TUALATIN, Ore. – Former Northwest Christian University men’s basketball player and current assistant coach Jordan Whittenburg has signed a one-year contract with the Tualatin Rainmakers, an expansion team of the newly-launched National Athletic Basketball League, as announced by the NABL office this week.
“Basketball has been a huge part of my life since I was twelve years old,” said Whittenburg, “so I’m very excited and thankful for the opportunity to play at this level. I’m looking forward to helping the Rainmakers live up to their name.”
Whittenburg, a Walnut Creek, California native, played two seasons at Northwest Christian, establishing himself as one of the better three-point shooters in school history. The guard shot 38% from beyond the arc in his career and set school records for three-pointers in a single season and career.
The NABL is a professional minor league, consisting of four teams that have transplanted from the IBL (Salem Stampede, Seattle Mountaineers, Snohomish County Explosion, Tacoma Thunder) and two expansion teams, the Rainmakers and the Portland Showtime, who boast a back-court consisting of former Oregon Duck Brandon Lincoln and former Kansas Jayhawk and Harlem Globetrotter Michael Lee.
Most teams also boast a number of former Cascade Collegiate Conference players on their rosters, including Jeff Dunn and Matt Larson from Corban College, Matt Espinoza from Southern Oregon, Chris Keller from Northwest, and Chris Ferguson from Evergreen State.
The NABL season runs from April through June, when many players hope to sign international contracts. The league provides an avenue for post college players to play professionally and gain exposure for other opportunities down the road. For Whittenburg, who has also played professionally for the ABA’s Oakland Showtime, it is a chance to get some exposure and gain some experience. “It’s really about getting exposure and trying to get a great game together, and then getting that game film into the right hands of European coaches. No matter what, it will be great competition and I am looking forward to the opportunity.”
Whittenburg’s first game will be on April 10th when the Rainmakers play host to the Portland Showtime.