Sometimes in life, you need to find someone that believes in you. Someone that will take a chance on you when no one else will. Quintin Dove was given that chance, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Quintin Dove is in his second professional season playing for BBC Sparta Bertrange, a club in the Luxembourg Total League, the highest tier of Luxembourgian basketball. His journey has taken him from a junior college to Division I and now professionally overseas, but it all comes back to an opportunity given to him by his former coach.
College Experience
Dove began his collegiate career at the junior college level ten minutes from his home in Cleveland. He described it as “an experience he would do all over again.”
“The JUCO experience was a grind. When I first got an offer from Tri-C Cuyahoga Community College out in Cleveland, Ohio, I didn’t know anything about it. I had offers from Division I schools out of high school, but I didn’t have the grades, so I had to go there,” said Dove.
While at Cuyahoga Community College, Dove played a critical part in the team’s success. They were ranked No.1 in the country when he was a sophomore. In addition, he was named Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2017-18, averaging 18.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest. The team made it to the championship and lost, but Dove learned a lot that season.
The JUCO level was a platform for the 6-foot-8 forward to learn the game’s speed and get ready for the next level.
After his sophomore campaign, Dove had offers from UT Martin, Buffalo, Rider, Central Connecticut, Tennessee St., and Jacksonville St. He chose to play for the late Anthony Stewart at UT Martin.
“The coach came to see me. Out of all the coaches, Anthony Stewart came to see me and offered me an opportunity that changed my life,” Dove said on the reason he chose to attend UT Martin.
At UT Martin, Dove enjoyed his time on and off the court. The team bought into Anthony Stewart’s system, and it was a family-like atmosphere. As a junior, he made strides and averaged 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He scored a team-high 35 points in the Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Dove rolled over his late-season success to his senior year, leading to All-Ohio Valley Conference’s first-team selection. He was a key piece for UT Martin and made statistical jumps in points and rebounds.
His senior campaign ended due to Covid 19, and he went home. Unfortunately, his coach passed away suddenly that same year. Dove wished he had the opportunity to spend more time with his coach and teammates.
When speaking about coach Stewart, Dove claimed, “Coach always looked out for us. He told you how it is, and he was a father figure, always taking care of me. I love how he pushed me to be a better person, a better father, and a better person before everything.”
Collegiate Athlete to Pro
Anthony Stewart put Dove in contact with a few agents following his time at UT Martin. During a Covid year, the best option was to head overseas and start his professional career. In October 2020, Dove signed his first professional contract with BC TSU Tbilisi of the Georgian Superliga.
Georgia was very physical league, according to Dove. It was described as a big man’s league with talented locals and imports. The toughness in the Georgian Superliga is designed to wear you down, and Dove would go against players 20-25 pounds heavier than him. In 15 games, the first-year pro averaged 17.1 points and 8.3 rebounds.
After his Georgia season, Dove went in a new direction and hired Pierre Newton of Coast to Coast as his agent. Dove worked all summer to put the ball on the floor and beat his opponents off the dribble. He prepared to continue his career, and Newton helped him land a contract from T71 Dudelange in Luxembourg.
The players in Luxembourg are very skilled, the pace of play is fast, and it is a high IQ league. The club brought in Dove to spark the offense. Dove is off to a strong start making improvements from his first professional season.
T71 Dudelange made changes through eight games because they weren’t winning. It was in Dove’s best interest to transfer clubs. He remains in Luxembourg and will be playing the remainder of the season for BBC Sparta Bertrange. The club is in striking distance of the top spot in the league, and Dove assumes the same role. Dove will now be relied on to help BBC Sparta Bertrange down the stretch.
Dove is having a great experience in Luxembourg so far. He takes advantage of his free time to enjoy the country and take in the scenery. Dove has no complaints.
The 23-year-old is just taking started with his professional career. He takes each challenge as it comes and is working on getting better each day on and off the court.
Join The Next Prospect
Want to stay up to date on the latest stories in basketball? Join our mailing list today to keep up with our new releases. Have an interesting story you would like to share? Contact our team today to get started.
