After leading the Western men’s basketball team to a 16-11 record this season, Duty signed with the semi-professional Bellingham Slam. He will suit up in a Slam uniform for the team’s first game of the season at 7 p.m. Friday at Whatcom Community College.

“It’s exciting for me because I always dreamed in junior high of continuing on past college,” Duty said. “With the Bellingham Slam, I am able to do that.”

Duty averaged a team-high 16.4 points per game for Western, including a 32-point outburst on February 22 against Seattle Pacific University. Duty was second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.9 per game.

Slam coach Rob Ridnour said Duty’s athleticism and versatility should translate well to the professional game.

“He is real athletic and he fits that mold of an ideal player in this league,” Ridnour said. “There is no question. Talent-wise he can play.”

Despite having a limited amount of time to practice together before their first game, the Slam’s best quality looks to be its team continuity. Duty joins Ira Graham, Derrick Webb, Morris Anderson, Jared Stevenson, Jacob Stevenson, Ryan Diggs and Lukas Henne as players on the Slam’s roster that previously played for Western. Only three of the Slam’s players are not from Western.

“Familiarity is a big thing because all of them are our ex-players, with a few other guys molded in,” Western head basketball coach Brad Jackson said. “Most of those guys played for us and the other guys played against us. (Duty) knows all those guys and it will be a fun transition for him. I think he will make the big time jump very, very well.”

Jackson said Ridnour has been to enough of Western’s games to know how well certain players will fit into his system. In 2008, the Slam won the International Basketball League championship with five former Western players, and they reached the finals last season with eight.

“I think having all Western guys definitely gives us an advantage,” Ridnour said. “They all know each other so well and I think that goes a long way. I think it gives us pretty good continuity. It gives us a certain style of play.”

Duty said he hopes to use his time with the Slam to showcase his talents for American and foreign professional scouts. His goal is to play for a National Basketball Developmental League team or an overseas professional team.

“I would like to play professionally overseas; that would be fun,” Duty said. “I think the Slam is a stepping stone to do that. In the offseason, when I am done overseas, I would love to come back and play for them. Bellingham has grown on me. I like the town and the people a lot.”

Duty will be coming off the bench in the Slam’s first game. It will be his first game since Western suffered a two-point loss in the first round of the GNAC Tournament against Northwest Nazarene on February 28. Duty had a team-high 21 points and added six rebounds.

“He is really mobile for his size and he is a strong, tough kid,” Jackson said. “How that plays out, we will have to wait and see, but I am certain that they will enjoy having him on the ball club. I know he is going to work very hard at it."