by By Mary Margaret Johnson
AMHERST, N.Y. — After putting together a highly accomplished collegiate career at Daemen, former men’s basketball forward Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) has signed a professional career to play basketball overseas in Norway. Hemphill signed with Gimle Basket and will play in his first professional game on Thursday.
“Gimle actually reached out to me pretty early in the process, and as time went on they continued to stay in contact with me. So when the time came to sign, it felt pretty easy to go with them. I also did some research on the team and the area, and I really liked what I found. They have a very experienced coach who actually played for the team before becoming a coach himself, which I thought was pretty cool. The location was also a big factor for me, being right outside Bergen, which is a beautiful city, made me feel really comfortable with the decision,” Hemphill said.
As a Western New York native that had a storied high school career at Cardinal O’Hara before coming to Daemen, Hemphill arrived in Norway on Sunday. He had a few days to adjust and begin practicing with the team and will jump right into playing with the preseason kicking off on Thursday. Much like a collegiate basketball season, Gimle’s regular season runs through March and then the playoffs begin and continue into April.
“My nerves have definitely been a little all over the place. This is my first time in Europe, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. At the same time, I’m a pretty adventurous person, and that’s one of the reasons Bergen made me feel comfortable with my decision. It wasn’t easy leaving my friends and family, but their support, encouragement and how happy they are for me really helped. Knowing this is something I’ve always wanted to do and seeing them support me and be proud of me gives me a lot of motivation to keep going,” Hemphill said.
“I’d say I’m most looking forward to learning more about myself in a completely new situation. The basketball is slightly different, but at the end of the day, it’s still basketball. I’m probably most interested in experiencing the culture, learning how to adjust to a new environment, and just taking in as much as I can. I think there’s going to be a lot for me to learn both on and off the court.”
In his five seasons at Daemen, Hemphill made quite the impact on the court. The 2026 ECC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-ECC player, Hemphill became the first player in Daemen history to lead the team in total rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in the same season. He finished as the only player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 900 rebounds and 400 assists and also finished as the all-time leader in games played (134). A do-it-all player for the Wildcats over his five seasons, Hemphill closed out his collegiate career tied for second in steals (185), third in blocks (155), fifth in assists (430), fifth in rebounds (935), eighth in rebound average (7.0), eighth in field goals made (534), ninth in free throws attempted (413) and 11th in points (1349).
“I’d say my time at Daemen helped prepare me for this moment in a lot of different ways. Coach MacDonald did a great job of teaching us how to be professional young men both on and off the court throughout my time there, and I think that’s going to be really important for me over here,” Hemphill said of the impact Daemen made on him. “It’s also about more than just basketball. Being able to communicate, be engaged, and build relationships with my teammates, coaches and supporters is something that I think will help me adjust and continue to grow throughout my career.”
