JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman men's basketball has produced another professional player.
Senior John Zhao (Sevierville, Tenn.) has been drafted and signed with the Arecibo de Capitanes of the top league in Puerto Rico, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
"We're very proud of John for taking this first step in his professional career," C-N head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "I know he will bring the same level of offensive efficiency and shot-making to Puerto Rico while continuing to grow in his faith as a man of God."
Zhao becomes the ninth C-N men's basketball player coached by Benson to continue playing basketball at the professional level. Four other Eagles are actively playing professionally – Ben Beeker (rookie – Montenegro, KK Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje), Bryant Thomas (second year – Croatia, GKK Sibenka Sibenik), Grant Teichmann (sixth year – Australia, Townsville Heat) and Ish Sanders (12th year – Slovenia, Skofja Loka). Antoine Davis (Germany, Canada), Josh Rogers (Israel, England), Charles Clark (Iceland, Brazil) and EJ Bush (Bosnia) have all retired.
Zhao was a transcendent shooter for Carson-Newman. A 2023-24 consensus all-region selection, Zhao is one of six players in NCAA Division II history to make 80 threes in a season on at least a 50 percent clip, an achievement he attained as a junior.
Zhao wraps his C-N career as the program's all-time leader in three-point efficiency. He made 45.5 percent of his triples for his career. His 236 career made threes are fifth all-time.
His 52.5 percent mark from deep as a junior reset the program's single-season record for three-point efficiency, while his 85 threes as a senior are seventh all-time.
Zhao scored 1,418 points in his C-N career, good for 18th all-time in school history. With a 188-of-226 effort at the free throw line, Zhao was also the fifth-most efficient free throw shooter in school history.
He averaged north of 18.5 points per game in his final two seasons on the banks of Mossy Creek, topping out with a ballistic 38-point game as a junior at Emory & Henry on Jan. 24. Zhao had seven career 30-point nights. The Eagles were unbeaten when he topped 30 points and were 27-4 across his 31 career 20-point efforts.
Arecibo's season is already underway. Zhao will return to US mainland in May to officially graduate from C-N.
