Charleston Raptors Alumni
Alumni at the Professional Level
NBA
Khris Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks
Aaron Nesmith | Boston Celtics
Jalen Slawson | Sacramento Kings
EuroBasketball
Terrell Everett
RJ Slawson
Travis Smith
Shane Heyward
D’Montre Edwards
Phillip Jenkins
KJ James
Tre McLean
NFL
Edmond Robinson | Seattle Seahawks
Bruce Ellington | New England Patriots
Javon Kinlaw | San Francisco 49ers
Shaq Davis | Philadelphia Eagles
Alumni Highlights
Khris Middleton
- Porter-Gaud High School
- All State
- NBA All-Star
- All-Lowcountry
- Reebok All-American and All-Star
- ESPNs #1 shooter in the country
- Top 150 Rivals
- Full scholarship to Texas A&M
- 39th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft to Detroit Pistons
- Traded in 2013 to Milwaukee Bucks
College Career
Freshman
Coming into his freshman year, Middleton expected to fill the three point shooting void of departed senior Josh Carter. Middleton’s college career started slowly, connecting on 1-of-12 field goals in limited action of his first three games. After a season-ending leg injury to Derrick Roland on December 11, 2009, Middleton was forced to take a larger role in the offense and started 18 of the last 20 games. On February 3, 2010, he scored 16 points to help Texas A&M erase an 11-point second half deficit to defeat Missouri 77-74. In a 69-53 NCAA Tournament Round of 64 victory over Utah State, Middleton scored a season-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Texas A&M’s season ended with a loss in the Round of 32 to Purdue; the Aggies finished with a record of 24-10. Overall Khris Middleton averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and led the team in scoring five times.
Sophomore
As a sophomore, Middleton led the team and finished ninth in the Big 12 in scoring at 14.3 points per game while also contributing 5.2 rebounds per game. He hit 45 percent of his shots from the floor and 78.4 percent of his free throws. Middleton scored in excess of 10 points in 27 games and led the team in scoring 16 times. He scored a career-high 31 points in a 71-62 overtime victory over Arkansas, including 11 of the team’s las 12 points in regulation. This earned him Big 12 Player of the Week and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors for the week of December 13–19, 2010. On January 15, 2011, Middleton tallied 28 points, including 11 in overtime, to defeat Missouri 91-89.
Middleton-led Texas A&M went 24-9 and lost in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 to Florida State 57-50, in a contest in which Middleton contributed 16 points. He was selected to the All-Big 12 Second Team at the conclusion of the regular season. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association named Middleton to the 10-man All-District VII team covering college basketball players in the states of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. He was recognized as an All-Eighth District second-team selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches making him eligible for the State Farm Division I All‐America teams. Since the Big 12 Conference was its own district, this is equivalent to being named second team All-Big 12 by the NABC.
Junior
Prior to Middleton’s junior season, head coach Mark Turgeon left to take the same position at the University of Maryland and was replaced by Billy Kennedy of Murray State. Middleton was impressed with Kennedy’s coaching acumen and chose to remain an Aggie.He was listed on the preseason watchlist for the Wooden Award. Middleton was a unanimous choice to the preseason All-Big 12 team.
Despite being the preseason co-favorite in the league, Texas A&M finished 14-18 overall and 4-14 in the Big 12. The team was hampered by a rash of injuries, including a knee injury that forced Middleton to sit for 12 games. He averaged 13.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, down from the previous season. On April 9, 2012, Middleton declared for the NBA Draft, forgoing his final season of collegiate eligibility. He thanked Texas A&M in a statement.
Professional Career
Detroit Pistons (2012–2013)
Middleton was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. On August 15, 2012, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Pistons. On December 12, 2012, he was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. A week later, he was recalled by the Pistons. He finished his rookie season having managed just 27 games for the Pistons while averaging 6.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.6 minutes per game.
Milwaukee Bucks (2013–present)
On July 31, 2013, Middleton was traded, along with Brandon Knight and Viacheslav Kravtsov, to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard Brandon Jennings. In contrast to his limited action in 2012–13, Middleton played all 82 games in 2013–14, while starting 64 and averaging 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.0 minutes per game. On December 6, 2013, he scored a then career-high 29 points in a 109–105 win over the Washington Wizards.
On December 15, 2014, the Bucks were down by one to the Phoenix Suns with under four seconds remaining in regulation as Middleton hit a contested game-winning buzzer beater to defeat the Suns, 96–94. In just under 29 minutes of action off the bench, he recorded 14 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound and 1 steal. On March 7, 2015, he scored a then career-high 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting in a 91–85 win over the Washington Wizards. In his second season with the Bucks, Middleton emerged as an important “3-and-D” player, shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from behind the three-point arc. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
On July 9, 2015, Middleton re-signed with the Bucks to a five-year, $70 million contract, with a player option for the fifth year. This constituted a significant pay raise for Middleton, as he earned $915,000 the prior year. On December 29, 2015, in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored a career-high 36 points on 13-of-22 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range. On March 4, 2016, in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 8-of-9 on three-pointers, marking the most three-pointers made by a Bucks player since Carlos Delfino had eight on March 18, 2011. He tied his career high of 36 points on April 10, 2016 in a 109–108 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers
Aaron Nesmith
- Porter-Gaud High School
- Three-time SCISA State Champion
- SC Gatorade Player of the Year
- Two-Time Lowcountry Player of the Year
- Three-time SCISA Player of the Year
- Chic-fil-A All-Time 3 Point Made in a Game
- SEC "Freshman of the Week"
- Full scholarship to Vanderbilt
- 14th overall Pick in 2020 draft to the Boston Celtics
College Career
Freshman
In his freshman season for Vanderbilt, Nesmith assumed an important role after Darius Garland suffered a season-ending injury and Simisola Shittu underachieved. He started in a majority of his games and averaged 11 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, leading the Commodores in scoring in conference play. On February 18, 2019, Nesmith was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week following two career games. He scored a season-high 26 points against Florida and posted a double-double of 24 points and a season-high 14 rebounds against Auburn.
Sophomore
Nesmith made his sophomore season debut on November 6, 2019, scoring 25 points, including seven three-pointers, in a win over Southeast Missouri State. In the following week, he scored a career-high 34 points, hitting seven three-pointers, in an overtime loss to Richmond. Nesmith made four straight threes in a span of only one minute and 39 seconds. On December 6, Nesmith was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list. On December 21, he matched his career-high of 34 points and connected on seven three-pointers in a victory over UNC Wilmington. Nesmith scored 29 points and made eight three-pointers, the best mark of his career, on January 4, 2020, as his team lost to SMU in overtime. On January 11, 2020, it was initially announced that Nesmith would miss the remainder of the season with a right foot injury that he suffered in a loss to Auburn. In 14 games, he averaged 23 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, shooting 52.2 percent from three-point range. Nesmith was the fifth-leading scorer in the NCAA Division I and averaged the most points by a Vanderbilt player since Tom Hagan in the 1968–1969 season. He had been on pace to have one of the best three-point shooting seasons in college basketball history. However, after having surgery on January 28, Nesmith indicated that he might return before the end of the season. Nesmith did not return, and after the end of the season declared for the 2020 NBA draft.
Professional Career
Boston Celtics (2020–Present)
Nesmith was selected with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. On November 24, 2020, the Boston Celtics signed Nesmith to a four-year, $16.5 million rookie contract including team options in the third and fourth year. With fellow rookie teammate, Payton Pritchard, absorbing many of injured Kemba Walker's minutes, it was difficult for Nesmith to crack the regular rotation for the first few months of the season. With injuries and Covid protocols plaguing the Celtics all season, extended absences from Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, and other key players gave Nesmith enough opportunities to showcase not only his shooting capabilities, but also his gritty hustle and winning attitude. By April 23, 2021, coach Brad Stevens had seen enough from the rookie to warrant consistent rotation playing time to which he hovered around 20 minutes per game for the rest of the regular season. On April 28, 2021, Nesmith put on a show with multiple career highs including 15 points, 9 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in a winning effort against the Charlotte Hornets. He continued this momentum into the next two games where he eclipsed, and then matched his career high with back to back 16 point performances.
He played for the Celtics in the 2021 NBA summer league.
Josiah-Jordan James
- Porter-Gaud High School
- Three-time SCISA State Champion
- McDonald's All-American
- Porter-Gaud's Single-Game Scoring Record with 45 Points
- Five-star Recruit by Rivals and ESPN
- SC Gatorade Player of the Year
- USA Basketball U18 Gold Medal Winner
- Full scholarship to Tennessee
College Career
Freshman
James missed much of the preseason with a hip injury. He scored seven points in Tennessee's first two games. In a 75–62 win over Washington, James finished with nine points, five assists and four rebounds. On January 4, 2020, James scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting in a 78–64 loss to LSU. He was ruled out with a hip injury on January 30. As a freshman, James averaged 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. On January 30, 2021, he suffered a wrist injury against Kansas, forcing him to miss two games. As a sophomore, James averaged 8.0 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game. He underwent wrist surgery in the offseason.
Alumni through the Years
Click on to see awards and recognitions for player
2022
Elijah Dates
High School
Goose Creek
College
Clayton State
Matty Foor
High School
First Baptist
College
Wingate University
Malachi Stevens
High School
Oceanside Collegiate
College
Polk Community College
Jaquez Dash
High School
Porter Gaud
College
USC-Upstate
Dove Fishburne
High School
First Baptist
College
Converse College
Michael Dennison
High School
Beaufort High
College
MIT (Football)
Jaiden Morrison
High School
First Baptist
College
Newberry College (Football
Cam Nell
High School
James Island
College
Flagler College
2021
Demetris McKelvey
High School
Fort Dorchester,
College
North Greenville, (Football)
Colin Mckenzie
High School
First Baptist
College
East Carolina
Demetri Simmons
High School
Goose Creek
College
SC State (Football)
Adonis Cole
High School
First Baptist
College
Francis Marion
Davion Joyner
High School
Fort Dorchester
College
Limestone College (Football)
Gabe Frasier
High School
First Baptist
College
Erskine College
Jayden Johnson
High School
Goose Creek
College
SC State (Football)
2020
Bailey Wiseman
High School
James Island
College
Converse College
Matt Kelly
High School
Porter Gaud
College
Clemson
Xavion Bennett
High School
Goose Creek
College
Converse College
Jacob Crawford
High School
First Baptist
College
Erskine College
Mason Grant
High School
Porter Gaud
College
Campbell University
Cohen Gaskins
High School
James Island
College
Converse College
2019
Malakhi Stremlow,
High School
Cane Bay,
College
Newberry College
Nick Pringle
High School
Whale Branch
College
Alabama
Jamel McGowan
High School
Goose Creek
College
Limestone College
Jordan Jones
High School
Trinity Collegiate
College
Central Connecticut
Tristan Freeling
High School
Oceanside Collegiate
College
Queens University
Ahmad Brown
High School
Ashley Ridge
College
Spoon River College
Rashad Brown
High School
Ashley Ridge
College
Spoon River College
Jaylen Green
High School
Phillip Simmons
College
Allen University
2018
Ishan White
High School
Berkeley
College
New Mexico State
Josiah James
High School
Porter Gaud
College
Tennessee
Tre Hannibal
High School
Hartsville
College
South Carolina
Joseph Powell
High School
First Baptist,
College
Erskine College
Trevus Smalls
High School
Berkeley
College
Chipola College
2017
Aaron Nesmith
High School
Porter Gaud
College
Vanderbilt
Shaq Davis
High School
Summerville
College
SC State (Football)
Jalen Slawson
High School
Pinewood Prep
College
Furman
Jake Lanford
High School
Porter Gaud
College
Yale
Calvin Mathis
High School
Aiken High
College
USC-Salkehatchie
Harrison Whatley
High School
Porter Gaud
College
New York University
2016
Michael Barry
High School
Port-Gaud
College
Suwanee College
Ta’vonne Bond
High School
Irmo
College
VMI
2015
Amp Moore
High School
Wando
College
Newberry
Taevon Major
High School
Northwood
College
Charleston Southern
Kameron Robinson
High School
Goose Creek
College
Spartanburg Meth.
Brady Schuck
High School
James Island
College
Furman
Jeff Gandy
High School
Wilson
College
Presbyterian
Lyles Davis
High School
James Island
College
Clemson
Jordan McElveen
High School
Goose Creek
College
Davis and Elkins
Matt Pegram
High School
Wando
College
Wofford
2014
Tyre Moore
High School
Academic Magnet
College
Mercer
Ty Solomon
High School
Charleston Collegiate
College
SC State
KJ James
High School
Port-Gaud
College
High Point
John Eck
High School
Hilton Head Prep
College
College of Charleston
Michael Preddy
High School
Port-Gaud
College
Georgia Tech fb
Andrew Glover
High School
Wando
College
Fork Union/USC Aiken
Je’Quan Perry
High School
Charleston Collegiate
College
Spartanburg Meth.
Taylor Howell
High School
Bishop England
College
Sewanee
Dantez Bennamon
High School
Goose Creek
College
Clayton State
2013
Aaron Scott
High School
Richland NE
College
Appalachian State
Devarte Watson
High School
Oakbrook Prep
College
Delaware
Eric Wagenlander
High School
Wando
College
Wofford
Brandon Wilkerson
High School
Summerville
College
Erskine
Tony Dargan
High School
Chapin
College
Anderson
Matt McClain
High School
Charleston Collegiate
College
Anderson
Khalil Davis
High School
Charleston Collegiate
College
USC-Salkahatchie
Jay Wright
High School
Effingham
College
Louisiana Lafayette
Gary McGinty
High School
Savannah Day
College
Oglethorpe
Avery Nwokike
High School
Academic Magnet
College
US Naval Academy
2012
Cory Magwood
High School
Wade Hampton
College
Furman
Raemond Robinson
High School
Goose Creek
College
The Citadel
Larry Wideman
High School
Green Sea Floyds
College
Furman
Darryl Palmer
High School
Timberland
College
SC State
Shaq Mitchell
High School
Baptist Hill
College
SC State
Tre McClain
High School
West Ashley
College
Tennessee Chat.
James Sanderson
High School
Port-Gaud
College
Amherst College
Bernard Samuels
High School
North Charleston
College
Polk College
James Brown
High School
North Charleston
College
Coker College
2011
Trevonte Dixon
High School
Christ School
College
College of Charleston
CJ Bray
High School
James Island
College
The Citadel
John Swinton
High School
John Swinton
College
John Swinton
Shane Heyward
High School
West Ashley
College
Columbus State
Austin Bennett
High School
James Island
College
Allen College
Josh Samuels
High School
Russell County
College
Augusta State
Jaron Denmark
High School
Hanahan High
College
Panola College
Fadol Brown
High School
Burke
College
SC State
Andrew Williams
High School
Bowman
College
Youngstown State
2010
RJ Slawson
High School
Ft. Dorchester
College
South Carolina
Matt Kennedy
High School
West Ashley
College
Charleston Southern
Bruce Ellington
High School
Berkeley
College
South Carolina
Devontae Wright
High School
Goose Creek
College
The Citadel
Edmond Robinson
High School
St. Johns
College
Newberry
Demontre Edwards
High School
West Ashley
College
Tennessee
Bruce Haynes
High School
Pinewood Prep
College
USC Upstate
2009
Khris Middleton
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Texas A&M
Travis Smith
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Mercer
Jamal Curry
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Radford
2008
Trevor Speights
High School
St. Johns
College
Allen University
Davon Gilliard
High School
James Island
College
Pfeiffer University
2007
Drew Crowell
High School
West Ashley
College
Wofford
Eric Salley
High School
Colleton County
College
Claflin
Daniel Eykyn
High School
Bishop England
College
Citadel
Jamal Taylor
High School
Burke
College
Georgia State
2006
Harry Austin
High School
St. Johns
College
Francis Marion
RJ Smith
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Greensboro
Ryan Smith
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Gilford
Trey Swinton
High School
Wando
College
The Citadel
Brandon Wright
High School
Goose Creek
College
Erskine College
Kendrick Robinson
High School
Goose Creek
College
Francis Marion
Andrew Bellebaum
High School
Bishop England
College
Wofford
Derrick Snook
High School
Pinewood Prep
College
Furman
2005
Tony Mathews
High School
James Island
College
Benedict College
Acacia Mack
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Sewanee
Greg Smalls
High School
West Ashley
College
Junior College
Terrance Linyard
High School
Wando
College
Francis Marion
Marvin Davis
High School
West Ashley
College
Junior College
2004
Alden Knowlton
High School
Porter Gaud
College
Sewanee
Demetrius Nelson
High School
St. Johns
College
The Citadel
Randal Magwood
High School
St. Johns
College
Clemson
Brandon Smalls
High School
North Charleston
College
SC State
Ryan Kresse
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Emory
John Kresse
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Emory
2003
Charles Brown
High School
Berkeley
College
Spartanburg Meth.
Thomas Anderson
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Sewanee
2002
Terrell Everette
High School
West Ashley
College
SE Missouri State
2000
Gabe White
High School
St. Johns
College
Allen
Brad Peper
High School
West Ashley
College
Newberry
1999
Travis Brown
High School
James Island
College
Spartanburg Meth.
Hank Luton
High School
Sea Island
College
Georgia State
1998
Lee Nixon
High School
Hanahan
College
Wofford
Ray Jackson
High School
St. Johns
College
Spartanburg Meth.
Jarred Cochran
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Davidson
Arthur Stoney
High School
St. Johns
College
Mars Hill
Curtis Rampersant
High School
St. Johns
College
Benedict
Rob Masters
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
College of Charleston
1997
Samuel Ramsey
High School
St. Johns
College
SC State
1996
Bishop Ravenel
High School
Porter-Gaud
College
Wofford
More Information
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