PREMIER BASKETBALL LEAGUE (PBL) OFFICIAL WEBSITE | JORDAN FRAGALE 2019-20 HIGHLIGHT REEL
BUFFALO, N.Y. (December 3, 2020) – Recent men's basketball alumnus Jordan Fragale '20 (Baldwinsville, NY / C.W. Baker) has signed a professional contract with the Buffalo Blaze of the Premier Basketball League (PBL). Delhi's standout point guard wrapped up an extraordinary career last spring under head coach Zack Thomsen, earning three USCAA All-American selections and helping guide the Broncos to back-to-back conference championships. Fragale has already played in two scrimmages with the Blaze, with the PBL regular season expected to tip off this January.
Fragale's Western New York team is new to the league this year, but that shouldn't all be unfamiliar territory for the Baldwinsville native. He came to SUNY Delhi in 2016-17 as the basketball team began its second season as a four-year program and was a key component in the Broncos' success when it started its NCAA Division III transition in 2017-18. But it was his junior and senior seasons where he made his biggest impact as the Broncos captured a pair of American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) championships. He was named the 2018-19 ACAA Tournament MVP after making the game-winning baskets in both playoff games in the closing seconds in come-from-behind victories. He followed this by turning in an ACAA Player of the Year season in 2019-20 as Delhi finished with 21 wins and cruised to its second consecutive league crown. The three-and-a-half-year starting point guard was named a USCAA All-American Honorable Mention his sophomore and junior seasons and elevated his status to First Team All-American as a senior.
"I've always wanted to continue my basketball career after college, ever since even freshman year. Obviously, the end goal was to make it overseas but with all of the COVID stuff going on right now it's kind of difficult, so I'm happy to be able and play basketball right now when really many people can't at the moment," Fragale said. "I like the idea of that it's the first year, and I like being a part of making up a new culture of a team, and just being a part of something that you can just start on your own basically, and just kind of incorporate all of the things that you like into a new program."
A member of the Broncos' 1,000 career points club (1,065 total points) and SUNY Delhi's all-time career assists leader with 656, Fragale overcame a myriad of obstacles associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic for his shot at playing professional. For starters, his senior season was cut short shortly after he and the Broncos secured a 70-56 first-round win over Holy Family in the USCAA National Tournament to advance to the Final Four. The USCAA National Tournament was something Fragale and his teammates set their sights on since freshman year. Like everyone else, all the team could do was group together, call it a season, and focus on finishing the semester strong. Fragale continued to complete his Bachelor's degree in Recreation and Sports Management when the opportunity in the PBL presented itself.
After attending showcases in Las Vegas and Atlanta over the summer, Fragale signed with Top 5 Sports Management. The opportunity to join the PBL arrived when he participated in fellow Western New York league member Rochester Razorsharks' combine. Fragale was invited to join their training camp before ultimately signing with Buffalo. The green and gold's number 23 for four seasons is the latest Bronco under Coach Thomsen to secure a professional basketball contract. The one other is Fragale's former teammate David Haye '17, who he says served as a great mentor in transitioning to the pro game.
"He's always been there to give me tips, just assure me that I'm going down the right path keeping me doing what I need to do, so he's definitely been a big part in the journey itself," Fragale said.
"From the time I recruited Jordan out of high school I knew that he had aspirations to continue playing after college," said Coach Thomsen. "His development as a player is one of the major reasons for our growth as a team. Jordan was as hard a worker as any player that I've coached. He not only gotten better from one year to the next but throughout each season he improved tremendously. He was a great leader for a program as well as a coach on the floor. He is without a doubt the most competitive kid that I've coached and he will have a long professional playing career!"
