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PRO BASKETBALL
Former Eastern New Mexico basketball standout thrives in Poland’s top pro league
Blazej Czerniewicz is also helping ex-NCAA players adjust to life overseas
WARSAW — Former San Diego State basketball standout Jared Jones, a native of Florida, arrived in Poland late in 2025 as a first-year pro in the top-flight ORLEN Polish league.
He soon found a confidante in Poland native Blazej Czerniewicz, 23, who played parts of two seasons for Division II Eastern New Mexico. “I can relate to them. I know how it is was there” in the United States, Czerniewicz said in a telephone interview. “I know how hard it was to go somewhere else to play.”
Another former player with NCAA experience this season with WKS Slask Wroclaw in southwest Poland is Angel Nuñez, who was born in the Dominican Republic and played at South Florida. “I feel I am doing a pretty good to help Jones,” Czerniewicz added. “I have good conversations with them.”
A native of Gdansk near the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, Czerniewicz left his native country for a year of prep school in upstate New York. He then went to Eastern New Mexico in 2022-23, was an all-conference freshman and appeared in seven games the next season as a sophomore before heading back to Poland in January of 2024 to begin his pro career.
Czerniewicz was a business major at Eastern New Mexico but has no plans to finish his degree as this point. “My focus in on basketball,” he said.
A shooting guard, Czerniewicz enjoyed his time in New Mexico, while recalling seven-hour bus rides to some away games.
“For three hours, there were no towns. It is hard to live there but it easy to explore it; that may not sound right,” he said in English, which is not his first language. “I come from north Poland, where it is the coldest. Then in New Mexico you are in the middle of the desert. It is hot all of the time. I saw scorpions and turtles. That was new for me.”
He made the switch to basketball at age 14 after focusing on soccer as a boy. Then he had to adjust to a new style of play in New Mexico after club hoops in Europe.
“The biggest difference is the players,” he said. “The physicality and not that much tactics; mostly just one-one-one (in college). That was new for me. I was not a top player. I had to work.”
Now he is playing for one of top teams in the best Polish league. Slask Wroclaw was 13-4 and in first place in games through Jan. 25.
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He said his time in New Mexico made him a better player. “Oh, for sure. One hundred percent, 100 percent,” he said.
Jones, the San Diego State product, had 22 points in two games against the Lobos during conference play in 2025. Their coach is from Latvia and speaks English well, so Czerniewicz does not have to translate instructions to Jones.
There are several players from Division II schools in New Mexico who have seen action this season in foreign leagues, according to eurobasket.com.
Other ex-Eastern New Mexico standouts playing overseas this season:
- Phil Henry (Cyprus)
- Isaiah Murphy (Japan)
- Elliot Dadds (United Kingdom)
- Antonio Morales (Spain)
Former Western New Mexico players who appeared overseas this season:
- Jordan Doss (Spain)
- Olamide Pedersen (Austria)
Former New Mexico Highlands products who have played this season (not a full list):
- Ezichi Kalu (Spain)
- Gerad Davis (Albania)
- Kenard Richardson (Azerbaijan)
- Marlon Johnson (Mongolia)
- Javier Menendez (Spain)
- Michael Nwabuzor (France)
Former University of the Southwest players overseas:
- Aaron Gedeon (Colombia)
- Jeremiah Toney (Chile)
