René Anthony Rougeau (born March 25, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for Helsinki Seagulls of the Korisliiga. He played college basketball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he starred in his four seasons with the Runnin' Rebels.

René Rougeau
Rougeau with Maccabi Haifa, 2015
Karhubasket
PositionSmall forward / Power forward
LeagueKorisliiga
Personal information
Born (1986-03-25) March 25, 1986 (age 38)
Sacramento, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolEtiwanda
(Rancho Cucamonga, California)
CollegeUNLV (2005–2009)
NBA draft2009: undrafted
Playing career2009–present
Career history
2009Nevada Pride
2009–2010Clayton Showtime
2010Southland Sharks
2010–2014Toros de Nuevo Laredo
2011–2012Caballeros de Culiacán
2013Mineros de Cananea
2013Venice Beach Warriors
2014Bucaneros de La Guaira
2014Caballeros de Culiacán
2014–2016Maccabi Haifa
2016–2017Toros de Nuevo Laredo
2017Caballeros de Culiacán
2017–2019Kauhajoen Karhu
2019-2021Hermine Nantes Basket
2021-2022Kauhajoen Karhu
2022-presentHelsinki Seagulls
Career highlights and awards

Professional career

edit

Early years (2009–2010)

edit

Following graduating from UNLV, Rougeau joined the Nevada Pride of the International Basketball League before going undrafted in the 2009 NBA draft. He then joined the Clayton Showtime of the American Basketball Association in December 2009.[1]

On February 12, 2010, Rougeau signed with the Southland Sharks for the 2010 New Zealand NBL season.[2][3] He went on to be named in the All-Star Five after averaging 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 3.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 19 games.[4]

Mexico (2010–2014)

edit

Following a promising first outing with the Sharks, Rougeau moved to Mexico where he began what would end up being a four-year stint in the country. From 2010 to 2014, he played for Toros de Nuevo Laredo of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional where he won two championships (2011 and 2013) and earned two All-Star nods (2012 and 2014). He also played for Caballeros de Culiacán of the CIBACOPA during the 2011, 2012 and 2014 LNBP off-seasons. He also played for Mineros de Cananea of the CIBACOPA and the Venice Beach Warriors of the WCBL in 2013, and for Bucaneros de La Guaira of Venezuela in 2014.[5]

Israel (2014–2016)

edit

On July 3, 2014, Rougeau signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.[6]

Later career (2016–present)

edit

Rougeau signed in Finland with Kauhajoen Karhu in 2017. During the 2018-19 season, he averaged 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, and was named the league's Foreign MVP.[7] In July 2019, Rougeau signed with Hermine Nantes Basket of the French LNB Pro B. After earning Eurobasket.com All-French ProB 2nd Team honors, he re-signed with the team on June 8, 2020.[8]

Personal

edit

Rougeau is a devout Christian. He reads the Bible in the locker room before every game.[9]

References

edit
  1. ^ Notebook: Kruger says K-State will be ‘best team we’ve played’
  2. ^ Southland Sharks net player from US
  3. ^ Rene Rougeau eyeing birthday gift
  4. ^ Tait Named NBL MVP for 2010
  5. ^ Rene Rougeau signs with Bucaneros de la Guaira
  6. ^ Maccabi Haifa signs Rene Rougeau
  7. ^ "Foreign Player of the Year". Basket.fi. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  8. ^ "Nantes keep Rougeau for another season". Eurobasket. June 8, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Import Rougeau credits God for his abilities
edit