Jamal Branch
{{short description|American professional basketball player|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
|name = Jamal Branch
|image =
|caption =
|position = Point guard / shooting guard
|height_ft = 6
|height_in = 3
|weight_lb = 170
|league =
|team =
|number =
|nationality = American
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|9|30|mf=y}}
|birth_place = Kansas City, Missouri
|high_school = Atascocita (Humble, Texas)
Grace Preparatory Academy
(Arlington, Texas)
| college =
- Texas A&M (2011–2012)
- St. John's (2012–2015)
| draft_year = 2015
| career_start = 2015
| career_end =
| years1 = 2015–2016
| team1 = Los Angeles D-Fenders
| years2 = 2016–2017
| team2 = Reno Bighorns
| years3 = 2018–2019
| team3 = Cape Breton Highlanders
| highlights =
}}
Jamal Edward Branch (born September 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cape Breton Highlanders of the National Basketball League of Canada. He played college basketball for Texas A&M and St. John's.
High school career
Branch attended Atascocita High School before transferring to Grace Preparatory Academy. As a senior, he averaged 16.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, leading Grace Prep to the state championship. For his efforts, he was selected as the district's most valuable player, he was an all-state selection and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Texas.{{cite web|url=http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/branch_jamal00.html|title=St. John's bio|work=RedStormSports.com|accessdate=October 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812235250/http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/branch_jamal00.html|archive-date=August 12, 2016|url-status=dead}}
College career
Branch began his college career at Texas A&M where he played in 11 games and averaged 4.2 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 18.6 minutes.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/ncb/story/_/id/7470486/jamal-branch-transfers-st-john-red-storm-texas-aggies|title=Jamal Branch transfers to St. John's|work=ESPN.com|date=January 17, 2012|accessdate=October 23, 2016}} Before his sophomore season, he transferred to St. John's where he averaged 4.8 points 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 22 minutes per game as a senior.{{cite web|first=Troy|last=Mauriello|url=http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2015/11/2/9659978/rysheed-jordan-and-jamal-branch-get-a-shot-in-the-d-league|title=Rysheed Jordan and Jamal Branch get a Shot in the D-League|work=RumbleInTheGarden.com|publisher=SB-Nation|date=November 2, 2015|accessdate=October 23, 2016}}
Professional career
=Los Angeles D-Fenders (2015–2016)=
After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Branch signed with Iskra Svit of the Slovak Extraliga on August 29, 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/slovakia/174257/iskra-svit-signs-rookie-jamal-branch.html|title=Iskra Svit signs rookie Jamal Branch|work=Sportando.com|date=August 29, 2015|accessdate=October 23, 2016}} but left before playing for them. On October 31, Branch was selected by the Los Angeles D-Fenders with the 41st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Development League Draft.{{cite web|url=http://dleague.nba.com/news/2015-nba-d-league-draft-board/|title=2015 NBA D-League Draft Board|work=NBA.com|date=October 31, 2015|accessdate=October 23, 2016|archive-date=October 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022072934/http://dleague.nba.com/news/2015-nba-d-league-draft-board/|url-status=dead}} However, he was waived by the D-Fenders on January 6, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/d-fenders-acquire-speedy-smith/n-5086731|title=D-Fenders Acquire Speedy Smith|work=OurSportsCentral.com|date=January 6, 2016|accessdate=October 23, 2016}} In 10 games with the D-Fenders, he averaged 1.1 points in 6.4 minutes per game.{{cite web|url=http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Jamal-Branch/Summary/24194|title=RealGM profile|work=RealGM.com|accessdate=October 23, 2016}} On April 7, 2016, Branch was re-signed by the D-Fenders for the D-League playoffs.{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Medina|url=http://www.insidesocal.com/lakers/2016/04/07/jabari-brown-to-miss-rest-of-d-fenders-season-with-patellar-tendinitis-in-left-leg/|title=Jabari Brown to miss rest of D-Fenders' season with patellar tendinitis in left leg|work=InsideLocal.com|date=April 7, 2016|accessdate=October 23, 2016}}
=Reno Bighorns (2016–2017)=
On October 30, 2016, Branch was acquired by the Reno Bighorns in a draft-day trade with the D-Fenders.{{cite web|first=Kyle|last=Jones|url=http://reno.dleague.nba.com/news/bighorns-select-four-players-2016-nba-d-league-draft/|title=THE BIGHORNS SELECT FOUR PLAYERS IN THE 2016 NBA D-LEAGUE DRAFT|work=NBA.com|date=October 30, 2016|accessdate=November 12, 2016}} On February 28, 2017, Branch was waived by the Bighorns.{{cite web|url=http://dleague.nba.com/transactions/ |title=NBA D-League Transactions |work=NBA.com |accessdate=March 3, 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213135838/http://dleague.nba.com/transactions/ |archivedate=December 13, 2016 }}
The Basketball Tournament
Jamal Branch played for Team Johnnies in the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament. He scored 24 points and had 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the team's first-round loss to the Golden Eagles.
Personal life
The son of Schamauda Thompson and Jerome Branch, he has two sisters, Karissa Couty and Jayda Branch, and two brothers, William Mason and Justin Branch. He also is the cousin of Alec Burks of the Utah Jazz and Marcus Denmon of Gaziantep Basketbol. Branch majored in sports management.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160812235250/http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/branch_jamal00.html St. John's Red Storm bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Branch, Jamal}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Kansas City, Missouri
Category:Basketball players from Texas
Category:Cape Breton Highlanders (basketball) players
Category:Los Angeles D-Fenders players
Category:Reno Bighorns players
Category:St. John's Red Storm men's basketball players