’t entirely positive. Without delving into specifics, it appeared that leadership wasn’t really there.

I believe Mika didn’t want to be part of that locker room anymore. If he returned to Provo, he would’ve improved his draft stock, perhaps working his way into the second round of the draft. That opens his earning potential.

However, Mika deserves nothing but respect for his move. We’ll check in on Mika when his season begins.