Ramey Pens Contract With Piratas De Bogota
Indiana-bred gym rat Michael Ramey can’t speak for every American former college player who takes the professional route over the waters, albeit the former Southern Miss sharpshooter certainly acknowledges the challenges to such a vagabond lifestyle.
“It can be hard at times being away from friends and family, but I have gotten used to the Latin American culture with all the time I’ve spent in Mexico,” explained Ramey, who now speaks fluent Spanish and utilizes it as a second language.
“It doesn’t seem all that foreign to me anymore. (Being able to speak Spanish) helps with every day life and helps me have better chemistry with the local players on my team.”
Ramey will prolong the lifestyle he’s assimilated to, as the 28-year-old has now penned with Piratas de Bogota in Colombia, in the Premier League of Colombia DPB.
Shouldering more and higher level experience and having carried the go-to option onus at the pro level before, Ramey will be a focal point. He’s anticipated to score it and score often as a guy who can pull up from way beyond the confines of the arc.
He’s evolved into a rare case of an American who enhanced his role from college overseas, capitalizing on his scoring and dishing.
After averaging one of the highest-ever 3-point shooting percentages in JUCO, hovering near 60 percent during his stay at Seminole State, Ramey played primarily off the ball at Southern Miss.
He is etched in program lore for his six straight 3-pointers, a sheer outside shooting barrage which broke open a C-USA tournament clinching victory over North Texas during his senior season.
Working at consistent NBA 3-point range and heady, high IQ playmaking, Ramey hit a contract year playing for LBE Mexico during the 2017-18 campaign—when he averaged a career-high 29.2 PPG.
While known primarily as a catch and shoot threat, Ramey was able to establish himself as a distributor that season—quarterbacking the team to the tune of 4.6 assists. He averaged 6.2 boards as well that season.
It was this focal point niche that year Ramey will look to re-enliven in 2021-22 with Bogota.