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After quite the disappearing act, Jonny Flynn is back in the news for some good reasons.
The former Syracuse point guard signed with Capo d'Orlando, a Serie A team in Italy. This is the same team that Brandon Triche's Trento swept for the 2014 league title. Flynn, who has been in Australia outside of a couple summer league appearances for the past couple of years, will be playing his first season in any Italian league. One of his teammates is former Georgetown nemesis Austin Freeman.
On Wednesday, Syracuse.com posted an article that included a video of Flynn answering some questions. He mentions Freeman, how he can't wait to get his tan and get back on the court with a fan base watching. He also talked about an unidentified injury that made him miss the most of last season, although he says all medical issues have been taken care of.
It is very nice to see Flynn smiling and laughing, because after being drafted sixth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft and having one successful season, he seemed to vanish off the face of the Earth. After a couple of seasons with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, Flynn found himself outside of the NBA. Now he seems to be in a very competitive league and excited about it.
Flynn joins a number of former Syracuse basketball players that are playing in countries other than America, but seeing him find a place to play is more exciting than any of those other guys. It was sad to see his NBA career pan out the way it did. He was Syracuse's little energizer bunny for two years, leading the team in minutes in his sophomore year and always wearing his heart on his sleeve. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated that year and the Orange made it all the way to the Sweet 16.
It will be very interesting to see how his season goes and where he will end up next. For now, it is good to hear that Jonny Flynn is healthy and taking on new basketball endeavors. While we wait to see highlights from Italy, let's watch Flynn dunk over Rutgers' Mike Rosario.