Former Rams captain Adika Peter-McNeilly agrees to first pro-contract in Germany

By Bryan Meler

Adika Peter-McNeilly has agreed to his first pro contract with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the Bundesliga, with the details of his deal yet to be announced.

“It’s an opportunity that I’m excited to take on,” said Peter-McNeilly to The Eyeopener. “Playing for MHP is a blessing.”

The former Ryerson men’s basketball team captain played four seasons with the Rams, leading them to their first two OUA titles to along with three medals at the U Sports Final 8.

Congrats to our @ryersonrams All Canadian Adika Peter-McNeilly! Signs his 1st pro contract with @lubu_de in Germany's #Bundesliga #NOW

— Roy Rana (@Roy_Rana) July 20, 2017

With a family deeply rooted in basketball and former teammates who have also played professional basketball overseas, Peter-McNeilley is confident he’ll be able to make his mark in the Bundesliga.

“It’s going to be different playing in Germany after playing here in Toronto in front of my family,” said Peter-McNeilly. “But I think my experience with Ryerson is going to help with my transition.”

Conversation about Peter-McNeilly going pro has been circling the OUA all-star for the better part of the past two years. Even though he knew the day was coming, his location for the 2017-18 season was still a total surprise.

“It was the first time I heard of the team” says Peter-McNeilly about when his agent brought up MHP Riesen as a potential suitor. “It was a bit of a shock, I had to do a bit of research.”

The pro contract is not a total surprise after Peter-McNeilly and the Rams pulled off their most successful campaign by capturing silver at the 2017 national tournament. The six-foot-three guard also became the first player from the Rams’ men’s basketball program to earn U Sports All-Canadian first-team honours.

“My people told me to keep pushing and getting better, so one day I’ll be able to play pro,” said Peter-McNeilly. “I started thinking about it seriously at the end of last season, I wanted to keep my focus towards my last year at Ryerson .”

The Scarborough, Ont. native is known for his versatility and explosiveness, which has allowed him to play as both a scorer and as one of the Rams’ best distributors over the years. Throughout the 2016-17 season, he set a couple new career-highs with 19.2 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, while still averaging 3.6 assists.

Adika Peter-McNeilly throwing it down on Eddie Ekiyor while picking up the hard foul. @theeyeopener pic.twitter.com/OyokYgW3u4

— Bryan Meler (@BryanMeler) March 5, 2017