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West Liberty Grad Bonifant Realizes Pro Dream

Will play for Club Baloncesto Clavijo

Photo Provided by WLU Athletics Former West Liberty standout Seger Bonifant signed a one-year deal with Club Baloncesto Clavijo of the Spanish LEB Gold League. He leaves for Spain one week from Friday.

WEST LIBERTY — When former West Liberty University men’s basketball star Seger Bonifant boards a plane a week from Friday it will be the beginning of a new chapter. And truthfully, it will be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of playing professional basketball.

”I am getting anxious,” Bonifant said Wednesday. ”Now that I know when I am leaving and where I am going, I am ready to go.”

Earlier this week Bonifant signed a one-year deal with Club Baloncesto Clavijo of the Spanish LEB Gold League, which is one rung below the country’s premier basketball standard.

Now that one dream has been achieved, it’s time to make some new ones.

”Yeah, that is definitely my goal … to play in the first division over there,” Bonifant said.

”That would be the best outcome, is to play for Real Madrid or FC Barcelona.

”That league is really good and you can develop real well. The goal is to get better every day and play one or two years and move up.”

The thing about dreams though, is they never amount to much more than that without a tremendous work ethic. Fortunately for Bonifant that has always been one of his strong suits.

The Berlin, Ohio, native and graduate of Hiland High School, has been training since the Hilltoppers dropped a 103-102 decision to Lincoln Memorial in last season’s NCAA Division-II Final Four in Frisco, Texas. Bonifant said he has hit the weights aggressively and changed his diet.

”I’ve been working out like a mad man, but I’ve actually taken the last three days off because my body was hurting so bad,” the two-time national player of the year said. ”Every day in the summer I wake up and lift.

”Friday and Saturday are usually my only two off days.”

Bonifant estimates he has gained 8 or 9 pounds, bringing the 6-foot-7 swingman to 208. He played last season at 199.

”After the end of this year I got on a diet for the first time in my life. Not to lose weight, but to gain,” Bonifant said. ”I couldn’t eat cookies or anything like that and I can only drink water or milk practically.

”Usually I gain about 10 pounds in the summer but this is muscle … playing weight.”

That’s a must, Bonifant said. There’s a difference in playing against guys your own age and what he’ll face upon arrival in his new home — grown men.

”They have been sending me workouts and I think our first exhibition game is Sept. 30,” Bonifant said, adding that training camp will last roughly a week. ”They haven’t said anything (about playing time) and I am not taking anything for granted.

”They’re going to be my teammates and friends off the court, but I haven’t worked this hard to go over there and play soft.”

Bonifant, who leaves West Liberty as not only the school’s all-time leading scorer but also with the NCAA’s standard — all divisions — for 3-point accuracy at 53.1 percent, also weighed offers from a couple teams in Germany and one in Finland before settling on Club Baloncesto Clavijo. He credits agent, Matt Slan, for making it happen.

”They saw a  lot of tape and it was a lot of my agent working for me, and I have to thank him for that,” Bonifant said. ”He’s got contacts over in Spain.

”He sent them game film and my highlight tape and then they called me and asked me to play.”

CB Clavijo coach Antonio Perez believes Bonifant can help his team, which finished 11-18 last season, in a number of areas.

”We are looking for a forward with the capacity to score from 3 or playing 1-on-1,” Perez said in a release from Slan. “Seger can play as a 4 (power forward) or sometimes as a 3 (small forward).

”I think that his characteristics as a player are well suited for our league and European basketball.

”He is young, ambitious, hard working and he can meet this new challenge to help us win a lot of games.”

From the cuisine to the style and rules of game, there will be an adjustment period. Bonifant isn’t all that concerned, though admits it will be different.

”I was talking to a couple people in Spain and the place I am going is top 3 in food in the country,” he said. ”A lot of good restaurants.

”You can only have four imports on each team. Only two can be on the floor at the same time.

”I’ve gotten a lot better this summer at jumping — that and speed — and I am a lot stronger. But I need to keep getting better because it’s a different level over there.”

Bonifant said his contract includes an apartment and a car — both free of charge and to be shared with a roommate. Another adjustment will be not having his mom and dad at every game, something they became somewhat famous for while he was at West Liberty.

”They’re definitely excited but my Mom is probably going to be hurting a little bit,” Bonifant said with a chuckle. ”They’re already planning a trip to come watch me play.

”I already miss West Liberty and all the guys. But I think at this stage in my life I am ready for it and ready for a new journey and a new challenge.”

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