Oliver Kullamäe Latest Estonian Basketball Star to Be Snapped Up by US College Team
18-year-old Estonian national team player Oliver Kullamäe has committed to top NCAA side San Jose State Spartans, becoming the first in his family to play across the Atlantic.
Estonian basketball talent Oliver Kullamäe (18) has committed to the San Jose State Spartans, a top NCAA team. He previously spent three years in the youth system of German club Ulm and prepared for college basketball last season at the SoCal Basketball Academy in Irvine, California.
Kullamäe's decision was announced by SoCal head coach Julius Von Hanzlik via Jonathan Givony, a journalist covering young basketball talent in the U.S. The San Jose State Spartans compete in the NCAA Mountain West Conference, with rivals including the Universities of New Mexico and Las Vegas. San Jose State teams have 10 NCAA championships overall, but none in basketball. The men's basketball team has reached the NCAA Tournament three times, most recently 30 years ago, long before Kullamäe was born.
Notable NBA alumni from San Jose State include the late Brandon Clarke, who made over 300 appearances for the Memphis Grizzlies and passed away last month. Tariq Abdul-Wahad, now a coach and formerly with the Sacramento Kings, and Chris McNealy, who played for the New York Knicks in the 1980s, are also alumni.
Kullamäe played a key role for the Estonian U18 national team that reached the final of last year's FIBA U18 European Championship Division B. He averaged 11.5 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 7.5 assists per game. Oliver is the first member of his basketball family to head to the U.S.: neither his father Gert, now a coach, nor his brother Kristian (Lietkabelis Panevėžys and the Estonian national team) have played overseas.
