Michael Roll (basketball)

Michael Brandon Roll (born April 12, 1987)[1] is an American-born naturalized Tunisian professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. Born in America, he joined the Tunisia national basketball team after becoming a naturalized citizen in 2015.

Michael Roll
Roll with Maccabi Tel Aviv in March 2018
No. 10 – Olimpia Milano
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
LeagueLBA
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1987-04-12) April 12, 1987
Mission Viejo, California
NationalityAmerican / Tunisian
Listed height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight92 kg (203 lb)
Career information
High schoolAliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo, California)
CollegeUCLA (2005–2010)
NBA draft2010 / Undrafted
Playing career2010–present
Career history
2010–2011Bornova Belediye
2011–2012Antwerp Giants
2012–2014CAI Zaragoza
2014–2015Türk Telekom
2015–2016Tüyap Büyükçekmece
2016Saski Baskonia
2016–2017Beşiktaş
2017–2019Maccabi Tel Aviv
2019–presentOlimpia Milano
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Representing  Tunisia
Men's Basketball
FIBA Africa Championship
2015 Tunisia National Team

Roll played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, who reached the Final Four three times in four NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure. Roll was the Bruins leading scorer in his final season in 2009–10, when he earned all-conference honors in the Pacific-10. He has played professionally in Turkey, Belgium, Spain and Israel.

Early life

Roll was born in Mission Viejo, California, to Richard and Joyce Roll. He played basketball at Aliso Niguel High School, where as a senior he was named the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division I-A Player of the Year.[1] That season, he averaged almost 25 points per game while leading the Wolverines over top-seeded Lake Forest El Toro in the Division I-A title game.[2]

Ranked as the No. 1 shooting guard in the West by Scout.com,[3][4] Roll originally gave a verbal, non-binding, commitment to attend college at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before he changed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[4][5]

College career

As a freshman for UCLA in 2005–06, Roll played on a 32–7 Bruins team that lost in the 2006 national championship to Florida. Though he played behind Arron Afflalo and Cedric Bozeman that season, Roll averaged 15 minutes per game, and UCLA coach Ben Howland called him "an important contributor."[4] The following season, he played behind Afflalo and Josh Shipp while UCLA returned to the Final Four. As a junior, he was bypassed for a starting position by sophomore Russell Westbrook. UCLA again reached the Final Four,[6] but Roll's season had ended prematurely after he ruptured his left plantar fascia.[4] However, he was granted a medical redshirt, earning another year of eligibility to effectively remain a junior.[7] He returned the following season, but continued as a role player behind Shipp and freshman Jrue Holiday.[4][8] Roll and the Bruins again qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but were eliminated in the round of 32.[8]

Roll with UCLA in 2009

After years of being a role player for the Bruins, Roll became a leader of the team as a fifth-year senior in 2009–10.[9][10] He was pushed into his new role after the departure of seniors Shipp, Darren Collison, and Alfred Aboya from the prior season.[8] Moreover, he would have been only the fourth option on the team behind Kevin Love, Westbrook, and Holiday, had they not declared early for the National Basketball Association.[11] Roll prepared for the increased workload during the offseason with a workout regimen that included basketball workouts twice a day, ball-handling drills, shooting 500 times daily, and a weight-training program to strengthen his legs and back. UCLA's roster that season included six freshmen and six sophomores.[12] Roll, Nikola Dragović, and James Keefe were the only seniors on the team, and Keefe's season ended prematurely after season-ending shoulder surgery.[11] UCLA's season ended in the semifinals of the 2010 Pacific-10 Conference Tournament with an 85–72 loss to California, despite a career-high 27 points from Roll.[11] He averaged 22.5 points in the two tournament games, and was named to the All-Tournament team.[13] The Bruins finished the season 14-18 and did not qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in six seasons.[14] Roll earned first team All-Pac-10 honors, and was named the Bruins' most valuable player after leading the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game. He also led UCLA with 3.6 assists per game,[15] and set the school record for most career games played (147), surpassing Collison and Aboya's previous mark (142).[16] Roll was selected to play in the Reese's College All-Star Game during the Final Four.[17]

Professional career

Bornova Belediye (2010–2011)

After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, Roll joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2010 NBA Summer League.[18] One week later, on July 3, 2010, Roll started his professional career with the Turkish team Bornova Belediye, signing a one-year deal.[19]

Antwerp Giants (2011–2012)

On July 24, 2011, Roll signed with the Belgian team Antwerp Giants for the 2011–12 season.[20] On November 8, 2011, Roll recorded a career-high 27 points, shooting 13-of-17 from the field, along with four rebounds and three assists in a 72–76 loss to BC Enisey.[21] Roll helped Antwerp to reach the 2012 Belgian Cup Final, where they eventually lost to Okapi Aalstar.

Zaragoza (2012–2014)

On July 5, 2012, Roll joined the Spanish team Zaragoza for the 2012–13 season.[22] In his first season with Zaragoza, Roll helped them to reach the 2013 ACB Playoffs Semifinals as well as the Copa del Rey Quarterfinals. On June 30, 2013, Roll signed a one-year contract extension with Zaragoza.[23]

Türk Telekom (2014–2015)

On July 28, 2014, Roll signed with Türk Telekom of the Turkish Basketball Super League for 2014–15 season.[24]

Büyükçekmece (2015–2016)

On July 13, 2015, Roll signed a one-year deal with Tüyap Büyükçekmece B.K..[25] On January 24, 2016, Roll participated in the 2016 Turkish Super League All-Star Game. In 30 games played during the 2016–17 season, Roll averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

Baskonia (2016)

On May 24, 2016, Roll signed with the Spanish team Baskonia for the 2016 ACB Playoffs as well as the following season,[26] but parted ways with the team at the end of the playoffs.

Beşiktaş (2016–2017)

On July 19, 2016, Roll returned to Turkey for a third stint, signing with Beşiktaş for the 2016–17 season.[27] Roll helped Beşiktaş to reach the 2017 Turkish League Finals, where they eventually lost to Fenerbahçe.

Maccabi Tel Aviv (2017–2019)

On July 3, 2017, Roll joined the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv of the EuroLeague, signing a one-year deal with an option for another one.[28] On January 11, 2018, Roll recorded a season-high 23 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, along with two rebounds and two assists in a 90–88 win over Brose Bamberg.[29] Roll won the 2017 Israeli League Cup and the 2018 Israeli League Championship titles with Maccabi.

On June 27, 2018, Roll signed a one-year contract extension with Maccabi.[30] On January 3, 2019, Roll recorded a season-high 23 points, shooting 6-of-7 from three-point range, along with four rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 91–79 loss to Real Madrid.[31] Roll went on to win the 2019 Israeli League Championship with Maccabi, winning his second straight Israeli League title in the process.

Olimpia Milano (2019–present)

On July 25, 2019, Roll signed a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague.[32]

National team career

Roll became a naturalized citizen of Tunisia in July 2015, enabling him to join the Tunisia national basketball team and compete in AfroBasket 2015, which was hosted in Tunisia.[33][34] On July 3, 2017 following Roll's signing with Israeli basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv, Ali Benzarti, president of the Tunisian Basketball Federation (FTBB), announced that Roll would not be on the Tunisian national team "for now" because of his recent integration with a team in the Israeli League. Relations between Tunisia and Israel have been stressed since the Second Intifada of 2000.[35][36] After leaving Maccabi in July 2019, Roll once again joined Tunisia national team, becoming a member of the squad representing Tunisia at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

EuroLeague
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2017–18 Maccabi 292826.2.470.408.8892.12.9.3.19.19.3
2018–19 Maccabi 29721.5.472.407.9052.22.7.7.09.18.7
Career 583523.8.471.407.8942.12.8.5.19.18.9

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2005–06 UCLA 38514.7.369.383.714.9.9.3.13.4
2006–07 UCLA 36116.3.393.358.7501.41.1.3.14.8
2007–08 UCLA 6015.5.240.286.3331.72.3.3.02.8
2008–09 UCLA 35217.1.491.515.6841.31.4.5.36.7
2009–10 UCLA 323235.8.468.426.7662.83.61.0.114.1
Career 1474020.3.437.417.7261.61.7.5.16.8

References
  1. "Michael Roll Biography". UCLABruins.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  2. "The Times' All-star Boys' Basketball Team". Los Angeles Times. April 26, 2005. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  3. "Michael Roll Profile". Scout.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  4. Gold, Jon (January 15, 2010). "UCLA's Roll no longer a role player". The Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  5. Pucin, Diane (November 11, 2004). "Howland Gets Recruits From Canada to Cameroon". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014.
  6. Balderas, Al (February 26, 2010). "UCLA's Roll reflects on his career". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  7. Wharton, David (December 28, 2008). "Roll makes the most of time as a starter". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  8. Wharton, David (March 23, 2009). "UCLA faces an uncertain future after early exit from NCAA tournament". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  9. Moore, David Leon (December 29, 2009). "UCLA hoops going through rough chapter in storied history". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  10. Shelburne, Ramona (March 10, 2010). "A season to forget". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  11. Markazi, Arash (March 13, 2010). "Cal seniors end UCLA's season". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  12. Smith, Marcia C. (December 26, 2009). "UCLA's Roll has a different role". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  13. Balderas, Al (March 13, 2010). "UCLA basketball: Roll lands on All-Tournament team". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014.
  14. Howard, Andrew (March 15, 2010). "UCLA guard Michael Roll ends UCLA career as a respected team leader". TheDaily Bruin. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  15. Gold, Jon (April 12, 2010). "UCLA names Michael Roll Team MVP". insidesocal.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  16. Finney, Ryan. "UCLA Intercollegiate Athletics Report" (PDF). UCLA Athletics. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 30, 2014.
  17. Angulo, Blair (March 26, 2014). "Roll selected to participate in All-Star game". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014.
  18. "Toronto Raptors Summer League Roster". ridiculousupside.com. July 10, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  19. "Bornova signs Roll from UCLA". Sportando.com. July 3, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  20. "Antwerp Giants re-sign with Ralph Biggs and Michael Roll". Sportando.com. July 24, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  21. "Antwerp Giants 72 at Enisey Krasnoyarsk 76 - Box Score". RealGM.com. November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  22. "CAI Zaragoza lands Michael Roll". Sportando.com. July 5, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  23. "Michael Roll re-signs with CAI Zaragoza". Sportando.com. June 30, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  24. "Michael Roll joins Turk Telekom". eurobasket.com. July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  25. "Michael Roll signs with Tuyap Buyukcekmece". Sportando.com. July 13, 2015.
  26. "Michael Roll refuerza el perímetro baskonista". baskonia.com (in Spanish). May 24, 2016.
  27. "Besiktas inks Michael Roll". Sportando.com. July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  28. "Maccabi brings in shooting guard Roll". EuroLeague.net. July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  29. "Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv vs. Brose Bamberg - Game". EuroLeague.net. January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  30. "Maccabi Tel Aviv keeps Michael Roll for the next season". Sportando.com. June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  31. "Real Madrid vs. Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv - Game". EuroLeague.net. January 3, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  32. "Milan tabs veteran guard Roll". EuroLeague.net. July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  33. "Roll gearing up to play for AfroBasket 2015 hosts Tunisia". FIBA.com. July 25, 2015. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015.
  34. Kartje, Ryan (July 11, 2015). "Shot at a $1 million: Forming a team for winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament proves quite an undertaking". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015.
  35. "Michael Roll ne fera pas partie de la sélection Tunisie". July 3, 2017.
  36. "Maccabi deal leaves Roll out of Tunisian NT ahead of Afrobasket". July 3, 2017.
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