'Greek Deac' Mitoglou Heads Home To Play In Pros

Another Wake Forest basketball player has decided to give up his remaining eligibility and turn pro.

Dinos Mitoglou, known by fans as the “Greek Deac,” was a relatively unheralded player when he arrived at Wake Forest as part of Coach Danny Manning's first recruiting class.

He leaves after three seasons being good enough to sign with Panathinaikos, one of the top teams in his native Greece. The four-year deal is worth more than two million dollars.

He's the second player from last year's squad to turn pro, joining John Collins, who was a first-round pick in the NBA draft.

"Just like John, Dinos is a great kid who wasn't a highly-ranked recruit, but by working hard at Wake Forest he was able to achieve his dream of playing as a professional," Manning said in a statement released by the university. "Although we are disappointed to see them leave our program, we are proud that we were able to help them reach a point where they could sign a contract that will change their families for generations to come.” 

Losing a player to the pros in July is an unusual predicament for a college basketball team.

The 6'10" Mitoglou was being looked to as a senior leader for next season. He added quickness to the front line that worked well with Manning's uptempo style of play.

He hit more than 100 three pointers and averaged about nine points per game during his Deacon career.