MORROW, Ga. – Having signed a professional contract in the British Basketball League (BBL) this past August, former Clayton State men's basketball player Richard Bell (West Sussex, England) has experienced success with the Manchester Giants through his first nine games of the season.
 
In his first professional season Bell is averaging 7.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 22.3 minutes per game. Additionally, he was named to the BBL Team of the Week on November 24 following a tremendous game against the Bristol Flyers. In that game he scored 17 points while shooting .750 from the floor and yanking down 11 rebounds.
 
Bell played two years for the Lakers after three years with Division I University of Nevada. During his time at Clayton State he played in 49 games, starting 14 while averaging 4.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and shooting .451 from the floor.
 
As a senior in 2015-16 he scored a season-high 11 points against Young Harris and ripped down eight boards vs. Francis Marion. During his junior year he posted a career-high 14 points with nine rebounds against Georgia Southwestern and had a career-best 11 boards in a 62-58 overtime victory vs. Carson-Newman.
 
ABOUT THE BRITISH BASKETBALL LEAGUE
The British Basketball League (BBL) has been at the pinnacle of British hoops since its inception in 1987, and represents the highest level of the professional game in the UK.
 
The league has a colorful twenty-seven year history including great teams, dynasties, memorable moments, and unforgettable players and coaches. In the present day there are thirteen franchises in major towns and cities across the nation, spanning Plymouth in the south-west all the way up to Glasgow north of the border.
 
BBL clubs are increasingly built on the foundations of strong community programs, driven by the league's Hoops4Health initiative. Whilst providing positive role models for young people, clubs are also actively involved in developing the next generation of British basketball players and promoting the sport, and associated healthy lifestyles, to young people in their localities.
 
The BBL is owned and run by a thirteen person board, which includes one director from each club, and the league is administered by a central office.