Alex Poythress signs with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel
Former Kentucky standout Alex Poythress is taking his talents to Israel. After spending the last two seasons with Zenit St Petersburg (Russia), the 28-year-old forward has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Establishing himself as one of the leading forwards in the EuroLeague, Poythress joins a historic professional organization in Maccabi after averaging 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 20 minutes per contest for Zenit last season. In the VTB League, he averaged 12.9 points (70% from the field) and 5.3 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game.
“I’m very happy to join the legendary Maccabi franchise. I am excited to come to Tel Aviv and meet the amazing fanbase”, Poythress told maccabi.co.il. “I want to thank the organization and the management. l had a great talk with Coach Oded (Kattash). Let’s go Maccabi!”
“Alex is a fantastic athlete who plays on both ends of the floor,” coach Kattash added. “He is an elite offensive rebounder and pick-and-roll player who also runs the floor extremely well. Alex is versatile defensively and can provide solutions with different lineups and schemes. He is also a high-level person who comes from a great athletic background.”
Poythress started his overseas career with the Jilin Northeast Tigers (China) in 2019 before beginning his European basketball career with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2019-20. He then spent two years with Zenit (2020-22) before joining Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Prior to his time overseas, Poythress played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks, along with G League stints with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and Erie BayHawks.
Poythress played at Kentucky from 2012-2016, where he played on two Final Four teams in 2013-14 and 2014-15, including one national title appearance in 2014. He averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 112 total games for Kentucky over four years. His best season came as a freshman, where the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game.
Now, the former Wildcat will be taking his talents to Israel.
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