Teammates to Foes: A Unique Start to a Professional Journey

Thousands of miles and six time zones away from home, Trey Moses and Tayler Persons posed for a photo that was years in the making.

They stood near center court in a 2,000-seat gym in the Netherlands, still sweating from an overtime battle, Trey holding Tayler's jersey and Tayler holding Trey's.

In some ways it was familiar. Two guys sharing the spotlight just like they did for three years and nearly 100 games at Ball State. In one huge way, it was totally different. They were no longer playing together but pitted against one another for a spot in the Euro Cup.

Two guys chasing their dreams. Teammates, close friends and even former roommates. Just starting their professional careers. Doing Ball State proud across the globe.

"My brother for life," Persons tweeted about Moses afterward.

"It was awkward, honestly," he said. "There were times in the game I wanted to shake his hand, tell him 'next play.' When you go against a teammate, someone you care about and love, you hope they do well, but obviously you want your team to win."

Well both won, sort of. Their sides split two games in the Euro Cup play-in series, but Persons' Leiden team advanced past Moses' Beroe squad from Bulgaria on aggregate score. They even needed an overtime period in Leiden after both teams won on their home floor by exactly 15 points.

19732 — **Trey Moses, Beroe (Bulgaria) -- courtesy BC Beroe**

Moses Adjusts in Bulgaria
It was a preseason of adjustment for Moses. Practices featured more running than he'd ever done in his life. The language barrier around town in Stara Zagora made it tough to even order a meal or understand his bill. It took a while to find things to occupy his time outside the morning lifts and shooting and the evening practices.

"I've really adjusted to it," Moses said. "It's been easier knowing my routine and sticking to it."

On the court, the transition has been easier. Beroe's offensive system is similar to the one he was accustomed to at Ball State, and playing defense has never been a problem for him. The only real basketball challenge has been adjusting to the increased physical play permitted overseas. "I'm learning to play through it," he said.

The most difficult thing is being far away from a community he fell in love with. Everyone who knows Trey knows he has a heart for working with children and those with special needs. He misses the kids he mentored at the Child Study Center and Head Start in Muncie. A few weeks ago, he was able to chat with his former class of preschoolers on FaceTime.

"I'm super blessed to be playing at the level I'm playing, but there are moments where I miss my classroom," he said. "As much as I love the game, I'm glad I have a passion outside of basketball. When the ball stops bouncing one day, I know what I want to do."

Moses is just three games into his pro career, but he's doing the same things that made him successful at Ball State. Rebounding, scoring around the basket, finding teammates with the occasional no-look pass. His Beroe squad now turns its full attention to the Bulgarian League schedule. They've played just one league game so far, and Moses had a double-double.

19733 — **Tayler Persons, Leiden (Netherlands) -- courtesy Topsport Leiden**

Persons Starts Strong in Holland
Persons' adjustment has been a little easier. Virtually everyone in the Netherlands speaks English and often a couple other languages. You can even see movies in English with Dutch subtitles.

He gets around on bicycle, trying to see as much of the country as he can when he's not playing or practicing. That's the preferred mode of transportation in Holland. "You go to the city, and there's like two or three thousand bikes to like 20 cars," he said.

Persons is starting at point guard for Leiden, averaging nearly 20 points and 7.5 assists per game and playing it up to a raucous home crowd. It's like a soccer environment crammed into the tiny gym. The best fans in Holland, he was told when he signed.

"It's crazy that I get to go to work every day and get paid to play basketball," Persons said. "I look forward to practice even though we practice twice a day."

Persons' schedule gets a little more hectic now. In addition to its roughly 40-game Dutch League schedule, Leiden also has the potential to play somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 Euro Cup games. That slate starts soon with a trip to Portugal.

"It's a really big deal to be in that," Persons said. "Lots of good teams, lots of good exposure. It's rough that it had to be my team or Trey's, but that's how it goes."

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Teammates to Foes: A Unique Start to a Professional Journey

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