NAGOYA, Japan – Former Whitworth men's basketball standout Jake Holtz has signed a contract with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of the Japanese B League, the top tier of Japanese professional basketball.

"This opportunity means everything to me," Holtz said, after years of hard work paid off and his dream was realized with a chance to play professionally overseas.

"From NCAA Division III to a top five team in Japan's top league is surreal, it just shows anything is possible."

Holtz is looking forward to the growth that this experience will provide, both on and off the court.

"I want to grow not just as a player, but as a person, adapting to a new culture and pushing myself to new levels in a new setting" he said.

Playing in Japan, where Holtz was born, also allows him to be in touch and closer with that side of his family.

Pirate head coach Damion Jablonski expressed his support for the two-time all-conference player.

"This is both a tremendous and well-deserved opportunity for Jake," he said. "I'm sure the Diamond Dolphins fans will fall in love with his passion and competitive spirit, and I couldn't be more excited to root him on in this next chapter of his career."

Holtz finished his Pirate career ranked ninth on the Whitworth men's basketball all-time scoring list with 1,544 points. In his final season, he earned first-team All-Northwest Conference recognition and averaged 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.