Former Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton named MVP finalist of BNXT League

In his first season as a pro, Rasir Bolton is already regarded as one of the best players in a prominent overseas basketball league.

The former Gonzaga guard who suited up for Talent Giants Antwerp (Belgium) this season was named an MVP finalist of the BNXT League on Thursday. Bolton, 24, was second in the league in scoring with 17.7 points per game to go with 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 28 games. Antwerp went 21-7 overall and finished second in the Elite Gold division.

Fill Oostende (Belgium) guard Damien Jefferson, who played college ball at New Mexico (2016-17) and Creighton (2018-21), and Bolton’s current teammate Pierre-Antoine Gillet were also named finalists for the MVP award. Oostende went 9-0 in the Winners Stage to claim first in the Gold Division. 

Bolton scored 20 or more points in 10 games as a rookie, including a season-high 29 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field in a win over Okapi Aalstar. He also recorded 21 points and six steals on March 30 against B.A. Limburg. In his second game as a pro, Bolton dropped 20 points and seven assists in a narrow loss in the 2024 Basketball Champions League qualifiers in September.

Bolton started 69 games across two seasons at Gonzaga, averaging 10.6 points while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range. He scored in double figures in three of the seven NCAA Tournament games with the Bulldogs, including a 17-point performance against Memphis in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Before Gonzaga, Bolton played two seasons at Iowa State and started his career at Penn State.

The 6-foot-3 guard signed with Antwerp shortly after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.