Brock Gardner signs to play in Portugal's top pro league

 
One of the most explosive scorers in the last two decades of Master's University men's basketball will begin his professional career in Portugal's top league.

Brock Gardner and Ovarense Basquetebol agreed to terms this week, making Gardner the 25th former Mustang to go on to a pro career.

Gardner was an all-conference pick and a third team NAIA All-American as a senior in 2019-2020 when he led Master's in scoring and strung together a memorable run of 40-point performances.

"It's a dream come true. Playing professionally has been my goal since I was 5 years old," said Gardner. "Seeing the Lord create an opportunity after 17 years of hard work makes me that much hungrier to keep getting better."

Gardner will have that opportunity with Ovarense, which competes in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol. The league features 14 teams with a schedule that generally runs from October to June.

Ovarense finished a shortened 2019-2020 season with a record of 9-13.

This week, Gardner introduced himself to his new fanbase on the team's Instagram page.

"I'm really excited to be joining Ovarense basketball this next season," Gardner said in a video. "I'm really looking forward to meeting teammates, coaches, mangers and all you fans out there. Let's get it."

Master's men's basketball coach Kelvin Starr said he was excited to watch the next chapter of Gardner's career unfold.

"He has been blessed with an amazing opportunity," Starr said. "I'm looking forward to watching him grow as a professional. We are going to miss him wearing the blue and gold."

After transferring to Master's from NCAA Division 1 Liberty University in Virginia, Gardner produced three prolific seasons that helped the Mustangs establish themselves as one of the best programs in the country.

Gardner was part of two Golden State Athletic Conference regular season championship teams and two GSAC tournament title winners. The Mustangs earned a No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Division 1 Coaches Poll on more than one occasion and reached the national tournament in each of Gardner's seasons.
 
For his part, Gardner averaged 15.3 points for his career, reaching 1,437 points in all, a number that places him just outside TMU's all-time top 10. He's seventh on the Mustangs' career blocks list with 92 and 10th in field goal percentage (54%).
 
At 6-foot-7, Gardner's most obvious skills were his versality, motor and athleticism. He bullied his way to the basket and finished above the rim. He stepped outside, where he shot 35% from three-point range for his career, and few could stop him when he built a head of steam during a fast break.  
 
Gardner's best season came as a senior.
 
After playing a supporting role on star-studded teams as a sophomore and junior,  Gardner stepped into the spotlight in 2019-2020. He averaged a team-best 19.2 points, the 15th best mark in the country, and his finest work came shortly before the holidays when he scored 40 or more points three times in a five-game span. He tossed in 34 points in one of the other games.

For a closer look at TMU men's basketball, visit the program's Instagram and Mustangs in the Pros pages.